• South Africa's Western Cape is home to eclectic cuisine.south western tip of africa image by tholi75 from Fotolia.com
  
  South Africa boasts a rich culinary tradition with influences from European, Asian, African and Arabian cuisines. When the Dutch reached the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, baked goods and other foods were added to the culinary culture. Later, staples from India, China and Central Africa added to the rich heritage. Explore the native foods of South Africa's Western Cape region to enjoy rich tastes that unite several cultures.
  
  

Bredie

• Bredies are casserole-like dishes made with meat, tomatoes and vegetables. Green bean bredies are made with lamb, onions, garlic, ginger root, potatoes, chili peppers and spices (salt, pepper, thyme), as well as green beans. The stew-like dish takes 90 minutes to 24 hours to fully prep and cook. Bredie, a native African dish, is traditionally served with a side of white rice. When prepared the traditional South African way, bredie is made one day in advance. After it has been slowly cooked to perfection, it's stored in a refrigerator overnight. Bredie is an entree, and should be accompanied by a single vegetable serving.
  
  

Sosaties

• Sosaties, a kebab-like dish, are popular in the Western Cape region of South Africa. An entree, sosaties are made with meat, garlic, onion, dried fruits and hot spices. Traditional sosaties take several days to prepare. The meat is marinated two to three days before it's skewered. Once fully assembled, the sosaties are marinated again for 24 hours before being cooked on the barbecue.
  Sweet curry sauce is used for marinating sosaties to impart a spicy flavor and make the meat tender. Mutton, chicken, pork and lamb can all be used to create traditional sosatie dishes. The spicy, flavorful dish has roots in the Portuguese culture, stemming from the influx of Malaysians who came to the South African Cape in the early 1700s.
  
  

Bobotie

• Bobotie is a meat pie dish native to South Africa, and is prepared and served as a full meal. Made with onions, apples, milk-soaked bread, curry power, raisins, almonds, lemon juice, egg and cooked beef, bobotie is served as a casserole-type dish. Warm milk is usually poured over bobotie just prior to serving. Curry powder is essential in bobotie, but the serving temperature is not. The dish is served hot, with a side of rice, but it can also be served cold. After bobotie has been fully cooked and baked, the meat is tender and moist, the milk adding a custard-like texture to the dish.