The next city selected by the generator was Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.
| Here’s some stats: | |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Founded | 1652 |
| Area | 2461 km^2 |
| Elevation | 100 metres |
| Population | 4.6 million |
Cape Town’s food culture reflects its complex history as a meeting point of African, Dutch, Malay, and British influences. The city’s cuisine, often called “Cape Malay,” developed from the spice knowledge brought by enslaved people from Indonesia and Malaysia, combined with local ingredients and European cooking techniques. This fusion created distinctive dishes that are uniquely South African.
After researching several options, I decided to try Bobotie - South Africa’s national dish. The dish caught my attention because it seems like a fun spin on a cottage pie:
Bobotie is a spiced mince dish topped with an egg custard and baked until golden. It's believed to have originated from the Indonesian dish "bobotok" but has evolved into something distinctly South African. The combination of curry spices, meat, and the creamy egg topping creates a comforting casserole that's both exotic and familiar.
I found this recipe which seemed pretty easy and (hopefully) authentic. The process involves browning spiced mince, topping it with an egg and milk mixture, then baking until set. The dish is traditionally served with yellow rice.
Here’s how my wonderful cottagepieesque bobotie came out:
Thoughts:
- Recipe is easy and would be good to make for a dinner party as it’s easy to make a large amount.
- I added way less sugar than what was recommended and it was still too sweet for us.
- I didn’t add sultanas because I’m not about that meat/fruit life.
- “Egg custard” is a cool thing I’ve never thought of.