South Africa is a gourmet paradise! Not only does the country have wonderful climatic and geographical opportunities that allow it to supply wonderful fresh products of the highest quality to the gourmet table, but all this splendor is deliciously cheap! Ostrich, crocodile meat, oysters, asparagus, wines, cheeses – all this is available in numerous restaurants in cities and resort towns.
In addition, there are routes, places and events in the country that are worth the special attention of a true gourmet!
Garden path
In Russian “Garden Route” is often translated as “Wine Road”. But this definition is only partly true. Indeed, along this path there are not only wine, but also cheese, cognac, ostrich, oyster and other farms and estates where you can not only taste and buy products, but also spend a day or two there to learn more, get acquainted with the surrounding sights and relax.
Carnivore Restaurant
Traditional African restaurant. Located near Johannesburg. Lunch and dinner are organized on the principle of a set menu. Advance booking is required.
Many national dishes are prepared on an open fire. Trophies of the morning hunt for wild animals (antelopes, buffalo, crocodile, ostrich) will be brought to your table on a real machete. Favorite dishes can be repeated. For vegetarians there is a special menu.
Restaurant “Train”
Authentic antique carriages of the luxurious Victorian Blue Express, bought from the museum, make up the halls of this restaurant, located halfway from Johannesburg to Pretoria. Meals are organized according to the “buffet” principle. In the center of the huge hall there are dishes with exotic dishes: a shark in breadcrumbs, an elephant with apples, a giraffe in sour cream – about 150 dishes in total. Each has a name plate so you know exactly what you could try.
Oyster festival
According to YOUREMAILVERIFIER, since 1982, the Oyster Festival has been held annually in July in the resort town of Knysna on the coast of the Indian Ocean. In addition to competitions of oyster farms – who has the best products, and chefs in preparing a wide variety of oyster dishes, various sports competitions and shows are held. The event attracts a wealthy refined public with broad interests.
Kebab world championship
There are, it turns out, such competitions. This international championship is held every few years in different countries. In 2001, the final was held in South Africa. On the first day, teams from different countries competed in the preparation of meat kebabs, on the second day – from fish, then original fantasy recipes were studied. There was no shortage of independent experts – in this country it is extremely popular with a company, with the whole family, and even just at lunchtime at work, to make “brii” – meat on an open fire.
More about the kitchen
The sweet, delicately spicy flavors of Moroccan cuisine are known throughout the world. Tunisian cuisine is excellent, with an emphasis on spicy, spicy dishes. The same can be said for Algerian and Libyan cuisines, where Egyptian cuisine focuses on grains.
African cuisine uses local fruits and vegetables, exotic game and fish from the African oceans, marinated in cultures, colonies, trade routes and ancient history. This is a whole continent, where there is an arid desert, and tropical swamps, and plains, and jungles.
More recently, African cuisine was still completely unknown in the West, but over time, immigrants bring national dishes of their native countries with them to the West. It is difficult to characterize African cuisine, as it is impossible to describe any cuisine by the name of the continent. Try classic African recipes such as baba ganoush, couscous with lamb and seven vegetables, pomegranate sorbet and make up your mind.
Ingredients
Nigeria and coastal parts of East Africa prefer chili. Coastal recipes include fish marinated in ginger, tomatoes and cayenne peppers cooked in peanut butter. Senegalese cuisine has been heavily influenced by France; lime juice, finely chopped vegetables, onions, garlic and marinades are widely used there. Peanut, palm and coconut oils are popular. Okra is used in goulash and to thicken soups. Tropical fruits, especially bananas and coconut are important ingredients.
Outside of Muslim Africa, alcoholic beverages are popular. South Africa is famous for its white and red wines. South Africa also produces Van Der Hum tangerine liqueur. One of the most famous Ethiopian drinks is Tej honey wine, which has been made for centuries, since apiaries began to arrange many centuries ago, at the same time they began to make wine based on honey, which tastes like an old drink of honey or mead. Speaking of drinks, Ethiopia claims to be the first to cultivate coffee. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony involves burning incense, passing coffee beans around for the guests’ approval, and roasting them on the spot. From Ethiopia, coffee came to Yemen, and from there through the Arab countries to Europe.
Let’s start with Ethiopia, the most isolated of African cuisines. Geographically distant from the rest of Africa, this is one of the aboriginal droughts. The combination of flat terrain, cold nights and a long green season provides an abundance of food. The diet is based on meat. Ethiopians are very attentive to the freshness of meat. For example, according to tradition, at weddings, a piece of raw meat from a freshly killed animal is served to the bride and groom. A popular dish is the steak version of tartare; raw ground beef with different seasonings. Many dishes are served with fiery-spicy Berber sauce, a spicy spicy pepper paste.
South African cuisine was born from a mixture of different cuisines. European colonization, the adaptation of traditional Bantu cuisine, and huge numbers of immigrants all influenced the development of South American cuisine. Danish settlers brought with them their ways of farming, British traders introduced cold cuts, which now include African game. The French cultivated the vineyards that are known all over the world today. Malay workers introduced curry. Game, lamb and South African lobster and a wide repertoire of fish make up a truly cosmopolitan cuisine.
East African cuisine often combines fish and meat. Broken and dried fish is fried in oil and mixed with chicken, sweet potatoes, onions, chili oil and water to make a flavorful goulash. Beef and lamb are not popular in East Africa, and are used more as an appetizer.
East Africa occupies a vast territory. European influence is less strong here, since this part of Africa was less covered by merchant ships. The cuisine is based on starchy dishes with millet, sorghum, bananas and milk. Cornmeal is often used. East African cuisine is distinguished by the almost complete absence of meat. Cattle, sheep and goats are more used as currency than for food. The Arabs were the first settlers in East Africa, they introduced pilaf, rice dishes, into East African cuisine. Pomegranate juice, saffron, cloves, cinnamon are the main East African spices, all of Arab origin.
In Angola and Mozambique, Portuguese influence is felt. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to settle in southern Sahara in the 15th century. Their influence is mixed with local culinary traditions and techniques. Mozambican cuisine is based on fish. Angola reflects oriental cuisine, with its drier climate and other ingredients. Thanks to Catholicism, meat and fast days appeared in African cuisine, Fridays are days without meat, which forever changed African cuisine. The Portuguese introduced oranges, lemons and limes.
