South African food shop specialities
Know your biltong from your bunny chow with our guide to what to buy in a South African shop.
You can find South African shops in some parts of the country, with the Savanna chain (whose shop at London's Victoria station picture above) expanding throughout the capital. Even if you can’t you should be able to find many ingredients in the world food aisle of your local supermarket.
Thanks to its vast array of cultural influences, South African food is as delicious as it is varied.
As you might expect, there’s lots of meaty dishes, but there’s also some things that vegetarians can enjoy too.
Next time you’re stuck for something to try, why not give one of these South African specialities a go?
Biltong
This is probably the one you’ve already heard of. Biltong is considered a snack, and is like a South African version of American beef jerky.
It's dried meat, commonly beef although it can also be game or even ostrich in South Africa, cut into bite size strips or chunks. It's usually pretty salty and is commonly flavoured with coriander, black pepper or other spices. One of the main differences between biltong and jerky is that biltong is cut after it has been dried, rather than being cut up before drying.
Chakalaka
If you like spice, this is the dish for you. This vegetable relish works well with blander accompaniments such as rice, bread or pap (which we’ll come to next). There are some variations of this dish depending on the region of South Africa you’re visiting, but it’s pretty common to find beans, tomatoes, onions and garlic in the mix.
Sometimes the dish will be served with amasi, a thick sour type of milk, in order to counter its spiciness.
Pap
Considered one of the staple foods of South African cuisine, taken from the Dutch word and sometimes known as mieliepap, pap basically means porridge. It will vary in consistency depending on the region or type of food it is accompanying. Slap pap is smooth, while a crumbly form is called phutu pap. In some parts of the country, pap will be eaten for breakfast with milk, butter and sugar, while it can also be served with meats, stews and other dishes.
Bunny chow
This popular fast food dish takes the form of a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with any number of different ingredients.
Also called a kota in some parts of South Africa, the food is said to have originated thanks to the country’s Indian population in Durban.
Often filled with curries, which will vary depending on the region, you can find meat or vegetarian versions of the dish. They will often be sold with a side salad.
Umqombothi
A beer made from maize (corn), this drink is pretty low in alcohol content but it has a thick consistency which is gritty and almost sand-like. It’s also rich in Vitamin B, which is a plus.
Traditional methods are used to brew the beer, but that can vary slightly depending on the region. Generally it is served in a communal drum from which all of the family or gathering will help themselves.
Often called a “magic” beer, it’s an important part of South African culture, being drunk as part of several different rituals and traditions.
Melktert
If you’re in the mood for something savoury, this pudding, which translates how it sounds as milk tart, is made from a sweet pastry crust with a creamy filling of milk, flour, eggs and sugar.
Although that might sound a little like a custard tart, the higher ratio of milk to egg means the milk is the dominant flavour here, and gives it a lighter texture.
You’ll often find cinnamon is sprinkled over the surface of the tart, while the milk which is used to make the filling may also be infused with cinnamon before cooking.
There are many, many more South African specialities - why not let us know your favourites in the Comments box below?
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