Food trucks have long been found on the streets of South Africa, but they usually dished up cheap sandwiches or greasy burgers. This is changing. South Africans still want the convenience that food trucks offer — but they don’t want to sacrifice taste or health. Thanks to increased demand, you can find all sorts of luxury food trucks around South African cities, including trucks that offer organic juices, warm oats, and designer burgers made with game meat and truffle infusions.
In a nation known for spicy braai meat and boerewors, you wouldn’t expect the vegan movement to take hold, but it has. The website Happycow lists vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the globe, with 79 listings throughout South Africa. Vegans can enjoy fare like bredies, curries, and boboties made with meat alternatives.
The idea behind the raw foods diet is that cooking destroys the nutrients in food. So, raw foodists only eat foods that have not been heated to above 40 degrees. You would think that this would mean a diet of only salads, fruits, and nuts. Not so! Raw foodists come up with all sorts of creative ways to make delicious, filling fare, such as cheese made of soaked nuts and fresh herbs, or lasagne made of zucchini strips. Cape Town now boasts a raw foods restaurant and café, and there are many specialty stores across the country selling raw food products.
South Africa has long had its share of sushi restaurants. Now, Japanese fare is combining with other cultures for a completely new taste. One example of this is Hashi Fusion Japanese Cuisine in Johannesburg. It originally opened in Venezuela and combines Japanese and South American flavors.
Brazilian cuisine is heavily influenced by African food because of the many African slaves who were shipped to the country. Now, this African-influenced food is coming back to Africa. In the process, it is giving us a completely new culinary experience which combines the flavours of South America, Africa, and Portugal. One of the most popular Brazilian restaurants in South Africa is Cape Town’s El Rodizio cafe. It has been called “one of the best examples of Brazil’s party culture outside Brazil.”
It isn’t too surprising that South Africans are falling for Mexican food. Not only does it have those spicy flavors South Africans love, but it is cheap, easy, and filling.
Buffalo wings are a traditionally American food in which chicken wings are deep fried and slathered with spicy sauce. South Africans love chicken wings and spicy food, so it isn’t surprising buffalo wings caught on here. Already KFC has taken hold in South Africa. Now, franchises like Wing Zone and Hooters are popping up to popularize buffalo wings — and Americana — across the country.
South Africa is facing a serious obesity problem. An estimated 10 percent of men and 28 percent of women are morbidly obese. With this health crisis looming, it isn’t too surprising that there is a growing demand for healthy dining options. Many restaurants offer healthy options such as wraps, salads, smoothies, fresh juices, and hormone-free meats.
There are about 20,000 Lebanese living in South Africa. They are giving South Africans food like tabbouleh salad, fattoush, labne, and shanklish — a kind of cheese.
The past few years have seen a surge of Ethiopian immigrants to South Africa. There has been a lot of controversy about this in xenophobic South Africa, but it is hard to find objections to the cuisine that these new immigrants are bringing with them. Ethiopian food is very different from what you will find on the rest of the continent. Injera flatbread has a delicious tang to it from the fermentation process it goes through and it is great for scooping up mashes made from spicy lentils, vegetables, and stewed meat.
