A Short Guide To South African Food - Page 1

Coming to South Africa soon and never tasted our food? Car Rental South Africa is here to give you a crash course (excuse the pun) in all the best South African food has to offer, so you'll know the difference between boerewors and a koeksister when you get here!

Due to its diverse and colourful mix of cultures the food of South Africa offers unique variety and flavor you won't find anywhere else in the world. Take a few minutes to read a bit of background information on our traditional foods and be sure to taste some, if not all, when you are visiting our beautiful country. Here we go, the Car Rental South Africa Guide to Traditional South African Food:

Boerewors

Boerewors is a traditional type of South African sausage and literally translated from Afrikaans means "farmer's sausage". The recipe for boerewors can vary considerably though generally it contains minced beef (which may also be combined with minced pork or lamb) and a combination of spices including black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and toasted coriander seeds.

Boerewors is often cooked on a braai, which is an outside barbecue, and can be served on a hotdog roll, as the South African version of a hotdog called a boerie roll accompanied with a South African version of fruit chutney.

It is also customary in South Africa to dry or cure boerewors, which makes droëwors, literally translated from Afrikaans as dry sausage.

Bobotie

A favourite of the Cape Malay community, bobotie most likely has its origins from the Dutch East India colonies in Indonesia, and has a history stemming as far back as the 17th century. A variation of bobotie was even cooked inside a hollowed out pumpkin in which it was baked, until ready to be eaten.

The modern day bobotie recipe can vary though generally it consists of beef or lamb, flavoured with curry powder spices, sultanas, raisins or dried apricots and topped with an egg and bread mixture. This is then placed in an oven and baked until done and served with walnuts, bananas or chutney. It's a firm favourite in South Africa, especially the Cape region, where you will find it available at many restaurants as a classic example of traditional South African fare. Don't miss out on a chance to sample it if you are in Cape Town, as you probably won't have a chance anywhere else in the world!

Potjiekos

Potjiekos is a traditional South African stew, cooked in a three-legged, cast iron pot over a fire or coals. It is believed to have originated with the Voortrekkers (the original South African pioneers who left the Cape Colony to settle in the interior of the country) and the recipe consists of meat, vegetables, starch (such as rice or potatoes) and spices to which alcohol is often added such as beer, to further enhance the flavouring.

The preparation of a potjie or potjiekos is a long process and involves the browning of the meat in the potjie pot over the fire, the addition of spices and any other additional ingredients, and finally any liquid is added, depending on the recipe that is used. Once the cooking preparation process is complete the pot is left to simmer slowly over the fire for a length of time. Since the cooking of a potjie is a long process, taking a few hours, it is a regarded as a traditional South African occasion for socialising, where people chat, drink and have fun while the food is being cooked.

Bunny Chow

A 'Bunny Chow' is the name given to a form of Indian take-away food that has it's origins in the city of Durban on the east coast of South Africa and may also be reffered to as a 'kota'. The dish originally consisted of a vegetarian curry that was served in a hollowed out loaf of bread, however these days it may be served with both meat and vegetarian curries as a filling.

Though originating from the large Indian community in the Durban area, you should be able to buy in most regions throughout the country if you are wanting to sample this uniquely South African fast food. Just be warned, it can be filling, so order wisely and share. Generally your order size is determined by the cut of the bread loaf, either a quarter, half or full loaf, and the combination of the bread and curry filling is a great taste experience, so give it a try!

Want to know more about South African foods? Continue on to Page 2!

Planning on travelling around South Africa soon? Trust Car Rental South Africa to find you great vehicles at low prices, no matter what your requirements are! Check out our Car Rental Fleet Page for more information or our Specials Page for cheap car rental deals. At Car Rental South Africa we'll do our best to ensure your travels in South Africa are hassle free!

popular seaches stuff to do in johannesburg, what to do in jhb, what to do johannesburg, joburg tourist attractions, top 10 johannesburg, things to do in johannesburg, south africa, visiting johannesburg, top 10 things to do in johannesburg, what to see in johannesburg, things to do around johannesburg, fun places in johannesburg, things to do in jozi