Heritage Day is a national holiday in which we celebrate the diversity of South Africa’s foods, cultures, beliefs and traditions. Here are some ways you can celebrate Heritage Day tomorrow:
1. If you’re hosting a braai:
Rather than making your meat the centre of attention, try to hero a traditional South African flavour.
– Cape Malay curried vegetables
30ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 knob fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
15ml (1 tablespoon) roasted masala curry powder (or medium/mild curry powder)
5ml (1 teaspoon) ground cumin
5ml (1 teaspoon) ground turmeric
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
5ml (1 teaspoon) sugar
Veg of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh coriander leaves to serve
Method:
Steam your vegetables in a pot. In a wide, deep pan or pot, add the oil and fry the onions until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds, then add the masala, cumin and turmeric and stir for a minute until the bottom of the pan goes dry. Add the coconut milk, sugar and vegetables, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat, season generously with salt and pepper. Serve topped with fresh coriander.
– Cyprian spekboom salad for the family
Ingredients:
320g halloumi
1 red onion
3-4 tomatoes (any will do)
1 cucumber
250g freshly picked spekboom leafs
Kalamata olives
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Method:
Chop your tomatoes and cucumber in thick, chunky slices. Finely slice the red onion, add the spekboom, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and onion into your salad bowl and mix together. Slice your block of halloumi into 10-12 slices and brush both sides with olive oil and fry. Remove halloumi when golden and crisp on either side, sprinkle salt and crush black pepper over. Drizzle olive oil and add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Place your halloumi slices on top, with a squeeze of lemon juice to top it off. Sprinkle salt and pepper as a finishing touch.
2. Try a South African dish you’ve never tasted before
Instead of spending money on food you’ve eaten time and time again, why no try something you haven’t had? It may be difficult to find something traditionally South African that you haven’t tried at least once, so here are some options.
– Potjiekos: what could be more fun than cooking in a cauldron?
– Boeber: a traditional Cape Malay sweet, milk drink, made with vermicelli, sago, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon and rose water.
– Chakalaka: a delicious, spicy vegetable relish
– Dombolo: bread made steamed in a pot
– Isidudu: pumpkin pap
– Waterblommetjie bredie: lamb stew with waterblommetjies found in the Western Cape
– Yellow rice: a sweet side dish made with raisins, cinnamon and sugar
3. Visit a South African museum on Heritage Day
Spend the morning of Heritage Day ambling around a museum, soaking up some culture and appreciating the creatives of our country.
– Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town celebrates contemporary African art and on Heritage Day, entry is free.
– Phansi Museum will showcase the grand opening of an exhibition celebrating Umshado (marriage) in Durban, entry is free.
– KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg has a new display for Heritage Day and is the custodian of one of the most important collections of Zulu craft objects. Adults pay R15 entry.
– The Iziko Museums of South Africa will host a week-long cultural programme with free entry to selected museums, in collaboration with Afrofest, the Castle of Good Hope and Groot Constantia, called in_herit FESTIVAL 2019.
– The South African Jewish Museum is one of Cape Town’s not-to-be-missed heritage experiences, entry for adults is R75.
– District Six Museum sheds light on communities whose cultural developments were interrupted by the Apartheid regime. Having opened its doors in 1994, the museum was declared a National Heritage Site in 2006. Entry is R45 for adults.
– Museum Africa in Johannesburg is located inside a heritage building and has a permanent exhibition called ‘My Culture’ that celebrates hundreds of different South African cultural and ethnic groups. Entry is free.
– Apartheid Museum in Gauteng showcases the history of South Africa and the rise and fall of Apartheid. Entry is free on Heritage Day.
4. Head to a historically influential site
South Africa is steeped in history and culture. Here are some places to visit on Heritage Day to help you immerse yourself in South African culture.
– The Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town
– Isandlwana Battlefield, Isandlwana, KZN
– Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Howick, KZN
– The Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng, Gauteng
– The Huguenot Memorial Monument, Franschhoek, Western Cape
5. Explore South Africa’s magnificent landscape
South Africa is one of the world’s most unique and exquisite countries. With plenty of biodiverse offerings, such as the Cape Floral Kingdom, there is no shortage of sites to marvel over. CapeNature’s 26 reserves located in the Western Cape will have free entry from 23-26 September 2019, so visitors won’t pay a conservation fee when entering any of the CapeNature reserves that are open to the public.
Image: Jan Braai via Getaway Media Gallery
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