Southern Africa: Culinary delights for travel foodies

Southern Africa is spread across fifteen countries that make up a divergent and delicious mixture of cuisines. From Angola to Zimbabwe and all the other 13 countries in between (Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia), travel foodies will delight in the myriad of tasty dishes to be enjoyed on a trip through Southern Africa.

Throughout the Southern Africa region barbecues are very popular. And some countries have been heavily influenced by their history. Lesotho has many potato dishes because of their British heritage, while Namibia’s foods show its German history. We cannot name every country’s specialties, but here are a few foodie ideas to whet your appetite.

Swaziland’s Chicken Dust Barbecue

Swaziland cuisine revolved around staples like maize, groundnuts, and beans, and groundnuts. These products are quite often cooked like a porridge and are served alongside goat or antelope along with stewed vegetables. But what Swaziland is famous for is its local barbeque dish called “Chicken Dust.”

Chicken Dust is a simple grilled chicken that is normally served with a fresh salad and maize porridge. To liven up the meal, condiments such as an avocado-ginger slaw and mango chutney may be served with desserts made of fresh fruits such as strawberries and guavas.

Cooks use seeds from the Baobab tree as a flavoring. The seeds are dried and ground to use as a seasoning for many sauces. The Merula tree’s fruit is often used to make beverages like teas and nectars, and also drinks that pack a punch, such as brandy and beer.

Zimbabwe’s Ostrich and Warthog Stews

While chicken stew with sadza dumplings is a popular dish in Zimbabwe, other more exotic meats are often made into traditional stews, such as ostrich, warthog, crocodile, gazelle, and antelope. Many of these meat are also often grilled. Sadza dumplings are often referred to as Zimbabwe’s national dish and is a stiff, steamed dumpling made from white maize or red millet flour.

The Zambezi and Limpopo rivers provide a variety of freshwater fish such as perch, trout, and bream, cooked fresh and also dried to be used during the dry season when the rivers are not so abundant. Dried fish is often slow cooked with fresh vegetables like tomatoes and onions and served rice or a porridge of maize or cornmeal. Soups are a traditional fare as well and often include wild game with mushrooms and pumpkin leaves.

As in most Southern African countries, desserts are often made from fruits into such delectable desserts like candied papaya and sweet potato cookies with a lemon glaze. A popular maize beer happily washes down the meal.

Once a British colony, Zimbabwe has adopted some English habits, like having porridge in the morning, and mid-day and afternoon tea, usually at 10 am and 4 pm, respectively.

Namibia’s Schnitzel & Sauerkraut

Stemming from its German heritage, it is common to find schnitzel, sauerkraut, and of course, German-style lagers. Beef dishes are plentiful, as are dishes made with goat, lamb, and wild game. The country’s traditional meals often include ribs, kebabs, and grilled sausages. Fresh seafood is quite abundant as well, and gives rise to such dishes as Potjie, a lamb and vegetable stew, and Biltong, made from dried meat, asparagus, and maize porridge.

Perhaps somewhat surprising, Namibia offers a wide selection of homemade cheeses made by Danis Kuche near Otjiwarongo, as well as black calamata and green Namibian olives. But what Namibia is likely well known for is its local beer. Local breweries produce their beer following the traditional purity law of the Reinheitsgebot that was issued in 1516 in Bavaria. Namibia’s beers have won several international awards.

South Africa’s Wines

South Africa’s food is a unique blend of Africa, European, and Asian. One of the country’s national dishes, known as Bobotie, is like an Indian-influenced shepherd’s pie – like a minced-meat pie seasoned with curry and fruit chutney. Like many of its neighbors, South Africa loves its barbecue and its stews, the latter often being served with lamb or pork kebabs known as Sosaties, along with vegetables and chili peppers. Common snacks include beef jerky and curry-filled bread.

But more and more, South Africa is becoming known for its wine. Here, some of the world’s best wines are produced and marketed around the globe. The Western Cape is known as South Africa’s wine region. The country’s wine history dates back to 1659 where Constantia, a vineyard near Cape Town, is often named as making one of the best wines in the world. Wine-making in South Africa today is often a mix of Old World and new ways. Since the end of Apartheid, many wine producers have been developing more “international” styles of wine that can be successfully sold on the world market.

To determine if a wine is of good quality, wine competitions are often held in the country. The Veritas South Africa wine competition has been holding competitions since 1990, and a new competition is the Top 100 South African Wine Competition. Whether a fortified wine, a dessert wine, a port wine, or whatever wine suits your fancy, South Africa is the place to go.

About Retosa

The Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution responsible for tourism growth and development. In part, the aims of RETOSA are to increase tourist arrivals to the region through sustainable development initiatives, improved regional competitiveness, and effective destination marketing. The organization works together with Member States’ tourism ministries, tourism boards, and private sector partners. For more information about RETOSA, go to www.retosa.co.za