Food & Drink

Braai (rhymes with "dry") is not just barbecuing — it is South Africa's national religion. Every South African, regardless of origin, language, or social class, braais. It is the one thing that unites everyone.

The difference from German grilling: Braai is done exclusively over wood or charcoal (never gas!), takes longer (wood must burn down first), and is a social ritual — the braai master stands by the fire all afternoon, beer in hand, while friends and family gather.

What Goes on the Braai

• Boerewors: The spiral-shaped farmer's sausage made from beef, pork, and spices (coriander!) is THE braai essential. In a "Boerewors Roll" (hotdog bun) with Chakalaka and mustard.
• Sosaties: Marinated meat skewers (Cape Malay, similar to Satay). Lamb or chicken with dried apricots and curry marinade.
• Steak: South African beef is excellent. T-bone, rump, sirloin — medium rare, please!
• Lamb Chops: Karoo lamb is considered the best in the world — the sheep graze on wild herbs in the semi-desert.
• Pap & Sous: Maize porridge (like polenta) with tomato sauce — the classic side dish.

Heritage Day (September 24) is officially "National Braai Day" — the only national holiday in the world dedicated to barbecuing.

Cape Malay Cuisine

• Bobotie: South Africa's national dish — a spiced minced meat casserole (turmeric, cinnamon, chutney) with an egg-milk crust and raisins. Served with yellow rice and sultanas. The flavors are a revelation. Best in Bo-Kaap in Cape Town.
• Samoosas: Fried pastry pockets with lamb curry filling (Cape Malay version of the Indian samosa). Available everywhere as a snack.
• Koeksisters: Braided, fried dough, dipped in sugar syrup. Sticky-sweet, perfect with coffee.

Traditional African Cuisine

• Pap (Mieliepap): Maize porridge — the staple food. Available as "slapppap" (soft, like porridge) or "stywe pap" (firm, like polenta). With Vleis (meat) and Chakalaka.
• Chakalaka: Spicy vegetable relish made from tomatoes, beans, carrots, and chili. The perfect side dish for everything.
• Umngqusho: Samp & Beans — dried corn with sugar beans. Mandela's favorite dish.
• Potjiekos: Stew from the cast-iron tripod pot (Potjie) over an open flame. Meat, vegetables, potatoes — slowly simmered, never stirred. A Potjie competition is a South African happening.
• Bunny Chow: Hollowed-out white bread filled with curry — Durban's most famous contribution to world cuisine.

Snacks & Street Food

• Biltong: Air-dried, spiced meat (beef, springbok, kudu). South Africa's answer to beef jerky, but 1,000 times better. In every supermarket, at every gas station — and in various moisture levels (wet, medium, dry). Perfect with beer!
• Droëwors: Thin dried sausage — the sausage version of Biltong. Addictive!
• Gatsby: Cape Town's legendary sandwich — half a loaf of white bread filled with chips (fries!), steak or polony, and atchar. The ultimate township fast food.
• Vetkoek: Fried dough ball, filled with minced meat curry. The South African doughnut.

South Africa is the eighth-largest wine producer in the world, and the quality has exploded in the last 20 years. What makes Cape wines special: the combination of old vineyards (some of the oldest vines outside Europe), extreme terroir diversity (sea, mountains, various soils), and an unbeatable value for money.

The Grape Varieties

• Chenin Blanc: South Africa's most cultivated grape. Known here as "Steen." From crisp-fresh to lush-complex — the variety is enormous. Old vines (50+ years) produce world-class wines.
• Pinotage: South Africa's own grape variety — a 1925 cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut created at the University of Stellenbosch. Bold, smoky, with notes of banana and mocha. You either love it or hate it. Try the one from Kanonkop — the best.
• Sauvignon Blanc: Especially from the cool regions of Elgin and Darling. Tropical-fresh, perfect with seafood.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: The top red wines from Stellenbosch compete with Bordeaux.
• Syrah/Shiraz: From Swartland — South Africa's most exciting wine region, the "Rhône of the South."
• Cap Classique: South Africa's Champagne method. The best (Graham Beck, Simonsig) are fantastic — and cost a fraction of real Champagne.

Wine Regions