Why the South African braai culture is a way of life

This blogpost was written by Sabine from the Travelling Chilli.

One of the benefits of travelling is that it offers you the opportunity to really learn about and experience the local culture and traditions. One of the first things I learned when I arrived in South Africa many years ago was everything about the South African braai. I learned what it meant, how enshrined it is in local South African culture and most important of all, how to participate in one. Yes, it is more than just eating, it is a whole ritual of sorts.

Braai culture in South Africa
 
At first I did not really understand the fuss about it, since having a barbecue is not all that special in other parts of the world. The only difference is that in many other countries it is called having a barbecue, barbecue or bbq (what’s in a name?). How wrong I was. In fact, what I learned after being in the country for a bit longer is that it is not just like any barbecue in any other country. A South African braai is not just about the food, it is an entire institution all on its own.
 
Why the South African braai culture is a way of life
 
Origin of the South African braai?
 
The word ‘braai’ originates from Afrikaans, which is derived from the Dutch language brought to South Africa by the early Dutch settlers. Afrikaans is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. The meaning of the word braai as a noun is a structure on which a fire can be made in order to grill meat. The word braai can also be used as a verb, which means ‘to grill’. The word ‘braaivleis’ means meat that is meant to be grilled on an open fire.
Even though South Africa has 11 official languages, the word braai, and the actual activity, is commonly used/performed and understood in all these languages. That shows how much the braai culture is completely ingrained into the South African way of life.
 
 
Braai with a view in Tsitsikamma National Park
 
What makes a South African braai so different?
 
No where else in the world is a braai so integrated into a culture as in South Africa. What makes a braai in South Africa so special and different?
 
The Timing of a braai
 
One would think that because a braai is an outdoor event, it would only be organised during the warm summer months. In South Africa however, a braai can be organised for whatever occasion, in whatever kind of weather (we have braaied in the snow before. Yes, it snows in South Africa)) and no matter the time of day or week. In South Africa there is basically always a great excuse to braai, or rather, there is seldom anything that ever stops a South African from performing the art of braaing.
What makes a South African braai so special is that it is as much about being together with family and good friends as it is about having the braai itself and eating. A fire is made outside, everyone gathers around it, enjoys the flames, and then smells like a good camp fire afterwards. All of this is being enjoyed as a social gathering.
 
Braai also means improvising
 
Follow the Braai rules. Yes, there are rules.
 
A braai in South Africa is all about the rules. First of all, when you are invited to a braai you are often expected to bring your own meat and drinks, but not always. You will be advised of this before hand. In other words, it is like a ‘potluck’, or ‘bring and braai’. Then there is the braaimaster. He is the only one who starts the fire, takes care of the fire and will decide when the fire is ready to cook that perfect steak. Nobody will interfere with the braaimaster, unless asked by the braaimaster him/herself, which in most cases is a request to bring him, or her, another drink. This is the most important rule. It can also be agreed that you will be able to braai your own meat on the braaimasters fire, but only after the fire has been declared ready by him.
 
Braai master Sean, in Belgium
Braai master Sean, in South Africa
 
‘How to’ is important
 
A South African braai is made with either wood, charcoal or briquettes. It is not just about grilling a piece of meat on a hot grill. It is about getting the right smoky flavours into the meat. It is about lighting the fire, sitting by the fire, waiting till the fire is ready. Sometimes the longer the fire takes the better. Time is hardly ever an issue. Shortcuts, like gas braais are normally not an option. When you organise a braai, you make sure there is enough time to fulfil the ritual to the end. That’s why it is important never to go hungry when you are invited to a South African braai as by the time the fire is ready, you will surely be hungry again. So have a little something before you go.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see how easy it in fact is to light a fire. I remember the first time Sean organised a braai in Belgium and lit the fire. A friend came to tell me that Sean’s fire was not going but did not want to tell him. I laughed and told him to wait half an hour. The secret is to light the fire from the inside of the wigwam of wood or pyramid of coals and let it burn slowly to the outside. Lighting the fire from the top might give instant visible flame, but it seldom lasts, and the rest of the pile of wood or coals stays dead.
 
 
The pieces of meat are huge
 
It’s all about the braai meat
 
South Africans love their meat. And a braai is all about the meat. One item that will always be present at a braai is a good roll of boerewors (in english: farmer’s sausage). Each farm/butchery makes its own boerewors, with its own spices and flavours. And they all taste different. Most boerewors is made from beef.
Apart from the boerewors, there will also be Karoo lamb chops, pork chops or a nice large piece of steak. When I first saw the size of the steaks in South Africa I was completely surprised. I had never seen this size of steak before. They are easily 1 to 2 kg. They will be put completely intact on the braai and only cut in pieces after it has been grilled. In Belgium, we have these tiny pieces of sausage, chops or little pieces of steaks (and that’s why they are always dry and burned on the outside).
A South African braai does not aways have many side dishes, sometimes a green or potato salad. What will mostly be present is either a loaf of garlic bread or ‘braaibroodjies’, which are toasted sandwiches, grilled on the braai, with tomato, cheese, onion and chutney inside.
 


 
Interesting facts about the South African braai
 
No other country in the world has its own public national holiday dedicated to a braai. In fact, Braai Day is organised on Heritage Day, which is the day when South Africans celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions. It takes place on the 24th of September. Jan Scannell called all South Africans to have their National Braai day on Heritage day, to meet up with good friends and family, sit around the fire and commemorate their heritage together and wave the South African flag.
Nobel Peace Price winner, archbishop Desmond Tutu is the patron of National Braai day.
No need for a fancy and expensive grill or barbecue, a braai can be made in a variety of ‘devices’. Most braais are made with bricks. But also usable are the inside drums of a washing machine, the one half of a 300 gallon oil drum, or even just the ground, where you just used some stones to support the grill.
A grill is never cleaned with special detergents. To clean the grill, just put it on the fire a half hour or so before you intend to start braaing. You can then clean the previous braai off the grill with a wire brush and a half onion. Works like a bomb. The onion juice helps to prevent the meat from sticking to the grill.
Since a braai in South Africa is a social event, most public places have braais available. In a campsite, you will always have braai stands available, mostly each campsite will have an individual braai place. Most self catering accommodations will have braai places. And when on holiday, South Africans will braai. At a campsite, around 5 PM, you will see most occupied stands will have the fires going.
 
Have you ever participated in a South African braai? Did you enjoy it?