7-Day South Africa
Itinerary

Braai

South Africa's most sacred social ritual: a wood fire or charcoal grill on which boerewors sausage coils, lamb chops, pork ribs and chicken are slow-cooked over long hours by a designated braaimaster; the braai is a cultural event, not merely a meal; a National Braai Day was established by legislation; wood choice (rooikrans acacia is the standard) and fire management are matters of lifelong expertise.

Bobotie

South Africa's national dish and its most complex: Cape Malay-origin spiced minced beef or lamb with onion, dried fruit (raisins, apricot), almonds and curry-infused in a sauce, topped with a bay-leaf-studded savoury egg custard and baked until set and golden; the sweet-spiced-savoury combination reflects 300 years of Cape Malay cooking tradition; served with yellow rice, chutney and sambal.

Biltong

South Africa's defining snack and one of the world's great cured meats: thick strips of beef, ostrich or game (kudu, springbok) marinated in vinegar, then rubbed with coriander, black pepper and salt and air-dried for 5 to 7 days in a ventilated drying box; the texture ranges from moist (nat) to dry and crumbly (droog); carried in the pockets of every South African; sold in every petrol station, sports stadium and airport.

Bunny Chow

Durban's most original dish and South Africa's greatest street food, a half or quarter loaf of white bread with the dough scooped out and replaced with a lamb, bean or chicken curry; the scooped bread is used to mop the curry; invented by Indian immigrants in Durban in the 1940s; a UNESCO-adjacent treasure of South African Indian cuisine; eaten without cutlery at the counter of Durban's Grey Street curry houses.

Cape Malay Curry

Cape Town's most important culinary tradition: a fragrant, relatively mild curry of chicken or lamb with onion, tomato, dried apricot and warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom, clove, turmeric) reflecting the cooking of the enslaved Cape Malay community brought to the Cape Colony from 1658 onwards; served with roti, sambals and atjar (pickled vegetables); the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood is its spiritual home.

Malva Pudding

South Africa's most beloved dessert: a dense, spongy apricot jam-scented baked pudding saturated while still hot with a sauce of cream, butter and sugar that the cake absorbs completely, creating a sticky, almost toffee-soaked texture; served warm with custard or ice cream; a fixture of every South African Sunday lunch, school tuck shop and family restaurant menu from Cape Town to Limpopo.