South African Food: 12 Traditional Dishes of South Africa

Located on the southernmost tip of Africa, The Republic of South Africa is a country which boasts of great natural beauty, varied topography and a multicultural society.

Being home to people with diverse cultures, languages and religions, South Africa has a very colorful cuisine. Indigenous dishes are influenced by Dutch, French, Malaysian and Indian culture bringing vibrant flavors to every plate.

Biltong

Biltong is cured meat served as a spicy snack in South Africa. Originating as a method of meat preservation by the indigenous South African tribes in the early 19th century, Biltong has emerged as one of the most loved dishes in the current times.

Traditionally prepared from beef cured with salt, vinegar and spices and then hung to dry, Biltong is great for health due to its high protein and low fat content. It is also prepared with other varieties of meat like ostrich, chicken, venison and even wild boar.

Bunny Chow

Bunny chow or bunny is a popular street food prepared using a hollowed-out loaf of white bread which is filled with curry.

Commonly used ingredients to prepare the curry include meat, chickpeas, potatoes and various different spices.

Boerewors

Boerewors is a sausage made with minced beef, pork or venison (or a combination of different meats), the meat is packed as a continuous spiral. This South African sausage is seasoned with black pepper and coriander.

The name Boerewors literally means “Farmer’s sausage”.

This dish can be found at South African barbecues, or braai.

Bobotie

Bobotie consists of spiced mince curry, an egg-based topping, and dry fruit like almonds and raisins that are added to give its characteristic sweet and spicy taste.

This traditional South African dish was initially developed in the 17th century and has an Indo-Malay origin. It was developed by the fusion of various cultures and cooking methods when the Dutch and French brought slaves from Indonesia, Malaysia and India and settled in Cape town.

Also known as “Cape Malay Curry”, this dish is made with local aromatic spices like bay leaves, turmeric and curry powder and represents authentic South African cuisine.

Bokkom

Bokkom is made of mullet fish which is sun dried, salted and served whole.

Hailing from the West Coast region of South Africa, bokkom is served as a snack or used as an ingredient in other dishes like pastas and soup.

Ostrich Egg Omelette

Ostrich egg omelette is a classic omelette made with an ostrich egg. Compared to a typical chicken’s egg, ostrich eggs are much larger and weigh up to 5 pounds. They are so large that one egg can serve many people!

Ostrich omelettes have a sweet, intense, buttery flavor.

Malva Pudding

Malva pudding is a South African dessert which is a sticky baked pudding containing apricot jam and served with creamy custard or vanilla ice cream.

Originating in the Cape, this delicacy is believed to have been developed by the Dutch.

Milk Tart

Milk Tart is another popular South African dessert, consisting of pastry crust, filled with a creamy mixture of eggs, milk and sugar, traditionally sprinkled with cinnamon.

This dessert is so popular that there is an entire day dedicated to it. Official milk tart day is celebrated every year on the 27th of February.

Potjiekos

Potjiekos literally means “pot food” or food out of pot. This South African dish comprises a slow cooked stew prepared in a round, cast-iron pot over a fire.

Typical ingredients include meat and vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage and potatoes. This dish is a popular feature at South African braai (barbecues).

Braai

Authentic “Braai” or “Shisa nyama” which means barbequed or “burnt meat”. Braai is usually celebrated as a social activity in which communities gather to share their food on weekends.

Although almost any kind of meat can be used, the traditional braai is made using Karoo lamb meat which is cooked over a flame, giving the meat a smoky flavor.

Chakalaka

Chakalaka is a spicy South African dish made essentially with vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, onions and beans spiced with peppers, chillies and curry powder.

Believed to have originated from Johannesburg, this spicy relish is widely loved throughout the country. It is usually served cold as a spicy sauce with braai.

Vetkoek

Vetkoek literally means ‘Fat Cake’ or ‘Oily Cake’. Various versions of vetkoek are available with sweet and savory fillings. The sweet ones are filled with sugar or jam while the savory ones have curried mince, chutney and boerewors in them.

Usually served with the morning or evening tea, the recipe traditionally involves deep frying the pastry bun.