Traditional Dishes

[DaveM]

I was watching a program on BBC last night about traditional foods and how different countries have a traditional dish. It also went along to show how the influx of immigrants has changed this due to cultural differences. How dishes have evolved from what they were to become the new traditional dish of a country. This made me think of us in SA and what our traditional dish would be. With our huge diverse culture in the country I could not really pin down any dish that I could really say was our traditional dish of the country. Rather I could maybe place them to regions in SA. Such as the Cape Malay Curry found in the Cape Town area or the Durban Curry from Natal. Then we need to also look at the real Afrikaans dishes. For myself being an English South African it became even harder so I would have to go with the good old SA Braai (Barbecue) http://www.chirundu.com/the-best-braai-recipes-2009-08/ I am sure other South Africans here could add a bit more to what they think is our traditional dish.

So what would you consider to be your traditional dish from your side :y18:

 

[gumpt1oo]

In no particular order, any of these,

Full English Breakfast. (Bacon, eggs, sausage, black pudding, fried bread, mushrooms, tomatoes and some brown sauce, washed down with a cup of tea!)

Fish, chips and mushy peas.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

and for afters, apple pie and custard.

I'm going to have to find something to eat now, I'm starving! :ya2:

 

[DaveM]

Well I think I would just have to miss on the black pudding and mushy peas :tongue: :y114: the rest look good :y115:

 

[Silli]

[quote author=gumpt1oo link=topic=9643.msg48126#msg48126 date=1280758005]
In no particular order, any of these,

Full English Breakfast. (Bacon, eggs, sausage, black pudding, fried bread, mushrooms, tomatoes and some brown sauce, washed down with a cup of tea!)

Fish, chips and mushy peas.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

and for afters, apple pie and custard.

I'm going to have to find something to eat now, I'm starving! :ya2:
[/quote]

No sliced haggis?

Now I am like Pavlov's dog here.............
:ya2:

 

[Gromit]

How about from South Africa, the 'traditional' stuff:
Mielie Pap (meely pup) - corn porridge - staple with just about everything for any meal. Adopted by all South African's to accompany a 'braai' with 'sous' or sauce made of tomato and onion;
Walkie Talkie - fried chicken head and feet
Smiley - roasted sheep head; the whole head
1/2 Smiley - 1/2 roasted sheep head
Marog - wild spinach cooked with onion and tomato
M'dumbi - wild African potato (yuch)

Dave, I think you're right. I can't think of any South African "English" traditional meal. I think us "Rooineks" stay with the British staples - roast beef, full English breakfast etc etc.....................

 

[DaveM]

Yes I cannot think of one real English South African Dish but what about samp & beans with lots of butter and salt. I used to love this when I was at school

 

[The Seeker]

Hmmmm.....???

American contributions to the culinary world:

Hot Dogs

Hamburgers

French Fries

BBQ Ribs

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Buffalo Wings

 

[Gromit]

[quote author=DaveM link=topic=9643.msg48134#msg48134 date=1280759158]
Yes I cannot think of one real English South African Dish but what about samp & beans with lots of butter and salt. I used to love this when I was at school
[/quote]

I forgot - I also used to love samp & beans when I came home for weekends! Salt, loads of butter and a dash of vinegar! Haven't had that for about 40 years!!!

Ooooooooo! And long live the almighty hamburger! Especially home-made!

 

[Roadrunner]

(Depending on where in the states you live the taste will vary)

Mexican food
Chinese Food
Pizza
Italian food
Hot Dogs
Bar-B-Q (pork or beef)

My daughter in-law's sister's side of the family is "Afrikaans", I had some delicious food ..... :ya2:

 

[dazco]

In the USA i would have to say either burger and fries or steak and baked potato. The former is w/o a doubt far and away the #1 dish as far as fast/cheap food goes. As far as the more quality home cooked style dishes, the former to be sure. Neither are my favorite, tho i like both. But you couldn't stop me from taking a bite out of a carnitas burrito (mexican for those who aren't familiar w/mex food) if you held a shotgun to my head ! Asian food takes a close second for me. i could eat nothing but mexican and asian for the rest of my life, but the mexican would make that life a lot shorter. :ya2:

 

[DaveM]

Boy you guys in the US don't seem to be very health conscious :y114: However I must admit the food does sound inviting. Also like my Asian food and the curries. I would say the Asian if done correctly should be ok for the health.

Looking back I think for me when I was still living at home the Sunday roast was more a traditional dish for us. Roast beef, lamb, chicken or pork with roast potatoes and vegies :y115:

 

[dazco]

Well, to be fair i'm talking about traditional and why I like, not what I and others here eat regularly. Theres a lot of people here that do eat very unhealthy diets. but the majority watch what they eat. i like the things i mentioned but i don't eat them all the time. i do however thing the steak and potato and a vegetable dinner which is probably the #1 traditional meal is extremely well balanced and healthy. meat has gotten a VERY bad rap in the media for decades but in recent times has been shown to be anything but unhealthy. It's like anything else....too much IS bad, but thats true of anything. I once went on a vegetarian diet for about 4 months a couple decades or so ago. i swear it made me so sick i had to give it up. I also know a vegetarian who is one of the most sickly people ! I actually find that if i eat a lot of meat, BUT, not processed meat, i feel very energetic and healthy from doing so. thats another bad rap meat gets....people assume because hot dogs and other garbage like that are bad, abd theye certainly are, that all meat is bad. They just don't understand it's the process junk thats bad. i recently listened to a talk show where a researcher said that in taking samples of the plaque found in people's arteries the found something quite amazing....none of it was from animal fat....it was all from processed oils like vegetable oils and such ! Margerine, vegi oil, all that stuff is the killer. My mother ate very little processed junk and a ton of unprocessed meat, real butter, etc, and she died NOT from anything related to food like heart failure. she fell and caught pneumonia at 91 years old. I have no doubt she would have come very close to or hit 100 had she not fallen.

so steaks and burgers aren't the real culprits in an unhealthy diet....it's sugar, processed oils and meats. things like spam are pure poison. A very wise nutritionist once said recently, and i fully agree at least to the basic idea, that if you couldn't find it in the days of the caveman, it's probably not healthy. And you're right on about the chinese thing Dave.....when done right it's VERY tasty and healthy. When done like fast food as many places here do, it's very bad. (But tasty :ya2

 

[DaveM]

You are so right about the processed junk, I refuse to eat that stuff. We only have fresh in our house and nothing gets fried. A small bottle of cooking oil can last us up to a year :y114: I also watched a program on BBC about this very same thing and they showed you how to make healthy fast foods. The burgers they made looked out of this world. The biggest problem for some people they live such a fast life always rushing and it is just so much easer for them to pick up a burger on the go.

 

[CarlS]

In the US, tradition foods vary by region and ethnic group.

Overall a traditional food would be be roast turkey and dressing.

In the South, fried chicken, fired vegetables such as green tomatoes, okra, squash and egg plant, biscuits with sausage gravy.

American Indians - fry bread.

 

[Gromit]

[quote author=CarlS link=topic=9643.msg48214#msg48214 date=1280846613]
In the South, fried chicken, fired vegetables such as green tomatoes, okra, squash and egg plant, biscuits with sausage gravy.
American Indians - fry bread.
[/quote]

Fried green tomatoes - yum! Fly me to the South!!!!

 

[CarlS]

I love 'em, too. And I can fry them deliciously!

 

[Gromit]

[quote author=CarlS link=topic=9643.msg48221#msg48221 date=1280848587]
I love 'em, too. And I can fry them deliciously!
[/quote]

Then best you post your recipe!

 

[Roadrunner]

Ahhh nothing like a food thread :ya2:

How about deserts? ......... key-lime pie :y115:

 

[Dilligaf]

Medium Rare quality steak, some kind of potato, some mixed greens and a fine vodka served up.

 

[DaveM]

[quote author=Roadrunner link=topic=9643.msg48237#msg48237 date=1280883640]
Ahhh nothing like a food thread :ya2:

How about deserts? ......... key-lime pie :y115:
[/quote]

The page would not be long enough for me to list em all :y114:

Fruit salad and ice cream :ya2: