The Flavours of South Africa

Moyo

A great way to explore a culture is through its food and South Africa offers a wonderful culinary itinerary. In fact many of the African restaurants offer "pan-Africa" dishes. So not only can you taste the flavors of South Africa you can venture out into the cuisines of other countries in Africa as well. As varied as the number of native tribes, the dishes are infused with foreign influences too from Malaysia, India, and Arabia. Truly a melting pot, South African cuisine also reflects the cookery of the Afrikaans and Portuguese who brought their own methods and ingredients.

The food is of course fresh and fabulous! King prawns from Mozambique, native kingklip and calamari, Cape crayfish or spiny rock lobster for me. Free-rage ostrich, ox-tail, and springbok for Vince. Some of the restaurants we have tried so far with the best African dishes are Restaurant Moyo in Melrose Arch which offers a very sophisticated and modern twist on traditional African cuisine; The African Cafe in Cape Town which is more laid back and convivial offering a delicious multi-course tasting menu; the Lekgotla in Mandela Square which serves a varied buffet along with an a la carte menu; and Gramadoelas in downtown Newtown which is more soulful and authentic. They are very atmospheric, can offer live music and dance performances while you dine and are all very, very good!

 Some of our favorite dishes are:
1. Bobotie which is minced ox-tail braised with butterbeans in red wine and beef stock.
2. Anything in a potjie, a three-legged pot the Voortrekkers used for cooking stews (and the precursor to the Dutch Oven.) I prefer waterblommetjies (water onions) with fish but Vince likes the traditional spicy lamb.
3. Ostrich berbe which is ostrich fillet marinated in a classic Ethiopian spice blend of cloves, cardamom, ginger and cayenne pepper, served with a Zimbabwean peanut pumpkin mash.
4. Chicken yassa, a Senegalese chicken breast marinated in an olive, red pepper and preserved lemon sauce.
5. Samaki kava, a Tanzanian fish curry with a coconut milk, turmeric, spinach and groundnut sauce, served with sun-dried mango.
6. Sosatie, marinated beef kabobs & dried apricots.

A popular side dish is pap, a polenta-like meal. Others include morogo, a type of wild spinach. Combined with butter-braised onions and tomato or mixed into maize porridge, it is a rural ingredient with mainstream appeal. Amadumbe is a sweet potato and peanut mash. A tasty restaurant variation of the dish is to cook sweet potatoes, mash them with butter and sprinkle them with roasted peanuts, topped off with a drizzle of honey.

Chakalaka is a spicy relish served alongside a main course and consists of grated carrots, green peppers, sliced onion, vinegar, and chili.

And the desserts! I love warm malva pudding served with custard. I have a recipe which Vince and I are going to try to make one weekend. For a fruit lover like me, the bounty is endless. Tart cape gooseberries, sweet naartjie, mango, pineapple and passion fruit, and the African cucumber or horned melon. The last makes a refreshing and tasty sorbet especially with lime.