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Showing posts with the label hot cross buns

Humour 15: When Zulu Meets Cape Malay The Great Easter Food Showdown in Nongoma

When Zulu Meets Cape Malay The Great Easter Food Showdown in Nongoma Easter in Nongoma is supposed to be predictable in the way only small towns and big appetites can be predictable. The hills roll like a green carpet, the rondavels stand like old relatives who have seen everything, and the braai smoke drifts across the valley like a promise. In my family, that promise is always meat — thick, juicy, smoky, unapologetic meat, served with pap and chakalaka and the kind of pride that could be used as a seasoning. This year, however, the promise took a detour. It stopped at a spice market, hopped on a boat, and arrived at our table as pickled curryfish and hot cross buns. The culprit was my wife, a Cape Malay woman whose cooking is a love letter to Cape Town’s spice-scented mornings. The victims were my family, who had driven up from Zululand with expectations heavier than the cooler boxes in the back of the bakkie. If you want to know how a Zulu man from Nongoma navigates a fa...

SA 61: Easter on South African Plates: Regional Flavours from Pickled Fish to Braai

Easter on South African Plates: Regional Flavours from Pickled Fish to Braai Easter in South Africa is a food-centred holiday: expect a mix of roast lamb and braai, British sweets like hot cross buns, Cape Malay spiced dishes and pickled fish on Good Friday, and strong regional twists driven by local cultures (Cape Malay, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Indian) and seasonal ingredients. (If you’re in Cape Town, look for Cape Malay curries, pickled fish and braai-style lamb.)  Quick guide: what to expect and why - Key considerations: religious fasting on Good Friday (fish), Easter Sunday feast (lamb/roast), local cultural influences (Cape Malay, Indian, Afrikaans, Xhosa/Zulu), and spring produce.    - Decision points for hosts: serve a Good Friday fish starter (pickled or grilled), a communal main (roast lamb or potjiekos), and sweet treats (hot cross buns, malva pudding, koeksisters).  Western Cape (Cape Town and surrounds) Typical dishes: Cape Malay curries, pickled f...