Barishap to Bunny Chow – Descriptions and photographs where available of South African culinary terms and ingredients.
- Barishap
- Also known as fennel, it has a delightfully sweet and warm aroma with a flavour of mild anise. Barishap is best bought in seed form and ground or dry-fried as required. Barishap has a great affinity with delicate chicken and fish curries. The crushed seeds are used in salad dressings and in mayonnaise to serve with fish. Ground barishap seed is used in many curry powders, in Chinese five spice powder and is an essential ingredient of gharum masala. Crushed seeds are also used in savoury and sweet baking: in breads, doughs, cakes and biscuits. Try sipping barishap tea for a jaded palate – infuse 5 ml seeds in about 300 ml water that is just off the boil. Then strain the liquid into a tall glass.
- Begrafnisrys
- Afrikaans for Funeral Rice. South Africas oldest rice dish is yellow rice prepared with turmeric and raisins, it’s sometimes called begrafnisrys as in both the Malay and Dutch communities, it was served at the meals held after funerals, a custom which still persists today.
- Bhajias
- Also called Chilli-bites. A savoury fritter of pea-flour containing chillies, onion and other vegetables.
- Biltong
- Biltong, a traditional South African delicacy, is strips of salted dried meat, most commonly beef but venison and ostrich are also used. Although other countries have similar versions, such as Switzerland’s “Bunderfleisch”, northern Italy’s “Bresaula”, America’s “Jerky” and Mexico’s “Carne Secca”, nowhere is it found in exactly the same form as in South Africa… more
- Biscuit
- In America, a biscuit is a scone with no sugar. In South Africa, a biscuit is actually a cookie. Some favourites are Marie, Romany Creams, Nuttikrust and Eet Sum Mor.
- Blaauwkrantz cheese
- This cheese is manufactured from pasteurised, standardised cows milk, it contains no preservatives other than salt. It’s an uncoloured blue veined, semi-hard cheese. It has a distinctive, tangy taste with a soft crumbly texture. Ideal for cheese board or even as a delicious pasta sauce. Also popular in salads or as salad dressing.
- Blatjang
- (Chutney) is generally of smoother consistency than chutney and is quite often hotter.
- Bobotie
- How bobotie became a traditional South African dish is unknown. The word is derived from the Indonesian word “bobotok”, the recipe for which first appeared in a Dutch cookbook in the year 1609… more
- Boeber
- A Cape Malay milk pudding flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom, rose water and almonds.
- Boerebeskuit
- (Farmer rusks) In most countries rusks refer to pieces of bread which have been dried out in the oven, a process which produces a nutty flavour as well as a crisp texture. In South Africa, however, they are more likely to be made from specially prepared dough, which may be flavoured with spices and slightly sweetened… more
- Boerejongens
- Brandied grapes.
- Boerewors
- Boerewors (Boo-ruh-vors) comes from the Afrikaans words boere (farmers) and wors (sausage), it is wholesome, delicious and reasonably inexpensive. Boeries as it is affectionately known by locals, is staple fare in South Africa and is as traditionally South African as biltong, koeksisters, mealiepap, and vetkoek. The aroma of a boerewors braai is enough to set all the neighbours watering at the mouth… more
- Bokkems
- These salted, wind-dried fish, usually haarders (mullet) or maasbankers (horse mackerel), once formed an important part of the diet of Cape farm labourers… more
- Braai
- The South African braai (pronounced br-eye) has become one of the country’s greatest outdoor eating pleasures, enjoyed by all the cultures in South Africa… more
- Bredie
- Bredie is one of those dishes, which would feel insulted if one had to refer to it by the name of its European rival known as “stew”. The principle is the same, but bredies tend to be richer, more tasty and infinitely more filling and varied… more
- Breyani
- The Malay breyani (also spelt beryani) and the Indian biryani are both festival dishes, based on rice, normally prepared for special occasions, since it takes a long time to make… more
- Buchu
- This valuable shrub with strongly aromatic leaves is indigenous to the mountains of the south-western Cape. The dried leaves are sometimes combined with vinegar or brandy to make a remedy for bruises and sprains and to relieve aching limbs.
- Bunny Chow
- The Bunny Chow (called “bunny” by the locals) is one of the tastier leftovers from the apartheid days. In those days people of colour were not allowed to be seated in restaurants, but could be served take-aways through a small window in the back of the restaurant… more
Recipes
Category: South African Cuisine
Subcategory: Various
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