South African snacks

If there’s one thing all visitors comment on when visiting our stunning part of the world, it’s our love of snacks. Of course, our infamous impromptu get-togethers and lekker weekend kuiers with family and friends haven’t helped this observation. After all, what better time is there to feast on some delectable peuselhappies? Furthermore, we have some of the best snacks in the world such as biltong and boerewors; you can’t disagree with that!

Snacks

What is a snack?

The answer to this question should be pretty obvious, but for those of us who love our South African food (the FinGlobal team included), perhaps some clarity is needed for the sake of our waistlines! According to some rough definitions floating around the internet, a snack is a small portion of food or drink consumed between regular meals. But unfortunately, this definition doesn’t quite fit the word ‘snack’ in South African terms!

For us, snacks form an integral part of our ‘very social’ lifestyles, and as such, many snacks are required when enjoying a lekker kuier! You may be forgiven for thinking this defeats the object, and you would be right! Although small and tasty, the spread of snacks at any self-respecting Saffas posse is large and plentiful! And if you have ever been to a ‘proper’ braai or, for those non-Saffas, a South African BBQ, you will understand exactly what we mean. Those pre-braai snacks are simply divine!

South African snacks

As snacks go, there aren’t many that measure up to our lekker variety. Just take a moment to consider some of our favourites, such as crumbly South African rusks dipped into strong coffee. And of course, we all know that a braai wouldn’t be a braai without the traditional pap en wors starter. This classic snack is made from mealie meal porridge (pap) and boerewors and is also eaten as a main meal in many homes.

But even more well-known than these is biltong – a traditional South African snack that goes back even further than the 1600s and as far back as the ancient Egyptians! The dusty history scrolls suggest that eating dried meat has been around for a long time, so if it was good enough for the pharaohs, it’s good enough for us!

Posh pap en wors happies

At this point, you are sure to be a little hungry, which is why it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce a lovely new recipe to add to your cookbook snacking arsenal. So, enter center stage the gorgeous pap en wors happie, enjoy!

What you need for the pap

• 1 litre of water
• 1 chicken stock cube / 3 tbsp chicken stock powder
• 180 g maize meal
• 42 g butter
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 muffin pans

What you need for the topping

• 500 g boerewors
• 15 ml sunflower oil
• Mrs. H.S Ball’s peach chutney
• Fresh flat leaf parsley
• 25 g sun-dried tomato pesto

What to do for the pap

• Pour the water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add the chicken stock cube or powder and whisk thoroughly.
• Next, add the maize meal (mealie meal) to the boiling water. You can do this by pouring the dry maize meal slowly into the water while whisking or mixing it with a little water first to make a smooth paste. Either way will prevent the pap from going lumpy.
• Place a lid on the pot and allow the pap to cook at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent it from sticking to the pot’s base.
• Remove the pot from the heat, add the cheese and butter; stir well.
• Now, grease the muffin pans with a little oil. You can use a basting brush or dip a paper towel into a small amount of oil and wipe the pan thoroughly.
• Use a tablespoon to fill each muffin hollow with pap and smooth the tops over with a butter knife.
• Take your thumb and gently press into each muffin top to create an indentation, then place the muffin trays into the fridge for the pap to set. If you don’t have enough space in the refrigerator, leave the muffins to cool at room temperature on the kitchen counter.

What to do for the topping

• Set the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Pop the boerewors into a greased oven dish or griddle pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.
• Remove the wors from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing it into thick rounds.
• Remove the pap tartlets from their pans, place them onto a serving plate or tray and coat each with lashings of peach chutney. Top each pap tartlet with a leaf of fresh parsley.
• Now for the finishing touches! Place a boerewors round on top of each tart and finish with a dollop of sun-dried tomato pesto.

Serve at room temperature or nice and toasty the choice is yours. Just remember to make enough of these beauties because they might end up being the main meal rather than just a snack! But you knew that already, didn’t you?

Expert advice for SA expats right here at FinGlobal

Much like snacks are synonymous with good South African food, so is the FinGlobal team with emigration. For expert advice that focuses on your unique needs and situation, FinGlobal is the team to trust.

For quality advice backed by ten years of experience, accreditations, and professionalism, the FinGlobal team is more than capable of handling your emigration requirements. Contact them today to discuss your tax queries, pension, retirement annuity, forex, etc.

To discuss your unique needs with our team, simply get in touch with us. Give us a call on +27 28 312 2764 or send us an email at info@finglobal.com, and we will assist you promptly.