Braai and Potjie Flavours and Traditions

What sound most typifies South Africa’s great outdoors? Some say it’s the chilling roar of a lion in the early evening in the bush. Others claim it’s the haunting call of a fish eagle that soars above the country’s many rivers and dams. Still others feel it’s the soft cooing of a laughing dove or the cackling of a guinea fowl coming in to roost at night. And yet the sound that unifies South Africans all around the world is the crackling of a fire. It is the call to come together, to enjoy the hospitality so unique to our people. It is an invitation to eat together, laugh together an invitation to share. A braai is ideal for entertaining and a bring-’n-braai’ is common. These are all about gathering together in a sociable environment, so everyone arrives with whatever they want to cook on the braai that day, along with salads and bread. The host provides a huge fire, and the day evolves into a party. The invention of the three-legged pot served people from around the world, and it became essential to the expeditions into the interior of southern Africa. It wasn’t long before rural African communities spotted these vessels and, seeing how useful they were, began trading them for animal hides and other sought-after commodities. These cast-iron pots soon replaced the clay pots that had been using for cooking until then. This book endeavours to light a fire for you, and beckons you to join us as we place a few lamb chops on the sizzling griddle and pour a glass of wine. Welcome to the great outdoors.