AY Honors/African Lore/Answer Key

South African cuisine varies widely, representing the food of indigenous people and of all those who have immigrated since. Strong influences are therefore African, Malay, Dutch, Indian, French, and Portuguese food. In the more cosmopolitan big cities, one is likely to find Morrocan, Chinese, Japanese and many other cuisines. Typical to South Africa is mielie-meal, one of the staple foods, which is usually eaten with beans, gravy, or meat. The Afrikaans boerewors is a substantial sausage that is cooked on a "braai". Biltong, a salty dried meat (like jerkey) is another meaty favourite. Bobotie, a dish of Malay descent, is like a mince pie with raisins and with baked egg on top, and is often served with yellow rice, sambals, coconut, banana slices, and chutney. Ostrich is an increasingly popular protein, with low cholesterol. Dried fruit chutney is very popular, especially a local brand called "Mrs Ball's Chutney". Koeksisters which come in two forms, are a sweet delicacy. Afrikaans koeksisters are twisted pastries, deep fried and heavily sweetened. Koeksisters found on the Cape Flats are sweet and spicey, shaped like large eggs, and deep fried. Other popular foods are samosas and the most important Indian dish "Bunny Chows, which comes from Durban. It is Curry from mutton, beef r chicken stuffed into a loaf of bread with the inside taken out, "hoender-pastei" (chicken pie, traditional Afrikaans), Sosaties (grilled marinated meat on a skewer), tomato bredie (lamb and tomato stew), gesmoorde vis (salted cod with potatoes and tomatoes and sometimes served with apricot jam), umngqosho (semolina and black-eyed peas), and malva pudding (a sweet spongy pudding with an alcoholic sauce).