Braai
Do you love barbeque? If you said yes, then you would love braai! Braai is South Africa’s version of barbeque. The most important ingredient in braai is the meat. Beef, lamb, and even ostrich are used as braai meat. The meat is usually rubbed with spices. The spices add to the meat’s flavor.
Pepper, cumin, and paprika are often used to flavor the braai meat. Once the meat is rubbed with these spices, it is ready for the fire. The first braai cooks used campfires to cook their meat. Cooks have since replaced campfires with grills.
Braai is everywhere in South Africa. In towns across South Africa, people like to eat braai together. On weekends, townspeople gather and cook braai in their town centers. People love braai so much that South Africans celebrate Braai Day. It is a holiday that happens every year on September 24. There are also television shows all about cooking the perfect braai.
Biltong
Biltong is a South African snack. It is similar to beef jerky. Like beef jerky, biltong is dried meat. Because it is dried, it does not spoil or go bad. Tribes in South Africa started making biltong because they did not have refrigerators. They would slice the meat into thin slices. Then they would hang it on a line. After some time, the air would dry it out. Now, biltong is rubbed with spices and sugar before it is dried out. The spices and sugar give it extra flavor. Would you like to try biltong?
