If you are wondering what kind South Africa cuisine you can expect to find when visiting our country, you are not alone. Many visitors to South Africa are overwhelmed with the extraordinary variety of different culinary traditions.

Below is a birds eye view of the main culinary features of modern-day cooking in South Africa, to help you find your way around the variety of cuisines on offer.

Cape Colony restaurant at the Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town - South Africa cuisine
copyright © Mount Nelson hotel
South Africa can be said to have a real "eating out" culture. Amidst the endless variety of indigenous South African and African cuisines, you will come across many excellent restaurants that offer modern-day International cuisine. And then of course, there is the multitude of fast-food outlets like Mc. Donalds, Kentucky fried chicken, Nando’s peri peri chicken, Steer’s hamburgers and Burger King to name but some of the best-known ones.


South African two rand coin - South Africa cuisine
The one feature that stands out in South Africa's present-day cuisine, is its affordability. Meals in our country cost much less then what they would abroad. You may expect to pay about half of what you would anywhere else.


Abundance and variety of seafood - South Africa cuisine
Seafood such as mussels, oysters, abalone, crab, crayfish and a variety of fish, fresh from the sea, is very popular, hugely affordable and of excellent quality. Visitors from the Far East in particular are fond of the abundance and variety of South Africa’s seafood cuisine.


No South African meal is really complete without red meat - South Africa cuisine
No South African meal is really complete without red meat, especially when combined with a robust Cape red wine. An outing to an up-market steakhouse is a must when you visit South Africa. You won’t believe the size and quality of the cuts of succulent beef or fragrant lamb chops on your plates, compared with what you pay for it.


Exotic culinary challenges for the daring and adventurous - South Africa cuisine
For the daring and adventurous visitors, South Africa offers exotic culinary challenges such as warthog, crocodile, elephant, ostrich, goat, guinea fowl, sheep heads, Mashonzha (fried mopani cater pillars) and tripe (made from the lining of a sheep’s stomach). These exotic dishes prepared the authentic African way, are really delicious.


Endless variety of spices and curries - South Africa cuisine
The use of an endless variety of spices and curries introduced by the slaves brought in from the Far East in the 17th century combined with the early days Dutch hotpot cooking has created what is known today as the Cape Dutch cuisine. Delicious “bredie” (stew) type dishes, spicy without burning and with a wonderful aroma.


Bunny Chow, example of the Indian contribution to our South Africa cuisine
Fusion cooking and innovative adaptations, the merging of different cuisines in a single dish, is a delicious rainbow culinary experience. The well known "bunny chow" is a typical fast-food type example of merging Indian and European cuisines. It is simply a hollowed out half loaf of bread filled with a steaming, spicy Indian curry stew.


A shebeen in Soweto - South Africa cuisine
In most of South African cities you will find restaurants serving authentic African cuisine and not only from South Africa but also from a variety of countries and cultures across the African continent. A great traditional African cuisine experience is to go on a township tour, where you will have the opportunity to eat and drink with black Africans in a "Shebeen" (indigenous bar and restaurant in a township).


South African breakfast, the perfect start of your day - South Africa cuisine
A visit to South Africa will make you realize how good a full South African breakfast really is. Eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, toast, smoked salmon, corn fritters, eggs benedict and flapjacks, next to European-style pastries and coffee, toast and jams, porridge and creams. make your choice, it’s all readily available.


Healthy country food - South Africa cuisine
Vegetarians will have no problem in finding delicious meals that will suit their taste, especially in the larger cities. There are a considerable number of restaurants that specialize in vegetarian cuisine and many others have made it a part of their menu. Health food and vegetarian ingredients are readily available in supermarkets and specialized stores.

As you can see, South Africa offers something for every taste, a variety of culinary experiences unequalled in the world.


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