Eating and drinking in South Africa

The beer is the national drink

 South Africa is one of the world's top ten winemaking countries by volume but beer is the national drink. "Casle Lager" is the most popular beer and it produced by SABMiller. This is the largest brewing company of the world. Hansa Pilsner is one of South Africa's oldest popular beer brand. During my stay I heard more about the wines than beers, because our house is in Constantia. "Groot Constantia" is South Africa's oldest wine producing estate and it is world famous because of its top wines. The farm of "Constantia" was established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel. He was the first governor of Cape. In the 18-th century the sweet wines of Constantia received international acclaim for their superior quality. Almost all of South Africa's vineyards are located in the province of the Western Cape. The climate and the soil is perfect for the vineyards. The best white vines are: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon  Blanc and the best red vines are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. In the XX-th century the vine industry had some difficulties, because of the Apartheid Regime. During this regime were boycotts of South African products in protest against the Apartheid system. When the Apartheid was ended the world's export market opened to South Africa.

Top wines

The African kitchen is quite diverse with many of influences from all over the world. But the  "braai" is tipical South African and the Afrikaans folk are very proud of it.  The word "braai" is Afrikaans for "barbecue" or "roast". The traditions of the braai is different from the barbeque, however the method of the food preparation is very similar.  A braai is a social occasion that has specific traditions and social norms. Families and friends like to be together outside. The standard braai meats include sosaties /kebabs/, chops, sausage /boereworst/, steaks and chicken pieces. It is really amazing how many different nice quality meat are prepared. It is common for the man to braai the food, while standing around the fire with cold beers. The women prepares salads, breads. If the food is ready the people can serve themselves. It is a buffet style. It has a special atmosphere. People come together to talk, to dance, to chill, to have fun. If you are in South Africa you definitely should try it to understand a part of their culture.

Traditional braai in South Africa