The South African kitchen has many faces and is exactly like the population of the country, a melting pot of different influences and cultures.The first people to live in the country were the Khoi Khoi and the San Bushmen. Later immigrants from Europe, Holland and Britain arrived, mixing themselves and their culinary tastes with the existing population. The South African kitchen is predominantly influenced by the Dutch ,the Indian, the Malay and the British. The influences on Black African cooking are very small but grow in popularity. South African cooking is renowned for particularly tasty meals, large selection and diverse flavours. Some examples are curries from India, Braaivleis and Biltong from the Dutch , Sosaties and Bobotie from the Malasian kitchen, Scones and Pies from the English and naturally Mealie Pap, the corn mash of the black population.   South Africans eat lamb, beef, fish, chicken, turkey and game. Europeans like to eat exotic meats such as crocodile, antilope, buffalo and ostrich. When in South africa you should especially try ostrich with its dark red, low fat meat. The meat in South Africa is very tasty due to the fact that the animals stay in open land. The steaks, like all other portions, are enormous so be sure that you are hungry!   Fish and other seafood play a large role in South African cuisine, especially in coastal regions. There is an enormous selection which is quite reasonably priced. Fresh fruit and vegetables abound and they are big and juicy thanks to the large amounts of sun that ripens them.  Braai  A favourite South African activity is the open air “braai” or barbeque (pronounced “bry”). Boerewors, large steaks, lamb/pork chops, kebabs and fish are cooked over the coals whilst socialising with some beer or wine. Most houses in South Africa braai facilities usually a bricked structure in the garden. Fish and Seafood  Along the coast from Cape Town to Durban, fish and seafood are specialities. A huge variety of freshly caught fish and seafood is available every day including Snoek, Yellowtail, Tuna, Oysters, Kingklip, Kabeljou and Crayfish. One often finds Line Fish on the menus of restaurants. This is not a type of fish but is the “Catch of the Day”. Fish is served with a Garlic Sauce or Lemon Butter Sauce, vegetables and potatoes or chips. Exotic Fruits  Different fruits mature during different seasons in South Africa and this ensures a good variety. The fruit is usually sweet as it is ripened by the hot African sun. Fruit juice is also very popular and is often freshly squeezed. The Cape-Dutch Kitchen  The Cape-Dutch influence is strong and spices from India and Malasia are used to refine many meals. Meat can be dried and strongly peppered to make biltong. This preparation originates from the time of the Voortrekkers, when drying food was the only kind of preservation they had. But the preference for biltong has remained and South Africans eat biltong as a snack between meals. You can purchase biltong and dried sausage in South Africa at most supermarkets and also in speciality shops. The meat used for making biltong is usually Kudu, Gemsbok, Springbok Beef and Ostritch.Shark biltong is also availible. A typical South African tradition the "Braai", an open air barbeque where a large amounts of meat and beer are consumed. "Potjiekos" is a type of stew that is cooked in a cast-iron pot over open fire and needs to be prepared slowly to get the best results Koeksisters are a traditional sweet speciality. The English Kitchen  The British settlers brought Yorkshire pudding, roastbeef and scones to the Cape. Lamb is also a speciality and is often served with a mint sauce. The British influence is not as strong as the others The Indian Kitchen  The biggest Indian population in South Africa is found in Durban where you naturally will find the best curries and curry spices. Curry is served with rice or Roti, a type of pancake, and is delicious. Exotic spices from India, Indonesia or other parts of Asia were introduced to South Africa by slaves travelling from the East and give the food its special taste. The Malay Kitchen  The malaysian kitchen plays an important role in South African cuisine. The European immigrants brought Malaysian slaves with them and many of these women worked with the Boer people as cooks in their kitchens. From this time on, the Boer dishes where influenced by the Malaysian spices. This influence is still noticeable today. The term "cape malay" is very well known in South Africa. The most well-known meals from the Cape-Malay kitchen are marinated meatdishes, sosaties (skewered meat), Bredies (stews), Bobotie (curried meatbake) and yellow rice with raisins (Geelrys). Another popular dish is Waterblommetjie Bredie, a stew with a water lily that grows in South Africa. Unfortunately this lily is not available in Europe. The best Cape-Malay restaurants are found in the Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town. The Black African Kitchen  This is the poorest social class in South Africa and the people rely on staple foods such as white corn mash called "Mealie Pap". This is served with a hot sauce made from tomatoes, onions and chillies. The preparation and consistency varies according to different tribal regions. Sometimes meat in a rich gravy is also served with the mieliepap. Grain foods are favoured and an exotic speciality is the  Mopaniworm which is dried and then fried. Tourists often need a lot of courage to taste this speciality! Other Foods  Many other types of food are also found in South Africa. Fast Food chains are everywhere in the country and you should be able to find your favourites such as McDonalds, KFC or Wimpy. All types of restaurants are also in evidence - Italian, Greek, Chinese, Thai, French and German.