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S outh Africa's cuisine is a rich stewpot of diverse cultures that have shaped the country's complex history. Along with Zulu and other indigenous tribal foodways, foreign influences came into play when the Dutch settled the Cape of Good Hope as a trading post in 1652. That same year, Jan Van Riebeeck, who established the colony, planted the first grapevines. Today, the wines are celebrated around the world. After several generations away from the Netherlands, the Dutch (along with German and French European settlers) in South Africa became known as Afrikaners. Many were uneducated farmers, or boers, who subsisted on a meat-heavy diet. Braai became the term used for the unofficial national obsession for barbecuing meat over an open fire. When the boers moved east and north away from Cape Town for political reasons, these pioneering farmers carried rustic provisions like biltong, or jerky, and the spicy sausages still enjoyed today. With the arrival of the Portuguese, Malaysians, Indonesians, and Indians, each wave of immigrants superimposed unique cooking techniques, seasonings, and dishes on the local foods. Many buildings found in the Malay Quarter of Cape Town are more than 150 years old. They were originally home to freed slaves and craftspeople from Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Indian Ocean Islands. "South Africa's food culture embodies the beauty of tradition melded perfectly with the modern persuasion. There is food for every palate, including hearty stews, rich curries, and mouthwatering barbecue," says Sthu Zungu, president of South African Tourism North America. "Additionally, South Africa's wine-tasting tours are a must for wine aficionados and connoisseurs alike." With culinary influences that range from local indigenous tribes to Dutch, French, German, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Portuguese immigrants, this country's food is an eclectic crowd pleaser. Especially with South African barbecue, a national obsession. BY JOANNA PRUESS CUISINE SOUTH AFRICAN global eats 158 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com globalEats_southAfrica.indd 158 6/2/14 2:11 PM