South African Food And Drink. Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spiced dried meat and dried sausage

Definitely the most popular snacks in South Africa.
Both are usually made from beef but sometimes from ostrich or game.
Droewor, meaning 'dry sausage' in Afrikaans, is a long thin sausage flavoured with coriander seeds.
Biltong, meaning 'rump tongue' in Dutch, is made by marinating the meat in vinegar and spices, and then hanging it up to dry.
There are probably as many varieties of Biltong as there are shops selling it, as the texture and the flavour depends on the marinade and spices used.
Biltong's origins lay in the days of the Anglo/Boer war and the 'Southward Migration' by the Khoi and the San. Being constantly on the move, only the perishable parts of an animal were eaten, while the larger cuts were cured and dried.

Answer: All of these are common

They come filled with almost anything and everything and I can't say I tasted one I didn't like. The strangest one I came across was a cheeseburger pie. Forget that limp bread roll. A cheese burger in puff pastry is delicious, albeit in a junk food kind of way!
I must say the Cornish pasty was not quite what I had been use to. For a start, it had carrot in it and we all know carrot is a no no for a traditional Cornish pasty.

Answer: Barbecue

Whatever you do, get the pronunciation right. I spent several weeks referring to it as a 'Bra' and everyone laughed at me!
Braai is an Afrikaans word meaning the way food is cooked (roasting or barbecuing), but has now been taken up by the English speaking South Africans to mean the cooking equipment as well, making the word a noun as well as a verb.

Zulu traditional beer, "sorghum beer", is usually made by women. Maize and sorghum are soaked in water until the grains germinate and then placed in-between grass mats until dry. The grains are then ground, cooked and left in stone jars to cool for a couple of days. Finally malt is added and the beer is to allowed to ferment for a few days.
Nope I didn't try it. Neither did I eat any ladies underwear.

Answer: Chips (French fries)

Remember I said "traditional British breakfast fry up". I'm not saying you couldn't get apples or chillies for breakfast if you wanted. Even coconut, if you chose curry for breakfast!
I think I may have been considered a bit of a wimp saying "No chips with that please", judging by the surprised look on most waiters faces.
The British breakfast is not the healthiest in the world but great for an occasional treat and I very much enjoyed the odd one I had in S.A. sans chips!

Answer: Slaves brought to the Cape by the Dutch East India Company

In 1658, the Dutch East India Company imported slaves (or servants) from Malaya, Madagascar and Indonesia to work in South Africa. The slaves brought many of their cooking traditions and eastern spices along with them and, adept at adapting local vegetables and ingredients, they were soon enhancing the local settler families' cuisine. Around two hundred years later the first Indian labourers arrived at Durban to work in the sugar cane fields.

When their ten year contracts were up most chose to stay and curry is very popular today among all ethnics groups in South Africa.

The "Cape Malay" curry differs from the Indian curry in that it is usually milder and not so dry.

Answer: Caterpillars

Mashonzha are also known as mopane worms, named after the tree they are found in (the Colophospermum Mopane). The caterpillar is spiky, blue and green, and the larvae of the nocturnal emperor moth.
The worms are high in protein and minerals and a free source of food for the rural poor. However, they are becoming an ethnic snack for tourists and are putting a strain on the population. The mopane worm is usually fried or dried.

Answer: Both of these

The town of Stellenbosch is situated on the banks of the river Eerste, around 50 kilometres from Cape Town. The university is considered one of the top four in South Africa and its earliest roots traced back to the 17th century. The University is also famous for its viticulture research. Hardly surprising since it sits in the heart of the Western Cape Winelands.
The Winelands are divided into six regions but the best known are the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl valleys. The Mediterranean type climate and fertile well drained soil make it a perfect area for growing grape vines and today South Africa produces around 1,000,000,000 litres of wine yearly.

I couldn't talk about the Winelands without mentioning the Huguenots. Three hundred years ago they arrived at the Cape as religious refugees from France. Some brought a collection of vines and their knowledge of wine making which enhanced the South African wine culture.

Answer: Dutch

Koeksister is derived from the Dutch word "koekje" meaning "cookie". There are two different versions of this delicious doughnut treat. The 'Cape Malay' version is spicier, covered in coconut and more cake-like in texture, while the Afrikaner version is crispy and even more syrupy.
If asked which version I preferred, I'd have to say both!

Answer: Easter

I was lucky enough to be in South Africa during Easter but was not sure about this pickled fish I was offered by my hosts. After the first taste though, I was hooked!
Originally brought over by slaves from the Dutch colonies of the East Indies, this method of preserving fish was crucial before the days of refrigeration.
There are 101+ recipes for this on the web if you are interested.
The main ingredients are hake or any firm white fish, onions, vinegar, sugar, and spices, such as turmeric, peppercorns and curry powder.
Most recipes I looked at said to leave it covered for 24 to 48 hours in the fridge. I know the pickled fish I had was turned daily and in the fridge for 5 days.

Answer: Minced beef with an egg and milk topping

Another Cape Town speciality with a Malay influence. It's delicious and here is a nice easy recipe for it:

Ingredients: 500 grams of minced beef, 1 large onion, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 slice of bread soaked in milk, 1 table spoon of curry paste or curry powder, half a cup of coconut, juice from 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of apricot jam (optional), 3 cups of milk, 3 eggs, tomato puree and parsley.

Method: Cook the minced beef, adding salt and pepper to taste, a tablespoon of tomato paste and some parsley. Once this is done you can set the mince aside.
Fry the onion in butter and add the curry. Put that aside and beat the eggs and milk together. Now add the lemon juice to the curry, then the jam, coconut, bread and vinegar. Add the mince beef and a third of the milk and egg mix.
Bake this for ten minutes in an open shallow dish at 160 degrees Celsius. Then pour the rest of the milk and egg mixture over this and put it back in the oven until it browns.

Bobotie is often served with saffron rice.