By clairemac93
I think one of the most exciting parts of traveling abroad is trying new foods. As much as I sometimes find myself craving things from back home- from the everyday of black beans and plantain chips and Mexican food and granola bars, to the foods I crave just because I can’t have them at my fingertips- cinnabuns being the most infamous of those, generally eating here is great. Stellenbosch is famous for the amount of eateries it has, many of them quaint little café’s, and township food is some of the best I’ve ever eaten. But I will say that in coming here I knew very little about the food, and I can assume most people wouldn’t know what to expect from South Africa too. As such I’ll share with you some of the things I consider “typically South African”.
Rusk: Rusk is a bit like biscotti in that it’s a sweet-ish bready-ish thing you dunk in your coffee. They go from ultra- healthy to diabetes-flavored.
Biltong: Oh biltong. Biltong is essentially a much fancier version of beef jerky, and let me tell you that if you don’t like biltong you lose some points in most South African’s minds. It’s dried and hanged meat and you can get in everywhere from grocery stores to shops especially for biltong. I’m of the opinion that it gives you gout, but my theory has thus far not been proven.
Koeksisters: Oh these sweet little spirals have capture me body and soul! They are little twists of dough soaked in honey. So pretty much, everything you ever wanted in life.
Bunny chow: Bunny chow is where you start to see the Malay influence in South African cuisine. Whereas most places in the western world had slaves from Africa, South Africa had slaves from Malaysia- referred to as the Cape Malay. This dish is a third of a loaf of bread filled with curry. Make sure to eat it either when in Joburg or better yet, Durban.
Potjiekos: This is the only dish I was aware of from South African before I came here, though I’ve actually rarely eaten it here. It’s quite a labor intensive meal- and one of those usually designated for the patriarch to handle. It’s essentially a thick meat soup and takes days to make.
Gatsby: Gatsby’s are the footlongs of South Africa. They are the biggest sandwich you will ever consume, but pure deliciousness. They are so big in fact, that even in a heroic like effort to conquer a Gatsby, my roommate and I only ate a half. Any sandwich with French fries in it is a winner in my book. That half a sandwich is half to blame for the 15 pounds I’ve gained here!
Vetkoek: Vetkoek is my favorite township food, to the point I’m bringing home the recipe for it. It translates to fat cake, just to make you aware of its health benefits, and is eaten with meat straight off the braai. Its slightly sweet and can cost as little as R2, or $0.20 for each one.
Pap: Pap is a bit like the fufu of Ghana. It is almost mashed potato-like in texture and eaten as the carbs of a meal. Never ever ever eat pap with a fork…ever. Hands only.
Chalaka: Definitely just thought this word was a joke when I first heard it, but chalaka is a salsa-like side dish served with pap and meat, most times. Best if nice and spicy!
Red latte/espresso: Here, Rooibos is king. Rooibos, if you haven’t had it, is a non-caffeinated tea that’s a domestic product of South Africa. They put it in almost everything. As such, a red latte/espresso here is a must- which is rooibos tea and espresso.
Luckily for me, I’m not so much of a meat eater so it keeps me from eating these things every day. Nonetheless, South African food has continually surprised me in how tasty it is. I’m not sure I would say it’s a culture where you necessarily need to go home with someone to eat traditional food, but it’s definitely one where you need to interact with many different social groups to “taste the country” as regions and ethnic groups eat very differently. As an aside, though certainly not considered delicacies by anyone’s standards- college kids everywhere would benefit from the sweet chilli Doritos and pinapple Fanta only available here!