Cuisine Focus – South African – A Culinary Spectrum

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South African cuisine has been regarded as “rainbow cuisine.” This is due to the variances and diversities depicting the culinary heritage of its people. The term is somewhat identified with the cultural depth, creativity and unity of South Africa pertaining mostly to its human resource.

For a country teeming with so many people, it is very apparent how inhabitants exhibit a multi-cultural edge. Considering that a number of languages are being spoken, it is no surprise how people relate through other means like food. Try imagining the depth of each culture and you can perceive the fascinating and delectable offerings this cuisine has in terms of taste and flavor.

South African cuisine is like a spectrum of colors. In it, you can find influences namely African, European and Asian. These serve as societies evolving in lines of history and time. In the process, the cuisine adopted the traits of each influence making it varied yet enriched somehow. First, South African cuisine shows the varied traditions of the Europeans, having in mind the Italians, Greeks, Portuguese, English and Dutch. Then we’ll have the fruity, sweet, sour tastes of the Malay who also influenced the culinary upbringing of the inhabitants. The curries from China and India put enough spice in the dishes, mixing this with good, old traditions of African tribes. Surely, what we speak of is a cuisine that is indeed colorful in all aspects making use of ingredients, local and acquired.

There are a number of dishes that are distinctly South African. First would be the South African stew called waterblommetjiebredie. It is meat stewed with cape pondweed, a type of flower only found in Western Cape. Another traditional dish would be the bobotie. It is minced meat with brown sugar, apricots, raisins, mashed bread and curry. Tripe is also a favorite. Typically a farmer or Boer dish, it is considered a delicacy which is often cooked in red wine. Maize or sweet corn is a popular food in South Africa. These are normally cooked by boiling or made into breads. Geelrys is a kind of dish comprising of rice spiced with turmeric, other ingredients also include boiled eggs and raisins.

Ingredients Utilized in South African Cuisine

Meat:

Pork, Beef, Lamb, Game and poultry meats (Venison, Ostrich, Impala)

Seafood:

Crayfish, Prawns, Tuna, Mussels, Oysters, Mackerel, Snock, Hake, Cod, Sole, Abalone, Shrimps, Calamari/Squid

Fruits:

Bananas, Mangoes, Papayas, Grapes, Avocado, Apricots, Melons

Grains:

Maize, Rice

Vegetable:

Potatoes, Beans, Squash, Various types of green vegetables

Seasonings and spice:

Curry, Chili, Coriander, Pepper, Turmeric

Dairy:

Milk, Eggs, Butter

The continual search for food prompted the change of South African cuisine. From the times when the Dutch East India Company sailed across places for spices to the moment it succeeded to establish a farm in Africa’s tip, the culinary ventures began as well. The Malays, who were foremost slaves, brought a type of cooking that is now greatly associated to this cuisine and probably the most popularly known cooking style in the country.

Change is a good thing especially when a mixture of races and origins end up producing one extraordinary heritage. South African cuisine is not called “rainbow cuisine” for nothing. It is identified as one because of the diversity and multiplicity of influences enriching the local palate thus bringing in an ideal mix of texture and flavors amidst obvious differences.

Authentic South African Recipes

Bobotie

Recipe Source: whats4eats.com

(South African curried meat casserole)

Bobotie is a very old South African dish with probable origins in Indonesia or Malaysia. The name derives from the Indonesian “bobotok,” and the dish was likely adapted by Dutch traders and brought back to the region around Cape Town. Every South African cook has his or her own favorite version of this dish, some very simple, others quite elaborate. Bobotie is typically served with geelrys (yellow rice) and a side of mango chutney.

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• Oil — 2-3 tablespoons
• Onions, thinly sliced — 2
• Ground beef — 2 pounds
• White bread, crust removed and cut into cubes — 2-3 slices
• Milk — 1 cup
• Vinegar or lemon juice — 1/4 cup
• Raisins — 1/2 cup
• Sugar — 2 tablespoons
• Curry powder — 1-2 tablespoons
• Turmeric — 1 teaspoons
• Salt and pepper — to season
• Bay leaves — 5
• Eggs, beaten — 2

Methods:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Add the onions and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown. Add the ground beef and break it up while sautéing until cooked through and crumbly. Remove from heat, drain of any excess fat and place in a large bowl.
2. Put the bread and milk in a bowl and soak for 5-10 minutes. Remove the bread and squeeze it dry, adding squeezed milk back into the bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Add the soaked bread, vinegar or lemon juice, raisins, sugar, curry powder, turmeric, salt and pepper to the bowl with the cooked meat and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. The meat should have a pleasantly sweet-sour flavor.
4. Pour the meat mixture into a greased casserole dish and smooth out the top. Lay the bay leaves over the meat in a decorative pattern and press down lightly to make them stick. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
5. Beat the eggs with the reserved bread-soaking milk. After the meat has baked for 30 minutes, pour the egg-milk mixture over the top of the meat and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the custard is set and lightly browned.
6. Remove from the oven and serve hot with geelrys and mango chutney.

Variations

• Add a couple tablespoons of mango chutney or apricot preserves to the meat if you like. A grated apple is also sometimes added.
• Stir a handful of toasted, slivered almonds into the meat mixture before cooking, or garnish the finished dish with toasted almonds.
• One or two beaten eggs can also be stirred into the meat mixture if you like.
• Substitute lemon leaves for the bay leaves if you can find them.
• Use ground lamb in place of the beef.

Biryani

Recipe Source: recipes.wuzzle.org

Ingredients:

• 3 Pounds Chicken Breast
• 2 Cups Lentils — cooked
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• 2 Cups Rice
• 1 Small Tomato — chopped
• 6 Small Potatoes — peeled and cooked
• 2 Large Onions — sliced
• 3 Medium Eggs — hardboiled
• 1 Cup Olive Oil
• Marinade
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic
• 4 Teaspoons Turmeric
• 2 Sticks Cinnamon
• 2 Pods Cardamom
• 3 Medium Green Chiles
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 2 Sprigs Mint
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
• Cooking Spices
• 1 Stick Cinnamon
• 2 Pods Cardamom
• 1 Medium Green Chile
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Corriander
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger Root — grated
• 1 Clove Garlic
• Rice Spices
• 2 Pods Cardamom
• 1 Stick Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Rub chicken with ground ginger, garlic and turmeric.
2. Place in large bowl with other marinade spices, yogurt and tomato.
3. In a heavy skillet, fry onions in a few tablespoons of the oil until golden.
4. Put half the sauted onions in with the chicken marinade.
5. Marinate for 1 hour.
6. Boil rice with rice spices and 4-5 cups of water.
7. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is half done.
8. Drain and set aside.
9. After chicken is marinated combine with cooking spices and 2 -3 inches of water and simmer until tender.
10. Chunk potatoes and fry with reserved oil from onions on high.
11. Potatoes should be crisp not greasy.
12. When everything is ready, put oil from skillet and fresh oil in the bottom of a large heavy pot, with a tight fitting lid.
13. Scatter a handful of rice and all the lentils on the pot bottom.
14. Scatter chicken and marinade across the lentils. cover with potatoes and more rice.
15. Place egg slices and then the last of the rice. pour the rest of the oil and 1/2 of cold water in the mixture.
16. Cover pot and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
17. Reduce heat.
18. Let simmer 1 hour.
19. When serving make sure to dig through the layers.
20. Biryani should be accompanied by lots of yogurt and lots of chutney.

Serves 8

Image Credit: thesouthafricaguide.com

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