Tsek with Your Fancy Food Names
Cape Town’s food vocabulary is in a league of its own. I’m all for proper pronunciation—except when I’m not. Languages were my favourite subject in school, and I can impress you with “peanut butter” or “grondboontjiebotter. But, in our household, peanut butter was always “peena-batah”, and honestly, it just sounded better that way. It feels like home.
Respect for calling it “samosas” and “biryani,” but if you’re ordering your dite, don’t expect people to get fancy. The rule is simple: if you’re trying too hard, you’re doing it…not right. Get fancy with the pronunciation, and you’ll probably get side-eyed and a “sy’s sieke nie va’ hie’ nie.”
So, here are the local food names you better get right, remembering that round here, food isn’t just eaten—it’s spoken.
It’s samoosas, not golden pockets
You’ve probably seen them at the Food Lover’s Market labeled as “Golden Pockets.” But that’s a crime against samoosas, and we won’t stand for it. You can’t just put a fancy name on this crispy beauty. It’s samoosa, en kla. You can take away one “o” if you really want to get technical, but calling it anything else is a sin. And the love of spice and pastry, don’t start calling it a “Driehoekvleiskoekie” either.
It’s koesisters, not doughnuts
Calling a koesister a doughnut is like calling a Gatsby a sub—it’s downright offensive. And for the record, a koeksister is something else entirely: plaited, sticky-sweet, and not the same vibe at all. Know the difference. Ours is called “koe-sist-ah.” Nailed it? Lekke djy.
It’s stamp-en-stoot not samp-en-beans
Stamp-en-stoot sounds a little like you’ve got to put in some serious work in the kitchen, but it’s actually a simple, comforting dish. Stamp-en-stoot is what you want to be saying. It just feels catchier.
It’s mini steaks, not patties
We call them mini steaks, but they’re just the patties you throw on your burger. It’s a small difference in wording, nothing more. Sometimes, we’ll even just say burger for the patty.
It’s warme worsies or Penny polony, not viennas
Let’s clear this up: warme worsies or penny polony are different from viennas. They have a red chewy skin that sticks with you and the inside is garlicky textured, unlike the smoothness of a vienna.
It’s hot chips, not slap chips
Hot chips, mense. When you see them on the takeaway menu, you’ll find “hot chips” – and funnily enough, hot chips are actually “slap” chips. We like our chips soft and pulpy, not thin and crispy. Confused? Welcome to Cape Town.
It’s dhaltjies, not chilli bites
“Dhaltjies” rolls off the tongue so beautifully, you’ll want to say it all day. Repeat after me: dhaltjies, dhaltjies, dhaltjies. It’s got rhythm, it’s got flavour, and it’s just better than anything “chilli” could ever hope to be.
It’s soesys, not wors
If you’re really one of us, you’ll know that it’s soesys, which sounds a lot it’s English name “sausage.” It’s a small but mighty shift in pronunciation. And here’s the rule: if your favourite is dhania soesys, you’re invited to my braai.
It’s snoek kuite, not fish roe
And no, snoek doesn’t have calves, so don’t get clever with the translations. What you’re actually ordering when you ask for snoek kuite are the fish’s eggs. Maybe someone long ago thought it looked like a person’s shanks, and that’s where the name came from. Who am I to argue with tradition?
It’s pens en pootjies, not offal
Do you love it? Probably not. We’re not here to be judgerig. What we will judge is you calling it offal. That’s a Northern Cape thing.
It’s koolkos, not koolbredie
“Koolbredie” sounds like it could be something very official. “Cabbage stew” sounds blegh!!. We say koolkos. Simple, easy, and sounds much more… I don’t know… Cape Town-erig? It’s the kind of thing only your taanie can make the best.
In Cape Town, we don’t just eat food; we name it with the same passion we cook it. If you’ve ever fumbled your way through a local menu or mispronounced something at a family braai, this guide is for you.
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