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Heritage Day (Braai Day)

South Africans of every background light a fire and grill meat together.

This is an image of food from
Photo: CoralBrowne, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is eaten for Heritage Day (Braai Day)

Heritage Day celebrates the many cultures of South Africa. Since the 2000s it has also been called Braai Day, after the one custom nearly all South Africans share: cooking meat over an open fire. Boerewors, a coiled spiced beef sausage, lamb chops and skewered sosaties go on the grid. Beside them are pap, a stiff maize porridge, with chakalaka, a spicy vegetable relish, and grilled cheese, tomato and onion sandwiches. The fire is made of wood or charcoal, and tending it is half the point.

The dishes

BoereworsCoiled spiced sausage, first on the fire.UgaliStiff maize porridge served with the meat.ChakalakaSpicy vegetable relish.SosatieMarinated meat skewers of Cape Malay origin.BraaibroodjieCheese, tomato and onion sandwich grilled over the coals.
About this page

Written by the Thali desk with AI assistance. Background: "Heritage Day (South Africa)" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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