The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their four-month-old son Archie have arrived in South Africa for a 10-day visit; their first official royal tour as a family of three.
Starting in Cape Town, Meghan and Archie will stay in South Africa, while Harry will later go on alone to Malawi, Botswana and Angola, and will pay tribute to his mother Princess Diana’s anti-landmine campaign.
But while they’re visiting, what local delicacies should Harry and Meghan try? Here are a few to consider…
1. Biltong
Before fridges and freezers, indigenous South African tribes relied on dry curing to preserve meat. Biltong is air-dried slivers of beef (usually), eaten as a snack, much like jerky.
2. Bobotie
It looks like lasagne or moussaka, but rather than layers of pasta or a cheese crust, bobotie conceals curried, spiced mince (most often lamb) spiked with dried fruits like apricot, with an egg/milk savoury custard, dotted with bay leaves. It’s South Africa’s national dish.
3. Snoek braai
Snoek is essentially a very long, thin kind of mackerel (they can grow up to 2 metres), which in Cape Town, in particular, tends to be grilled over hot coals (braai = barbecued) and served with boiled sweet potatoes. Interestingly, before cooking, it is generally slathered in lemon juice, garlic and apricot jam.
4. Boerewors
If you’re a fan of Cumberland sausages, you’ll enjoy a boerewors. These coiled sausages are packed with beef, as well as pork or lamb and, a range of spices (think coriander, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg and cloves). Another reason to fire up the grill.
5. Malva pudding
Similar to the classic sticky toffee pudding, malva is a just as sweet baked sponge pudding, featuring apricot jam (we’re sensing an apricot jam theme here) with a warm cream sauce poured over the top.
6. Nsima and chambo – from Malawi
A mashed potato lookalike, traditional nsima is a thick maize-based Malawi staple that is often served with stewed chambo (tilapia fish) and greens.
7. Chicken Muamba – from Angola
This Angolan chicken stew (influenced in part by the Portuguese) is slow-cooked with vegetables, including okra and squash, then generally served with funge – a starchy mash made using cassava.
8. Seswaa – from Botswana
Seswaa, Botswana’s national dish, sees shredded and stewed beef and/or goat piled on top of the country’s own funge/nsima equivalent, mealie pap, or polenta. Eat with lots of wild spinach – morogo.
