September is officially Heritage month. Celebrate by indulging in the flavours of South Africa with mouth-watering dishes that celebrate our culture and diversity.
Jalebi ice cream macaron
Sugarlicious – Cape Town, Joburg and Durban
Contact: 083 611 8050
Delicate, tender and sweet, macarons are delectable as it is, but Sugarlicious, a dessert bar on bustling Florida Road, takes things to a whole new level.
They boast a wide range of ice creams wrapped in French macaron shells. Adopting a range of local flavours into their menu, one of the stand-out ice cream macarons is jalebi and sev.
Famous for its spiral shape and bright orange colouring, jalebi is crisp and juicy from being deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup. Served at celebration feasts on occasions like Diwali, Eid or even at weddings, in South Africa it is popular among the Indian community. This scrumptious twist by Sugarlicious combines jalebi with sev – an Indian snack consisting of long, thin strands of gram flour, deep-fried and spiced – to mellow out the sweetness.
Pampoen koekies with Camembert
Skotnes Restaurant – Cape Town
Contact: 087 654 5902
Warm and richly spiced, pampoen koekies are light, fluffy fritters that are traditionally deep-fried until golden brown and dusted with cinnamon sugar or drizzles of caramel sauce.
The South African comfort food has been made even more delicious by Skotnes Restaurant who have turned it into a delectable breakfast treat. The airy fitters are topped with earthy slices of Camembert that offers the dish a mild nuttiness and creamy texture that’s balanced by crispy salty bacon. With lashings of fynbos honey, the dish is balanced with sweet floral notes.
Amagwinya
Luxx Restobar – Joburg
Contact: 066 016 1939
The Amagwinya is thought to be descended from the Dutch Oliebol. The Oliebol arrived in South Africa via trade and travellers, and it quickly became a popular dish among the locals. It's a mixture of flour, water, sugar, and salt that's formed into small balls and deep-fried until golden brown in both Afrikaans and Zulu culture. You can enjoy these versions at Luxx Restobar with a choice of atchar, chakalaka or mince.
Milktart doughnut
Dough Girl – Durban
Contact: 076 812 1183
Milk tart was first made by Dutch settlers in the Cape in the early 1600s. The origins of the dessert are credited to a detailed recipe listed in Thomas van der Noot’s book, Een Notabel Boexcken van Cokeryen (A Notable Book of Cookery) and it is believed that milk tart was developed from the same recipe.
This bakery is famous for its remake of the famous dessert. Covered in granulated sugar, the exterior is perfectly golden brown, but after taking the first bite you’ll find that it’s light and airy with that signature yeasty flavour and just the right amount of pull. The centre is filled with a thick, creamy milk tart filling that has rich vanilla and a warm cinnamon flavour.
Chocolate peppermint crisp dessert
Kudu Grill – Gauteng
Contact: 011 397 6512
Traditionally, Peppermint Crisp tart is a fridge dessert layered with coconut biscuits, caramel, whipped cream and generous shavings of Peppermint Crisp chocolate. Since the chocolate was created in South Africa by Wilson-Rowntree before being bought by Nestle, the dish is close to our hearts.
A refined version of the dessert features on the menu at Kudu Grill in the form of a chocolate tart with intensely golden caramel dollops. The thin, delicate pastry adds a crunchy element while the mousses are light and airy. There’s also a “melk tert” stuffed choux bun served atop a scoop of refreshing jasmine ice cream.
Hertzoggie ice cream
Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream – Durban, Joburg
Visit: paulshomemade.com
Hertzoggies are baked tartlets that date back to the 1920s, which are filled with apricot jam and topped with desiccated coconut shavings, usually served on the side of hot English tea. The ice cream version of this lekker local dessert incorporates sweet vanilla ice cream with a brown sugar apricot jam swirl and chunks of baked coconut meringue.
Bobotie Pancake
Harrie’s Pancakes – Pretoria
Contact: 012 234 23613
Since 1986, Harrie’s Pancakes has been serving up pancakes with local flair. Their large, fluffy pancakes are stuffed with a bobotie filling and served with chutney vinaigrette.
The first recipe for bobotie appeared in a Dutch cookbook in 1609. It was then taken to South Africa and adopted by the Cape Malay community. Meaty, nutty and filled with local flavours, it’s delicious when rolled into a pancake.
Biltong burger
Burger Bistro – Pretoria
Contact: 079 273 1862
No game drive, charcuterie board or game night is complete without biltong. The unique variety of dried, cured meat originated in Southern Africa when European settlers arrived in the early 17th century. Since modern freezers and refrigerators were not yet invented, they improved the curing process of various kinds of meat by using vinegar, saltpetre and spices ranging from coriander to cloves.
Playing on our love for the savoury snack, Burger Bistro has created a juicy beef patty, basted to perfection with all the fresh fixings of lettuce and tomato finished with a generous handful of biltong all smothered in biltong sauce.