More South African Food And Drink! Quiz

Answer: Smoked fish

Snoek is found in the waters around the Cape region and I've been told it's a fairly aggressive fish. The snoek is pike-like in appearance and strong tasting.
If it's not possible to get a hold of, smoked haddock can be used instead for the pâté. Snoek is also great on the braai.
I wouldn't dream of smoking a grasshopper!

Answer: Avocado halved and then filled with prawns and seafood sauce

Avocado ritz is delicious and an easy starter to make. Since avocados are plentiful throughout the summer, avocado ritz is very popular in South Africa.

I was offered avocado on toast as well and was wary at first, since it seemed an odd mixture. But I loved it and it's also easy to make. Just mash the avocado flesh with salt, black pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Pop the bread into the toaster and when toasted spread the avocado mix over the toast.

Answer: Butternut soup

This question should have been easy for anyone who knows what a squash is and I was overwhelmed by all the different varieties to be found in South Africa.
Butternut soup is delicious and very easy to make. I had a few variations (some sweet and mild and some spicy), but my favourite will always be the one my friend made. If you would like the recipe, feel to PM me!

Answer: Two oceans

The Indian and Atlantic oceans meet at the Cape and the 'Two Ocean' range of wines seem to capture the crisp breezes and tangy sea spray in a bottle!
The coastal area of the Western Cape has a temperate climate cooled by sea breezes from both oceans and the drop in temperature at night allows the grapes to mature slowly. The lack of humidity also helps to keep the vines disease free.

Answer: Sosaties

The word 'sosatie' comes from Afrikaans, meaning 'skewered meat' and 'spicy sauce'.

A very popular marinade for sosaties is peri-peri sauce made from dried peri (or piri) chillies. The sauce appeared to come in three strengths; hot, very hot and quick-call-me-an-ambulance-my-tongue-has-just-melted!

I was really impressed with the variety of marinaded sosaties that were sold in South Africa but there's nothing quite like home made ones, so here's a tasty little recipe made with stewing lamb.

Make a marinade by mixing together 1 cup of yoghurt, 2 teaspoons (or more) of hot curry powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Take 1 large onion and cut it into 1 inch cubes (don't forget to peel it first!). You'll also need about one cup of cubed lamb or mutton, 12 ounces of dried apricots and eight kebab skewers.
Thread the skewers with the dried apricot halves, onion and lamb. Evenly coat with the marinade and leave overnight. Grill over medium coals for around ten minutes a side and then enjoy!

Answer: A stew made with mutton and tomatoes

'Bredie' is Afrikaans for 'stew' and 'tomato bredie' is known as 'tamatiebredie'. The dish is best left for a day or so after making, which allows the meat, vegetables and spices to intermingle. The lamb should be left on the bone with a certain amount of fat if you want a thick rich gravy.

Another interesting dish is 'waterblommetjie bredie', which is 'small water flower stew' in Afrikaans. The small flower bud that is used for this dish is known as Cape pond weed or Cape asparagus.
Early Dutch settlers used the bud in a desperate attempt to supplement their diets with vegetables. Nowadays it's a popular dish in the Western Cape, for both locals and tourists.

It would take a lot of tomatoes to fill an ostrich!

Answer: A hot spicy soup/stew

It is a very tasty soup/stew made from wheat, barley, lentils and meat (usually chicken or lamb). It's not for the faint-hearted, as when made properly it's very hot, full of chillies and spices.
Neither is it a quick or easy soup to make. However, it's possible to buy a Haleem soup mix, which cuts the preparation and cooking time down to around an hour and a half.
I also had some fantastic home-made samosas and Indian breads.

Answer: Beer

I think I would have felt battered if it had contained Aabsinthe!

Beer is a wonderful addition to batter. I do realise that my choice of fish question could seem a little tame considering South Africa has a coastline of nearly 3,000 kilometres and a abundance of fresh fish and sea food. However, as a Brit living in France, I miss my fish and chips. :(
Here's an easy recipe.

1 bottle beer, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 large egg (lightly beaten), 1 pound hake fillets (halibut, haddock or cod if you prefer), salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 cup flour and oil for frying.

1. Mix the beer, flour, baking powder, salt and egg into a batter in a bowl.
2. Season the fish with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge the fish in the flour and shake off any excess.
4. Dip the fish into the batter.
5. Fry the fish in preheated 375F oil until cooked, about 4-5 minutes.
Serve with caper sauce and chips.

Answer: Jan Ellis pudding

Jan Ellis pudding is basically a baked sponge pudding that is covered in a creamy syrup. It's very similar to the Malva puddings but does not contain vinegar.
Jan Ellis was the most capped player rugby player when he retired, with thirty-eight caps. Ellis was reported as saying this was his favourite pudding and since then the name has stuck!

Answer: Cream liqueur

Amarula cream liqueur is made with the fruit of the marula tree, sugar and cream. The marula tree is also known as the elephant tree, as it was believed that elephants ate the fallen fermented fruit and became drunk.
I don't know whether elephants like to get drunk or not but due to their association with the tree, the marketers of the liqueur have made elephants their logo and support elephant conservations effects.

Sour milk is known as 'amasi' in Zulu. The Zulus believe it makes a man healthy, desired and strong. The milk is left out in the heat to ferment.

I've been told that Nelson Mandela had to leave one of his hiding places, during the Apartheid era, when he was careless enough to leave his milk out to ferment. Mandela overheard Zulu workmen commenting on how odd it was to see milk left to ferment on a window sill in a white district.