Cape Malay Spices of Cape Town, South Africa
The Malays created a new mutli-ethnic way of cooking with spices
Jan 19, 2009
A Taste of History
Whoever said that the only way to experience history is through the pages of a book, has clearly never been to Cape Town, the capital city of South Africa. There they taste history. And with just one mouthful of their bold and flavoursome cooking, so will you. In fact, you can taste over 300 years of it.
The Malays Move to the Cape
The Dutch settlers brought the Malays to the Cape under the command of Jan Van Riebeeck. They were then used for slave labour and to build a refreshment station for the ships at the “Cape of Good Hope”, what you will know as Cape Town today. This also led to the name ‘Cape Malays’ due to the majority of slaves brought to the Cape bringing in a strong Islamic influence.
The Start of a New Cuisine
But what the Dutch didn’t anticipate was that the Malay’s would inspire an entirely new multi-ethnic cuisine. Once they were freed from slavery, they settled on the land on which they had been living, and introduced their culinary finesse to the Cape. You can now go there and treat yourself to a customary Malay dish. Even if your taste buds aren’t trained, you will immediately taste their intimate knowledge of spices.
A Variety of FlavoursThe Cape Malays have mastered the art of seasoning with their strong, distinguished range of over 30 different chillies. Some are more pungent than others, but a must if you are likely to indulge in a hot curry or biting chutney. The ever popular allspice combines the desired effects of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, this being the reason for its name.
It’s an all-round spice as it can be used in dishes such as curries, soups and traditional dishes like bredies or ground to flavour desserts, cakes and biscuits. Another well-liked fragrant blend of spices is masala. Wet or dry, there are special masalas for fish, vegetable atchars, breyanis and rice dishes. They are all definitely worth a try.
Taste them Today
Although the cuisine in the Cape has now also adapted various other influences, the Cape Malay spices are the most authentic. While walking through the streets of the Bo-Kaap, it is difficult not to taste the rich ambience that surrounds this delectable part of the city and capture the knowledge and experience of the colourful, fragrant Malay spices that burst with flavour.
So if the way to your heart is through your stomach, the Malay spices of Cape Town will certainly make it a burning affair.
