When I am traveling, food often happens to be the main focus of my days. As soon as the breakfast is consumed I am already thinking about lunch. The dinner has been staked out days ahead. Actually food is so important to my travels that it can be the deciding factor of what my destination will be. For example, I really want to travel to India and my main motivation for that is the amazing Indian cooking! Same with Thailand. But how about South Africa? Are there any gastronomic surprises waiting for all those hungry World Cup tourists? What kind of food do they serve for tourists in South Africa?
Top Tourist Foods in South Africa:
#1: Braai
The most important part of South Africa’s cuisine is the braai, an African equivalent of the American barbeque. However, the only thing they have in common is the fact that the food is grilled and enjoyed outdoors. Where Americans may swear to hot dogs and burgers, the South Africans have more creative stuff to come up with. On a continent where Ostrich, Kudu, Springbok and Crocodiles roam freely, there is no need to eat cow every day. So here is a heads up to all of you World Cup tourists: Next July you will probably find yourself feasting on Crocodile Kebabs, Ostrich Burgers and Boerewors sausages. And of course you will also have some good steak; Zebra, Kudu, Warthog, Gemsbok and Springbok are no strangers on the dining table.
#2: Boerewors
Though it is mentioned under the Braai section, this South African sausage is so dominant that it deserves it’s own point. The name is Afrikaans and means “farmer sausage”, and the concept comes from the Netherlands, but is now known as a South African dish. And as a World Cup tourist, this is what you will eat on the way back to your hotel after a long night out celebrating the latest football victory!
#3: Biltong
Not exactly a meal by itself, but nevertheless a very important part of South African food culture. Biltong is dried meat, often Beef, Springbok, Kudu, Chicken or Ostrich. You will also come across dried Boerewors among the different kinds of biltong. There are several different spices and flavors, so you should definitely be able to find one that suits your taste buds. And for those nerve wrecking World Cup matches, biltong is the perfect snack to chew on!
#4: Pap
Pap is probably the most widely eaten food in Southern Africa, but maybe not as much among tourists. This kind of maize porridge is often eaten by itself or with some sort of meat stew. It is more common among the poorer families as it is a very cheap and nutritious food. However, I would recommend for anyone who travels to South
Africa to try it, as it is an extremely important part of the South African food traditions.
Digression: Personally I ate pap for every meal, every day, when me and my friend visited a farmer in Swaziland. The only exception was our first day there, since we (for some absurd reason) had brought a frozen chicken with us. Mtunzi, the farmer, did not seem to have much chicken-cooking experience, so that night we ended up eating boiled chicken with pap.
What else should be added to the list? Please share your favorite South African Food tips below!
