South African Food You Must Taste

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With its multicultural mix of residents, it’s no wonder that the South African food menu is a delicious foray into its history and people. When you travel to South Africa with Ker & Downey, we have a few ideas of some South African safari food you must try. Our South African-born Designer Ken Hermer shares some tips below on what to eat when you visit Cape Town. “Having grown up in South Africa,” he says, “describing all these delicious foods has brought back the best of memories.”

Bunny Chow

The cheerful name piques our interest already and speaks to South Africa’s fusion of cultures. If you are searching for a hearty meal, look no further. Bunny Chow is a half loaf of bread, hollowed out and filled up with lamb, beef, or chicken curry. For the full experience, try eating bunny chow with just your hands.

Babotie

When the Malay arrived to the Cape of Good Hope in the 1700s, they brought with them babotie, a ground beef South African food infused with spices. Expect curry powder, herbs, and dried fruit added into the meat, then topped off with a mix of egg and milk and baked to perfection.

South African Food and Snacks

Cape Town is a destination for meat-lovers, and here, even some of the snacks are carnivore-friendly. Biltong is similar to stateside beef jerky; before refrigerators, Afrikaners dried their meat to preserve it. Sometimes coriander seeds brought from Asia are used to prepare biltong. “When sliced, this is a great snack with ice cold beer,” says Ken.

Desserts

Let’s not forget about the South African sweet treats. Thankfully visitors can find the traditional Dutch melktert all over town. Dutch settlers brought this dessert with them in the 17th century. Melktert can be compared to a custard tart with a cinnamon-sprinkled top. Are you hungry yet?

Boerewors

Your mouth will be watering for South African food when we tell you about boerewors, a farmer’s sausage grilled and served with mielie meal—maize slathered with a tomato gravy. The name boerewors derives from the Dutch word for farmer. Pair it with chakalaka, a spicy vegetable dish. “My mouth is watering as we speak,” says Ken.

South African Safari Drinks

Ken describes Amarula as a breathtakingly delicious liqueur made from the Marula fruit which only grows in South Africa. “It’s served chilled or poured over vanilla ice cream,” says Ken. Bring a bottle of amarula or even wine back home as a reminder of the delicious South African food you tasted.

Ready to go on a mouthwatering trip to sample South African food?

Contact our designers to plan your own handcrafted journey to South Africa.

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