November 1, 1996

3 Min Read
What Makes it South African?

What Makes it South African?
November 1996 -- Flavor Prints

  What sets one country's foods apart from those of its neighbors? To a great degree, the difference is in the spicing - the ones most frequently used and the combinations utilized with different foods. We call these habits characterizing a nation's cuisine its "flavor prints." In their way, they provide identification much like fingerprints do for humans. In this series, developed in cooperation with the American Spice Trade Association, Food Product Design explores nations' flavor prints as a guide and inspiration for food product designers.

  South Africa is a huge country with a wide variety of climatic conditions. Its recorded history, although short - starting as it does in the early 17th century - is rich and was subject to many cultural influences, all helping to shape its cuisine.

  The indigenous people of the land taught the white South Africans how to use millet - pounded and turned into porridge, bread and beer. Learning from their long treks through the interior, native South Africans invented methods of drying, spicing and preserving meats.

  The first settlers were Dutch. They brought such recipe traditions as melk tart (custard tart) and soetkoekies (spiced cookies). As they settled in, labor was needed to help farm the land. From the Far East, from Java, Sumatra and Malaya, they brought slaves, and with them came exotic ways with food, ways that are still the foundation of South Africa's cuisine.

  Their traditions inspired bredie. Bredie is to South Africa what Irish stew is to Ireland and goulash is to the Hungarians. the tough, stringy meat of the local cattle became a tender, spicy stew when long-simmered with seasonings such as chilies, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves and garlic, and vegetables like onions, tomatoes, beans, carrots, peas or pumpkins.

  Today's South African curries come from a combination of Malay and Indian influences. Each dish gets its own tailored blend of freshly ground spices - sometimes as many as 50, depending on the cook's desired effect and the resources at hand. Turmeric often is used for color, replacing expensive saffron.

  In the past, curries were sometimes used to disguise meat that was a bit "off," such as in bobotie. This is a kind of meatloaf made of ground beef or lamb, eggs, bread and milk, and seasoned with onions, garlic, almonds, lemon juice and turmeric.

  Another favorite, sosaties, is very much like the kebabs of the Middle East. Cubes of mutton or lamb are marinated in a mixture of onion, curry powder, chilies, garlic and tamarind water.

  The Huguenots came to South Africa after the Malays. Their culinary traditions didn't have quite the impact, but they were responsible for starting up the wine industry. Wine became part of the cuisine when it was added to sauces and marinades.

  What makes it South African? Fresh and dried, whole and ground hot chili peppers; the use of cinnamon and ginger in piquant stews and curries as well as in sweet dishes; and stews fragrant with cardamom and cloves. Coriander contributes its leaves to soups, stews and salads, and its seeds are used whole in pickling spices and ground in curries. Cumin, a star in curries, also is used both whole and ground in soups, stews, and fish and meat dishes. Oblong-shaped fennel seeds, with their anise-like flavor, are used whole and ground in soups, stews and sauces. Another characteristic is the use of fenugreek, whose burnt-sugar flavor is prized for mango chutneys, pickles and curry mixtures.


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