Visitors to South Africa who’ve not yet sampled a variety of the street foods on offer are missing out on a fantastic array of dishes we’ve borrowed from countries around the world, and adapted to suit our tastes.
Yes, foreigners may stare as we’re gulping down a roll filled with tomato sauce and slap-chips, but is it really that strange a sight, compared to someone eating bacon with syrup? If you’re in the country, ensure you sample at least one of the below food items before you return home to your own cuisines.
- Boerewors
This humble meat roll is a staple on sporting weekends, and you’ll find it served by vendors around South Africa. It’s our local alternative to the hotdog or frankfurter roll, and by my standards offers a far tastier treat.
It consists of a hot dog or bread roll sliced in half, with a piece of boerewors (a mixed meat, usually pork and beef, flavoured with coriander), in the middle. You can then choose to have it served with fried onions or a tomato and onion mixture, along with sauces such as mustard, tomato, chili, garlic, or whatever else the vendor has available (mayonnaise also tastes superb on a borrie roll!).
.jpg "A traditional chip roll gatsby. By Warren Rohner (Creative Commons)")
- Gatsby
Many visitors will see someone awkwardly eating a Gatsby and start to view it as an unhealthy-looking overfilled sub or hoagie. You’re half right, as it’s definitely not made with the health-conscious in mind. Despite its appearance, most tend to love it once they’ve tried it.
Gatsby’s are made by filling a long roll or bread loaf with meat and sometimes vegetables. The meat is usually beef or chicken, though other variations are offered – such as fish, slap chips, or masala chicken. In essence, it looks at first glance like a Philadelphia cheese steak – minus the cheese.
- Bunny Chow
Predominantly served in KwaZulu-Natal, Bunny Chow – despite its name – does not contain rabbit or bunny meat. It’s a quick, easy dish to make, though there is much debate regarding its origins.
It’s produced by taking half a bread loaf, hollowing it out, and filling it with a rich curry mixture. The bread acts as a make-shift bowl and the curry can be made from lamb, bean, chicken, or even vegetarian mixtures. The original bunny chow dish was only vegetarian.
- Samosas
Though these tiny triangles are often associated only with Indian or Muslim cultures by visitors, they’re loved by locals of all races and creeds, in every province.
They’re created by frying or baking pastry, which has been pre-filled with a savoury mixture that can vary from vegetarian potatoes, peas, corn, and carrots, to chicken or mince fillings.
- Baboetie
This staple food has been popular since the 17th century, and is served most often in winter. After a few bites of this dish, you’ll feel the cold leave your bones, and the heat fill your tummy. You’ll most often find it served in the Cape Malay Quarter in Cape Town, but it is also found in the various provinces.
It consists of rice (usually yellow) served as a base, with a mince or pork filling ladled on top that has been cooked with vegetables, bread and sometimes fruit, and then topped with a baked egg mixture. It looks similar to meat loaf, but is far tastier, due to the variety of flavours and spices.
Author Bio: Roseanna McBain is a writer for TravelGround, a Sun City accommodation and booking website. She enjoys trying varied recipes from around the world, braai’s (internationally called barbeques) with friends on the weekend, and planning adventures around the country with her husband.
My friend is in South Africa right now and she says the samosas are the best thing she has ever eaten. She buys extra and keeps them in her pack for later.
Your friend has the right idea Ed, the only trouble is if you reheat them, they lose their crispy texture (but they still taste fantastic nonetheless!)