South Africa is a diverse, colorful country and this shows throughout our food. Our food has been shaped by weather, religion, ethnicity, migration, slavery, war and colonization.
Before European colonizers arrived in Souuh Africa, indigenous cuisine of the hunter gatherers consisted of bulbs, leaves, nuts, fruits and other things that could be collected. Men would hunt for meat while women would forage.
As the Bantu tribes migrated they brought with them domestic cattle and grain crops. Before colonists the Southern Africa diet consisted of cooked grains like sorghum, fermented milk which we here in South Africa call 'Amasi'and stewed meat. Later maize was introduced by the arrival of the Portuguese during the slave trade era.
During colonization the British brought workers into South Africa to work in cane fields. In 1860 Indian people were brought to Natal along with their spices.This is how my grandparents arrived in South Africa. The majority of Indian South Africans are the descendants of indentured workers.
South African cuisine is a melting pot of cultures and flavors from all around the world and this is what makes South African food so unique and so hard to describe.
The South African motto is: ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke, written in the Khoisan language of the ǀXam people, meaning "diverse people unite" This shows through our culture, our food, and throughout our nation.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy these recipes.
