The braaivleis (barbeque) is a South African method of cooking on
a grid over an open fire. A braai is a lengthy social affair where boerewors, sosaties (local kebabs), lamb chops, porkies (pork sausages) and
mielies (corn cobs) are lovingly shuffled, turned and prodded on the
grid. Also popular are foil-wrapped potatoes, butternut and onions baked amongst the
coals; potato salad, mixed greens and warm buttered rolls fill the
tables.
Bobotie is simmilar to shepherd's pie. Minced beef is slow-cooked with curry powder and lots of aromatic spices such as turmeric, coriander, cloves, cumin and bay. Dried apricots, sultana's and almonds are optional extras and give the bobotie a wonderful sweet and sour flavour. The mince mixture is placed in a bowl, topped with an egg custard and baked in the oven until the custard browns. Bobotie is almost always served with geelrys (rice cooked with turmeric, raisins and cloves) and accompanied by blatjang (fruit chutney).
Sosaties are similar to kebabs. Skewers of venison, lamb or chicken are interspersed with onions and dried apricots and marinated in a thick, sweet curry sauce.
A bredie is a rich, slow-cooked stew. Tomato bredie is usually made with mutton and seasoned with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves as well as chilli. The edible flowers of a water lily called waterblommetjies are fabulous in a bredie flavoured with sorrel .
Boerewors (Afrikaans for farmer's sausage) is a legacy from early settlers. This long coil of fatty sausage is traditionally made from beef, pork, coriander seeds, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.
Biltong is derived from the Dutch settlers love of meat. Strips of meat are rubbed with salt, pepper and coriander seeds, covered with vinegar and hung up to dry. The Voortrekkers considered this a delicacy and used venison, beef and ostrich meat.
Potjiekos (a one-pot meal) was born of a necessity to simplify cooking during the great trek.in the early settler day's. A three-legged cast iron pot is filled with meat and vegetables, seasoned with spices and covered with the lid. Hot coals are then scraped underneath the pot to create an all-round moist heat capable of tenderising the toughest of meat. Only occasionally is the lid lifted to baste the food: the pot needs to be sealed so that the natural juices can create a rich gravy.
Konfyt - probably from the French confiture - refers to Malay-style fruit preserves. The fruit is soaked in slaked lime water overnight to tenderise the inside of the fruit and retain the firmness of the skin. After gentle steaming, the fruit is boiled in a syrup of water, sugar and lemon juice; then transferred to a sterilized glass jar which is topped up with the remaining syrup. Green fig preserve, with a hint of cinnamon, is outstanding and a perfect accompaniment to cheeses.
Melktert (milk tart) is a delicious custard tart flavoured with vanilla and sprinkled with ground cinnamon.
Koeksisters - presumably a relation of the doughnut - are made from plaited dough which is deep-fried then plunged into a sweet ginger and lemon juice syrup. The result is a wonderfully crispy delicacy that oozes with sticky syrup - sinfully delicious and wickedly fattening!
Wine
Boschendal Estate Copyright: South African Tourism
The Western Cape has the climactic and topographic conditions too produce the finest wines wines. Today the best of South African wine is favourably compareable to tose in Europe, Australia and California.
It has often been said that South African wine is in the unique position. It offers the wine-drinking world all kinds of new flavour experiences.
Wine for the world market
In the post-apartheid era since 1994, South African wine has returned to the world arena with significant impact, growing from some 50-million liters exported that year to topping 299-million in 2006, representing more than 33% of good wine production.
Internationally, the industry is small, ranking 16th with about 1.5% of global plantings, but production, at seventh position, accounts for 3% of the world's wine.
Of the 105 566 hectares under grapevines, 21.38% is chenin blanc - by far still the country's most widely planted variety. Sultana (11.28%), a grape that is also used for non-alcohol purposes, is next, followed by colombard and chardonnay.
Cabernet sauvignon comprises the majority of red varieties (a mere 8.36% of total vineyard plantings) in present vineyards, followed by pinotage and shiraz.
White varieties still represent more than two-thirds of the total, but this has moved from an imbalance of 15% red and 85% white in 1990. In 2000 more than 80% of all new plantings were red, with shiraz, cabernet and merlot at the top of the list. At the same time, 87% of all vines uprooted were white, mostly chenin blanc and colombard.
In 2000 the total grape crop was about 1-million tons, from which 830-million litres of wine were made by 355 active cellars, of which 185 were non-estate "private producers", 92 registered "estates", 69 co-operatives and nine producing wholesalers.
Wine farm Copyright: South African Tourism
Chronicle of Cape culture
The very first vineyard planted coincided with the arrival in southern Africa of the settlers from Europe. In 1655, three years after his arrival in Table Bay, commander Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East-India Company planted the first vines.
After Van Riebeeck, it was governor Simon van der Stel who firmly established the wine industry in the Cape. He built the model farm Constantia and founded the town of Stellenbosch. Both are still considered focal points of quality winemaking.
During the 18th century, Constantia’s famous dessert wines established the Cape as a premium wine producer and its reputation was romantically global. Meanwhile Stellenbosch grew as a hub of viticultural endeavours, including being home to experiments that led, in 1925, to cinsaut and pinot noir grapes being grafted together into pinotage, a “local” variety well suited to indigenous conditions.
During the apartheid years the industry was turned inward and international trade diminished as sanctions took hold.
With the advent of democracy in 1994, the wine industry, which had been largely in the hands of white owners and producers, was forced to adapt. The KWV was dismantled into a commercially driven venture in 1997, and, together with other players, formed the South African Wine Industry Trust in 1999 to promote transformation of the wine industry.
Most owners are still white, but recent years have seen black partnerships and others coming into the industry. In 2001 a hands-on project, the Vineyard Academy, was launched to provide vineyard workers with skills training in various fields.
Vergelegen Estate Copyright: South African Tourism
Wine regions of origin
It has often been noted that the Cape winelands are probably the most scenic in the world. For this reason wine tourism is one of the country’s growing industries. Offering a range of topographical pleasures ranging from high, snowy mountains to arid plains, arrangements for tourists are becoming more and more sophisticated in the various regions.
There are 15 very well organised Wine Route Associations, and information about accommodation, eateries and visits to cellars and farms is readily available through booklets, travel agents and the Internet.
Constantia is the historic hub of Cape wine. Part of modern Cape Town, it boasts some of the most famous estate names such as Groot and Klein Constantia, and Buitenverwachting.
Durbanville and its hills northeast of Cape Town have a winemaking history dating back 280 years. Some star performers are emerging, including brilliant sauvignon blancs with strong contemporary focus on shiraz and merlot. Durbanville Hills is a large, modern facility and Nitida a small boutique set-up.
Franschhoek lies in a contained valley, a pretty town founded by the French Huguenots in 1688. Today it is very much a boutique region with old buildings, restaurants and small producers. Stylish cellars include La Motte, Cabrière, Plaisir de Merle and Boekenhoutskloof.
Klein Karoo is a semi-desert region inland that has inspired some winemakers to take up the challenge. Fortified wines such as muscadels and Portuguese “port” styles do well in places such as Calitzdorp.
Olifants River is a fast-growing region stretching a few hundred kilometres up the west coast from the Cape. Plenty of exported easy-drinking wines come from here. The Vredendal Winery is one of the largest in the world, employing some of the most modern techniques.
Orange River is one of Africa’s great rivers and along its Northern Cape bank lie large white-wine producing vineyards. Winemaking is sophisticated and reds are getting more attention with an eye to exports.
Paarl is another of the Cape’s historic towns where wine has been made for centuries. Home to the original KWV head office and its impressive Cathedral Cellar, as well as the country’s best-known brand Nederburg, many cellars, small and large, from boutique to co-operative, produce wine from the ordinary to the sensational. Winemakers have been concentrating on shiraz, but some fine chenin blanc, pinotage, cabernet sauvignon, blends, and even unusual varieties such as viognier and mourvèdre are turned into prize-winning wines. Glen Carlou, Villiera and the value-for-money co-operative Boland Kelders are among the top performers here.
Robertson and a few other villages lie along a fertile, if warm, valley where white wines such as chardonnay (from De Wetshof Estate) and sparkling wine (from Graham Beck Winery) used to be the main stars. Today the move is to red varieties, especially shiraz (Zandvliet).
Neethlingshof Estate Copyright: South African Tourism
Stellenbosch is, in the minds of many, the finest wine area in South Africa, claiming the crown for reds. With a list of more than 80 wineries and producers, it is also the most expensive wine farmland. Nearly all the most famous international names in South African wines are found here in an area reaching from sea-facing slopes to valley-hugging hills. This is the home of Kanonkop, Meerlust, Rustenberg, Thelema and Warwick. The list is endless. This is also where Distell, the country’s largest player in the drinks market, is seated. Designated wards within the district are Jonkershoek Valley, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Bottelary, Devon Valley and Papegaaiberg. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinotage and chenin blanc are the stars here.
Swartland means “black country”, a traditional sunny wheat area north of Cape Town. These days, wineries are making modern, well-appreciated white wines here with top reds on the way. The Darling region especially is on the roll.
Walker Bay near the coastal town of Hermanus has become another of the Cape’s most fashionable regions. With Elgin to the west and Bot River inland, it falls under the Overberg appellation. It is the home of Cape pinot noir and good chardonnay and home to places like Hamilton-Russell.
Worcester and surrounds comprise 20% of all South Africa’s vineyards. Brandy is produced, and wine for wholesalers. Small volumes are bottled under own labels. Value-for-money is a hallmark.
