Zululand News Traditional Zulu Culture Food

Zululand News Traditional Zulu Culture Food

Zululand News Traditional Zulu Culture Food – The Zulus, The People of Heaven, are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. They have a selection of different fruits and vegetables that are part of their culture that are not found elsewhere. Colonization has influenced their diets by the addition of maize (corn) and tomatoes. Zulus love meat and have cattle, but do not slaughter unless for special occasions and ceremonies whereas goats, sheep or chicken are slaughtered for various reasons. Hunted meat is also occasionally a popular option.

Zululand News Traditional Zulu Culture Food – Utensils and Method of Cooking

The Zulus prefer to eat communally with several families cooking together.

• They use large three-legged pots mostly over an open fire. If you do not venture out to the rural areas in Zululand women can be seen cooking “street food” on main roads between towns.
• Traditional Zulus eat from wooden bowls and spoons. Today many rural village people eat from enamel plates and use enamel cups.

Zululand News Traditional Zulu Culture Food – Mostly Maize

About 40 dishes, mostly vegetarian, can be prepared from maize which is the staple food of the Zulus.

Few popular food and drink meals with their basic accompaniments:

• Amasi – not maize based but milk curdled in a gourd or basket. Regarded as a delicacy, it tastes like cottage cheese or plain yoghurt.
• Mielies – maize or corn on the cob, boiled and often charred over an open flame fire.
• Phutu –  a crumbly maize porridge, usually eaten cold with amasi, but also hot with sugar beans, cabbage and a stew.
• Isitambe – cooked samp (broken down dried corn kernels) and beans with spices.
• Amahewu – non-intoxicating maize based beer.
• Isibhede  – a fermented porridge which tantalizes the taste buds.
• Utywala – a version of isibhede, but a highly alcoholic brew.
• Umqombothi – alcoholic drink made from maize, maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water remains extremely popular.

Above is a dish of Isitambe – cooked samp (broken down dried corn kernels) and beans with spices.

Zululand News Traditional Zulu Culture Food – Other Foods and Influences

 Masala and chillies have been introduced to local Zulu cooking as a result of the Indian Indenture.

• Chakalaka – thinly sliced vegetable relish.
• Mogadu – a popular tripe stew often with phutu.
• Ujeqe – steamed flour based bread that is often served with meat, curry or chakalaka (a spiced vegetable relish).

• Amadumbe – a root vegetable similar to a sweet potato (photo above).
• Mobola plum – seeds used which a substitute for almonds (photo below).
• Umfino – wild spinach from a bush unlike spinach of the large leafy variety.
• Sweet potato – as chips flavoured with cumin, a cross-cultural dish.
• Marula fruit – a seasonal favourite which has become famous in the modern alcoholic cream based Amarula.
• A very popular event, uMthayi Marula Festival, is held in North Zululand every year.

Zululand News Links: Zulu Proverbs