Cape Malay cuisine carries a rich and complex history, yet promises a flavorful future in South Africa.
Winding cobblestone paths ascend Signal Hill, passing vibrant homes that stand out even from the sky, contrasting with the muted tones of much of Cape Town's architecture.
But that’s just one of the many things that make Bo-Kaap so unique.
This neighborhood has managed to maintain its unique identity amidst centuries of change in South Africa, all while giving rise to a cuisine that’s both internationally known and distinctly local.
As chef Reuben Riffel puts it, 'This place is special, plain and simple. I come from a small town, where community matters. But things change, and in our village, change is inevitable.'
I feel like the traditions have remained in Bo-Kaap. They’ve managed to preserve them, and that’s something I really admire about the place.
Bo-Kaap lies just above the city center.
When the area was first settled in the late 1700s, it was home to European artisans living alongside freed black people and slaves who had been brought to the region by the Dutch from Asia, East Africa, and Madagascar.
Many were Muslims, some taken from their homes due to their resistance against European colonization.
The humble South African turned celebrity chef
A legacy of deep-rooted traditions
After the abolition of slavery in 1834, more freed slaves settled in Bo-Kaap, transforming it into a predominantly Muslim community.
This status was solidified by law in 1957, when the apartheid government designated Bo-Kaap as a 'Malay group area' and forcibly relocated everyone else.
While apartheid laws tore communities apart across South Africa, in Bo-Kaap, the trauma of forced relocations inspired those who stayed to strengthen their cultural traditions.
This gave food an especially significant role in preserving the community’s collective memory.
As Cariema Isaacs, author of 'My Cape Malay Kitchen,' explains, 'The slaves who arrived at the Cape of Good Hope as early as 1658 brought with them recipes and spices from their homelands.'
'However, due to the unavailability of some ingredients, substitutions were made, and the altered versions of these recipes became the traditional Cape Malay dishes we know today.'
South Africa’s collective memory of history tends to focus, understandably, on the recent past and the fight against apartheid.
In Cape Town, the food is as remarkable as the wine in its vineyards
The rhythms of life
Cape Malay cuisine taps into a history often forgotten, rooted in a multicultural city that existed before apartheid, with a culinary heritage that connects foodways from across the globe.
The food is deeply tied to the rhythms of daily life in Bo-Kaap – from the days when the fishmonger passed by to when salaries were paid, linking these moments with snoek fish or premium meats.
'The name Bo-Kaap stirs up a lot of emotion in me,' says Isaacs. 'It’s one of those places you’d love to grow up in.'
'There’s a beautiful sense of community here. Food is one of the many deep emotional connections that define this place.'
Many of these dishes have become so ingrained in South Africa’s national identity that their origins often go unnoticed.
Cape Malay dishes like bredie stews appear in general South African cookbooks, but their true origins are found in the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and chili.
Samoosas and fried chili bites, once humble street food in Cape Town, are now often served as appetizers at corporate events or in upscale restaurants like Riffel’s at the luxurious One&Only hotel.
The growing popularity of Cape Malay cuisine, coupled with South Africa’s rapid urbanization, has introduced new challenges for Bo-Kaap.
The neighborhood sits on prime real estate close to the city center, making it a prime target for gentrification.
The rich vibrancy of spices
The end of apartheid and the lifting of sanctions led to a surge of international fast food, which now competes with local quick bites.
The newfound freedom to move and pursue any profession has empowered many to do just that.
This is why individuals like Isaacs and Zainie Misbach started gathering traditional recipes, to ensure they are preserved for future generations.
[See below and watch the videos on this page for Misbach’s koeksisters recipe, a Cape Malay twist on donuts.]
Misbach opened a restaurant in Bo-Kaap that offered dishes inspired by the recipes her aunts and uncles once cooked.
Today, she teaches cooking classes, often to international visitors, to share the secrets of a cuisine that remains largely unknown outside South Africa.
Misbach believes that foreigners often prefer Cape Malay curry over similar dishes from Asia because of its unique adaptations made during the era of slavery to suit the Dutch masters’ tastes.
'The women had to cook for the Dutch,' she explains. 'They found ways to avoid using chili while still preserving their spices. This led to the creation of a curry that was more acceptable to European palates.'
Her secret chili substitute? Paprika. It adds vibrant color and flavor to the curry without the intense heat of chili.
For Isaacs, each dish tells a tale that connects to the legacy of slavery and reflects the strength and unity of the community.
'Our traditional recipes narrate the story of the slaves—their cooking methods, the ingredients they used, and the traditions they created to bond the community together,' she says.
'Our dishes reflect the rich flavors and spices of the East. If you trace their origins back, you’ll see how the heritage left by our ancestors gives us a sense of pride and belonging, a deep connection to where we come from.'
Exploring the new South Africa in the historic city of Pretoria.
Zainie Misbach’s Cape Malay-style koesister recipe.
• Combine four cups of all-purpose or cake flour, three-quarters of a cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, one tablespoon of baking powder, two sachets of dry yeast, and a tablespoon each of powdered ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and two tablespoons of aniseed.
• Melt 100 grams of butter in two cups of hot water. Once melted, stir in a tablespoon of sunflower oil, then let the mixture cool until it is warm to the touch.
• Beat in two eggs into the flour mixture, then slowly pour in the melted butter and warm water, stirring as you go.
• Mix gently until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Then let it rest, still in the bowl, in a warm spot until it nearly doubles in size.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough into a long sausage shape and cut into individual pieces. Let these rise a bit more before frying.
• When ready, deep-fry each piece in medium-hot canola or sunflower oil until they turn a rich, deep brown.
• After they’ve cooled, it’s time to coat them in syrup. Heat one cup of water and one cup of sugar until the mixture becomes frothy. Dip each koeksister for about one to two minutes.
• To make the coconut filling, mix one cup of desiccated coconut with three-quarters of a cup of sugar and three-quarters of a cup of water. Heat until it thickens into a sticky paste.
• Use a knife and spoon to fill the koeksisters with the coconut paste. Finally, sprinkle with a generous amount of fine desiccated coconut.
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Evaluation :
5/5