A "rainbow" cuisine of indigenous Khoisan and Bantu traditions overlaid with Dutch, Malay, Indian, and British strands, expressed at the braai and on the curry pot.
What it is
South African cuisine is the food of a country built by waves of migration. Indigenous Khoisan and Bantu kitchens met Dutch settlers in the 1650s; enslaved Malay cooks brought curry traditions to the Cape; Indian indentured workers in Durban added a second curry stream; British settlers contributed bakery and pub culture. The result is genuinely plural.
How it tastes
The braai — South Africa’s word for barbecue — defines the national flavor: smoky charred meat, often coiled boerewors sausage, scented with garlic and coriander. Cape Malay cooking pulls in sweetness — apricot jam, raisins, cinnamon — alongside curry powder.
Signature dishes & techniques
Bobotie — spiced, sweetened ground meat baked under an egg-and-milk custard — is the most Cape Malay dish on the national menu. Bunny chow, a hollowed loaf filled with Durban curry, was invented by Indian dock workers. Pap (maize porridge) with wors and chakalaka relish is the township breakfast.
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South African starts with S and ends with N. Browse other cuisines along the same letter.
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