African Food in Durban and Kwa Zulu Natal
The Zulu people, being the biggest part of the population of Durban have their own traditions when it comes to eating and drinking. Some of these might seem a bit curious to an outsider but it is all a question of what you are used to and what you grew up with. So don’t give up when you see a Zulu eating boiled chicken feet or “walkie-talkies” as they are called, I’m sure no Zulu would scorn you just because you like frogs legs or snails. So if you don’t really feel like “walkie-talkies”, “smiley’s”(boiled sheep heads) or mogodu(tripe), then there is a lot more to choose from. Just don’t expect to get it in an restaurant. Get a guide or ask a local to tell you where to go, but remember…don’t go anywhere without making sure that it is safe to go there first.
The Zulu people love their meat. If you pass a shisanyama(butchery) while driving through a township you can see the people, standing around the braai stand,drinking ijuba(Zulu beer) and having their braai (barbecue). There is no braai without pap or uphuthu, which is a sort of hard maize porridge, that is eaten by all South Africans. Cane rat is a delicacy eaten by the rural people. Amagwinya is a flour mixture with water sugar and salt, cooked in hot oil and often eaten with stew. A popular drink is amasi (sour milk) or the Zulu beer , a sorghum brew that does not taste that bad as soon as you get used to the taste.
There is a lot more to the Zulu cooking than written above…just try it and I’m sure it will be something to remember.
