Potjiekos - Traditional South African food.

In South Africa Potjiekos, literally meaning "small pot of food", is a stew cooked outdoors. It is traditionally cooked in a round, cast iron, three-legged pot called a potjie or Dutch Oven. The potjie is a spread through Southern Africa in the 17th century into the homes and villages of the people of South Africa. It originated from the Netherlands and was brought over to South Africa by the dutch settlers. The pot uses small quantities of wood or charcoal to be heated, or when the fuel is extremely rare, twisted grass or even animal dung can be used.

Traditionally, the recipe for Potjiekos includes meat, vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, squash, and starch like rice or potatoes.  It is slowly cooked with Dutch Malaysian spices the feature of the early culinary melting pot of South Africa. Other common ingredients include fruit and flour-based products such as pasta.

Potjiekos originated with the Voortrekkers, as a stew of game meat and vegetables cooked in the pot. When Voortrekers (pioneers) shot game large bones was include to thicken the stew. Game meats includes deer, poultry such as guinea fowl, warthogs, bush pig, rabbits and hares.

The meat is often seasoned with some form of alcohol taste - especially beer, Old Brown Sherry or dessert wine such as Humbro.

Potjiekos is usually served w1ith rice, pasta or something similar.

Picture from: http://www.southafrica.net/blog/en/posts/entry/a-taste-of-south-africa

Post by Adriaan Henning