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South Africa is a country filled with a very rich culture, and part of the cultural identity is the hearty dishes that populate every home and restaurant. Want to discover the best food in South Africa? You’re in the right place. From succulent meats, spicy curries, and crisp glasses of wine (South African vineyards are something else), you really can’t go wrong. One of the best things to do in South Africa is to take yourself on a food tour! Here are the best bites you need to try.
What is the most popular food in South Africa?
The most popular foods in South Africa, and the most well known foods, are bobotie (also considered the national dish), boerewors, and biltong. The three Bs, if you will.
About South African food
South African food is made up of vast cultural blends hailing from India, Cape Malay, the Netherlands, and Indigenous peoples. Many South African dishes are hearty and feature lots of different cuts of meat. You’ll also find mouthwatering spice blends and charred BBQ flavours.
Main dishes
There are soooo many dishes you’ll have to try on your travels through the country, but here are some of the best foods in South Africa.
1. Bunny Chow
Bunny chow is the ULTIMATE comfort food: a hollowed out loaf of white bread, filled with spicy curry. It’s a popular fast food and it’s one of the best foods in South Africa just because of how warm, hearty, and filling it is! You can get it with salad served on the side, and the curry can be made with lots of different meats, or veggies if you prefer.
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2. Bobotie
Bobotie is a traditional South African dish served in just about every household. Pronounced ‘ba-boo-tee’, this is another very cosy meal made up of spiced mince meat which is covered in a creamy savoury custard-like topping. It’s a bit like a shepherd’s pie, but with Dutch influences and Cape Malay flavours.
3. Boerewors
These are a staple part of South African cuisine: thick sausages made of a mix of ground pork and beef and spiced with nutmeg, coriander, and cloves. You can eat them in many ways including grilled in a braai, served on a bun hot-dog style, or with traditional pap. Juicy and with just the right amount of zing – you can’t go wrong here.
4. Vetkoek
This gorgeous little delicacy is pronounced ‘fet-cook’, which literally translates to fat cake in Afrikaans. These little fried balls of dough can be made into savoury meals or sweet little desserts depending on what you stuff into them. They’re definitely one of the best foods in South Africa because of how light and delicious they are, and the fact you can dress them up restaurant style, or dress them down as street food.
5. Potjiekos
Potjiekos is a stew! Every country needs their own version of a stew, and this is South Africa’s answer. The dish gets its name because of the small cast iron pot it’s cooked in, called a ‘potjie’, and the name translates to ‘small pot food’. Meats and vegetables like carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, or pumpkin are left to slow cook in the pot to create an aromatic Dutch-Malay spiced stew. Perfect for the colder days (though it’s never that cold in South Africa) or a meal to cook someone you’re trying to impress.
6. Chakalaka
Chakalaka is a colourful dish that you can either have on its own, or with some sides depending on your mood! It’s a vegetable relish, aka a salad (which means it’s healthy), made of tomatoes, beans, sautéed onions, peppers, and spice mixes to make it more or less sweet and spicy. Traditionally, you would have chakalaka with pap or bread.
7. Biltong
You may not have known much about the best food in South Africa before reading this, but I bet you knew what biltong is. The quintessential South African snack, biltong is a jerky: air-dried cured meats like beef, ostrich, boar, etc. Really, any meat you can think of, you’ll probably be able to find a biltong version of it! It’s chewy and makes for a great snack if you want to up your protein intake. Wouldn’t bring it on a safari though as you may attract some predators…
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8. Sosatie
If you get invited to a South African braai, you’ll most likely be served some boerewors and some sosaties. These are meat skewers, commonly lamb or beef, and they resemble northern African kebabs. Before being grilled, the skewers are spiced (a theme in South African foods) and marinated, but the marinade is quite unique! Usually made with curry, apricot jam, vinegar, and ginger and garlic; you’ll get a taste like nothing else.
9. Frikkadel
Frikkadel are sort of reminiscent of Moroccan falafel or Indian bhajis in that they are a deep-fried ball shaped food! But these are meatballs made with onions, bread, and eggs. So, while they might remind you of other foods, they’re definitely a unique little creation of their own.
10. Hoenderpastei
Everybody loves a pie, right? This traditional South African dish is a staple of every home because it’s warm and comforting and hearty, and it’s perfect for sharing with loved ones. Hoenderpastei is a chicken pot pie with a layer of flaky crust on top. It’s very hard to go wrong with this one.
Braai
Braai gets a category all of its own. Not so much a South African dish, but more a way of cooking, braai is essentially a South African BBQ! It’s also more of a social activity than a dish – when you host a braai, you’re hosting friends and family for an afternoon of laughs and good moods.
Braai gets its name from braaivleis which translates to ‘grilled meat’, so it’s pretty self explanatory. Typically you’ll get things like boerewors and sosaties and plenty of sides, like chakalaka. If you’re ever in South Africa, make sure to get yourself invited to a braai – it’s the best way to glimpse the true heart of the culture.
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Desserts
1. Malva pudding
Malva pudding is a mouthwatering South African dessert. A spongy, caramelised cake made with apricot jam, it’s light and freshly sweet, and perfect for all occasions and sort of like a British sticky toffee pudding. You can make it in a large pan, or buy smaller bite sized slices. It’s usually served with a warm cream sauce poured on top like a custard.
2. Melktert
Afrikaans for ‘milk tart’, this dessert is exactly what it sounds like. A rich and creamy tart made up of sweet short crust pastry and a custard-like filling, it’s often dusted with a generous amount of cinnamon on top – delicious!
3. Koeksisters
Ooey, gooey, sticky, and shiny; koeksisters are the South African version of a donut. The dough is light and fluffy, braided and fried, and then glazed with a simple but totally addictive syrup.
