I wasn't really sure what the food would be like in South Africa before I came here. I had never heard of a "South African" restaurant, and guidebooks don't delve too deeply into details about the country's cuisine. I realized quickly when I arrived here that that probably has a lot to do with the fact that "South African" food is a lot like "American" food; that is, it includes a little of everything. Like the US, South Africa spent a long time as a colony of another place, and much of the society is made up of people who immigrated here from a variety of places, and all that is reflected in the food.
Like any former British colony, South Africa seems to have a fondness for fish n' chips and spongy desserts described as "puddings." But the cuisine is far more international than just that. In Cape Town I've eaten wood-fired, thin crust pizza, great sushi, dirt-cheap Indian food, Turkish meze sampler platters, Thai curries, American style burgers, French pastries and fresh Greek salads. Usually I scoff at the idea that good Mexican food can be found anywhere outside of Los Angeles (illogical, I know) but the grocery store here even carries guacamole and salsa that aren't too shabby.
Only when I have stepped into the super cheesy tourist magnet restaurants have I eaten anything claiming to be "African."
There is one food item that I have seen consistently in almost every single restaurant in Cape Town, however. One food that seems to unite all forms of South African food.
That thing is butternut squash.
I have eaten more butternut squash in the last four weeks than I think I have eaten in my entire life. I have eaten it in pasta, on pizza (surprisingly great!), in salads, in sandwiches, on veggie burgers, as a side dish, as a soup, and as a main course served whole and stuffed with other vegetables. For the occasional meal when I don't eat butternut squash, it's usually just because I've grown tired of it and pick the rare vegetarian menu item that isn't butternut-based.
I like butternut squash, but whoa...South Africans LOVE butternut squash.
The odd thing is, they don't admit it. I've asked several people if butternut squash is the national vegetable or some kind of mascot for the ANC political party, but the most insight I've heard from anyone seems to be, "Huh, yeah, I guess it is pretty popular."
No one seems to admit, though, that the orangey vegetable seems to be about as popular in South African restaurants as plates.
I guess there's a chance I've gotten this all wrong and I've somehow gotten a very skewed impression of Cape Town dining, but I don't feel that bad about it--mostly because I know that Capetonians have a hilariously skewed view of American food too. There are no Starbucks here, they only just got their first Burger King, you can't get black or pinto beans anywhere, but on every other street corner of the city, one American chain is very popular and as a result is bearing a disproportionate amount of the responsibility of representing American food to South Africans: KFC.
Like any former British colony, South Africa seems to have a fondness for fish n' chips and spongy desserts described as "puddings." But the cuisine is far more international than just that. In Cape Town I've eaten wood-fired, thin crust pizza, great sushi, dirt-cheap Indian food, Turkish meze sampler platters, Thai curries, American style burgers, French pastries and fresh Greek salads. Usually I scoff at the idea that good Mexican food can be found anywhere outside of Los Angeles (illogical, I know) but the grocery store here even carries guacamole and salsa that aren't too shabby.
Only when I have stepped into the super cheesy tourist magnet restaurants have I eaten anything claiming to be "African."
There is one food item that I have seen consistently in almost every single restaurant in Cape Town, however. One food that seems to unite all forms of South African food.
That thing is butternut squash.
I have eaten more butternut squash in the last four weeks than I think I have eaten in my entire life. I have eaten it in pasta, on pizza (surprisingly great!), in salads, in sandwiches, on veggie burgers, as a side dish, as a soup, and as a main course served whole and stuffed with other vegetables. For the occasional meal when I don't eat butternut squash, it's usually just because I've grown tired of it and pick the rare vegetarian menu item that isn't butternut-based.
I like butternut squash, but whoa...South Africans LOVE butternut squash.
The odd thing is, they don't admit it. I've asked several people if butternut squash is the national vegetable or some kind of mascot for the ANC political party, but the most insight I've heard from anyone seems to be, "Huh, yeah, I guess it is pretty popular."
No one seems to admit, though, that the orangey vegetable seems to be about as popular in South African restaurants as plates.
I guess there's a chance I've gotten this all wrong and I've somehow gotten a very skewed impression of Cape Town dining, but I don't feel that bad about it--mostly because I know that Capetonians have a hilariously skewed view of American food too. There are no Starbucks here, they only just got their first Burger King, you can't get black or pinto beans anywhere, but on every other street corner of the city, one American chain is very popular and as a result is bearing a disproportionate amount of the responsibility of representing American food to South Africans: KFC.
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