Get to know South Africa through its traditional food

For anyone who likes a bit of sweetness alongside their savoury flavours, bobotie is one to add to the list. The dish combines spiced minced meat with dried fruit, topped with a soft egg custard that turns golden as it bakes.

There’s a comforting quality to it without the spice taking over. Serve it with yellow rice, chutney and a few sides, and every bite brings something slightly different to the table.  

The dish has its roots in Cape Malay cooking and reflects the mix of culinary influences that shaped the Cape. Today, bobotie has travelled well beyond the Western Cape, finding its way onto menus and into kitchens across the country.  

Samp and beans might look simple on the plate, but slow cooking gives this dish a rich, homely quality. Umngqusho is a traditional Xhosa dish of samp and beans cooked together until tender. It’s often served as part of a bigger meal, alongside meat, vegetables and gravy. 

The dish comes from the Eastern Cape and has the kind of homely appeal that helps explain why it has lasted through generations. Nelson Mandela was also known to enjoy the dish, adding to its place in South African food history. In fact, South

Africans countrywide have their own variations including isitambu which is popular among Zulu people and Tswana delicacy, dikgobe.

If you’re craving a South African dish that’s as much fun to eat as it is to talk about, bunny chow is a good place to start. Take half a loaf of bread, scoop out the middle and fill it with curry, and you've got a meal that comes with its own edible bowl. Mutton is a classic filling, but chicken, beans and vegetables are also popular. 

Bunny chow emerged from Durban’s Indian South African community, although there are several versions of the story behind its origins. Whatever its beginnings, the dish has since become a favourite far beyond Durban. No knife and fork needed here. Bunny chow is traditionally eaten with your hands, although keeping that curry from spilling everywhere is easier said than done.

Xigugu might sound simple, but the preparation is what makes it interesting. Roasted maize kernels and whole peanuts are fried, then pounded together with salt using a wooden mortar and pestle. Depending on the recipe, sugar can also be added, giving the mixture a sweet and savoury flavour. 

Xigugu was also a practical food for people travelling long distances, as it was filling and could last without spoiling. These days, it’s more likely to turn up as a snack or at family gatherings.   

Waterblommetjies are one of those ingredients that make you stop and ask, You can eat those? Yes, you can.The flowers of the Cape pondweed plant are traditionally cooked with lamb or mutton to make waterblommetjie bredie. They add a distinctive texture to the stew while taking on the rich juices as they cook. 

A Western Cape classic, waterblommetjie bredie is also seasonal, which makes finding it on a menu a little more exciting. Slow-cooked meat, rich gravy and tender waterblommetjies make it just the thing for a chilly afternoon. 

Tshidzimba is one to seek out if you’re ready to move beyond the better-known South African dishes. It combines maize samp with peanuts, beans and Bambara groundnuts, all cooked together and mashed into a satisfying dish. 

The dish is part of Vhavenda food traditions and is also called tihove in Xitsonga. It has traditionally featured at weddings and cultural ceremonies, giving it an important place in Vhavenda celebrations. It might take a little more searching to find, but if you come across tshidzimba, it’s worth ordering. 

If you like your carbs with a little tang, give this pairing a try. Uphuthu is a crumbly maize meal traditionally served with amasi, a thick, fermented sour milk with a distinctive sour taste. The soft, mild maize and cool, tangy amasi make an unexpected but surprisingly good combination. But don’t introduce sugar into the mix if you’re not ready for war because this is a contentious debate in Mzansi.

Amasi is not the only way to enjoy uphuthu. It also works with beans, vegetables, meat or gravy, making it an easy addition to all kinds of meals. It’s not trying to be fancy, and that’s part of the charm. Sometimes, you just want a plate of food that feels familiar. 

Tripe can be a bit of a hard sell if you’ve never had it before. But mala mogodu is a much-loved dish, and the slow cooking is a big part of its appeal. The tripe and intestines are cleaned, cooked until tender and usually served with pap, dumplings or samp.

The long cooking process softens the tougher cuts and lets them take on the richness of the gravy. For many South Africans, mala mogodu isn’t something adventurous to try. It’s the kind of home cooking that brings everyone back to the table for seconds. 

Maize meal and beans show up in a few South African dishes, but the recipes and traditions around them can be very different. Umkhupha is traditionally associated with Ndebele food and has a strong connection to weddings. Beans or cowpeas are cooked until soft, then maize meal is added to create a thick, comforting dish.  

If you come across it at a wedding or traditional food spread, you’re getting a taste of a particular Ndebele tradition.

Think you know koesisters? First, make sure you’re talking about the same thing. The Cape Malay koeksea is a soft, spiced doughnut flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger, then finished with syrup and coconut. A koeksister is the twisted, plaited sweet that’s fried and soaked in syrup. 

Both have their fans, but the difference becomes obvious after the first bite. The koeksea is soft and fragrant; almost like cake, with the spices taking centre stage. The koeksister is crisp and slightly chewy on the outside, with syrup providing most of the sweetness. If you come across these two at a South African bakery, skip the decision-making and dig into both.