|
|
        |
|
In the Bantu kraals, most villagers have an outdoor barbecue pit called a braai. Vegetables, meat and fish are cooked in a large pot over hot coals. The practice dates back to nomadic times. The hunters would carry the pot around with them adding meat when they could find it. This has evolved into the modern-day hunters' stew, potijiekos. The typical Bantu diet consists of mealies (corn), stews and fish. An appetizer of biltong may be served before the main course. Biltong is meat that has been salted, cured and spiced with salt, pepper and coriander. The mealies are usually topped with stew and eaten together. Milk tart, or milktert, is a common desert made of milk, cornflour and eggs and served cold with coffee. For more information about South African food, make sure to check out links to recipes in our resource area. Compiled by Theresa Riley |
|
Traditional South African cuisine is the result of the many cultural groups that immigrated to this area over time. The earliest known inhabitants are the Khoisan people. These nomads traveled around the region hunting game in the rich grasslands and collecting shellfish on the coast. The Bantu migrants settled the area around the first centuries A.D. and introduced agriculture and livestock to the area. Later settlers like the Portuguese introduced fish dishes and the Dutch and English introduced sausage, known as boerewors. The Bantu Nation of today encompasses over twenty groups that settled in South Africa, raising sheep and other animals and planting corn, sugar cane, sweet potatoes and other fruits and vegetables. 