Food Culture In South Africa

South Africa has always developed in many different ways, the food being varied due to the country's geological location and colorful history. Even before any foreign settlers appeared on the coasts of South Africa, there existed a multitude of ethnic groups such as the Khoisan and Bantu-speaking communities, both of which have many sub groups. The most dominant feature though was the valuing of cattle and oxen and the main ingredients besides meat included grains and various vegetables. After the ethnic groups intermixed more, the first European to encounter present day South African land was the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias. The ever increasing mix of nationalities wasn't peaceful most of the time, but various cuisine styles developed from …show more content…
Most of the them were traders and as such, were on their way to the East Indies to trade or were generally busy on the trade routes, so many spices and food items made their way past South Africa. The first settlement was founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, so that they could stop and refresh their ships on their way. And so, the early settlers brought their own cooking methods and cuisine with them, which consisted partly of stewing meat and vegetables. Once trade between the settlers and the indigenous people began, both learned to add new things to their food. Due to the fact that Indonesia was a Dutch colony at that time, the DEIC brought slaves from there and also from other East Asian countries, such as Malaysia, and made them work for the settlers. Many, in particular women, were made to work in the kitchens and so their own recipes and methods were adapted to use the items available then. Many other Europeans decided to leave for South Africa for various reasons, such as religious persecution or looking for a better life. For example, the Germans introduced their own traditions, such as beer and, famously, sausages, while the French had a much greater impact. They were the ones that changed the serving style and built the foundation for what was to become a great New World wine making country. Due to various situations, Great Britain annexed the colony is 1806 and soon after was followed by waves of Dutch settlers leaving the Cape area, so that they could leave British control. This introduced the furthered idea of preserved foods or foods that could last longer. The British themselves however, brought their own lifestyle with them, like the importance of tea and various other dishes such as pies or roasts. The wandering settlers were called Boers and developed foods such as 'biltong', 'droewors' or 'rusks', all items that were dried and lasted longer. The