Braaivleis

Braaivleis is barbecued meat cooked on an open flame. This open flame can be started from natural gas, charcoal, wood, etc. If you asked locals the best one to use, most would say wood. This is because the wood gives a more developed flavor compared to the other two. Braaivleis is most commonly served at braai, a type of South African barbecue. The types of meats most often used for Braaivleis include beef steak, sosaties (Kebabs) Lamb or chicken, lamb chops, and local game.

Braaivleis came from Voortrekkers (People who moved from the coast to the interior of the country). When these people were on their journey, they had little room for storage. Because of this, food had to be hunted and cooked on the trail. The best way to cook this food was to put it over an open flame. Thus, the Braaivleis that South Africans know and love today is born.

Braaivleis has no set recipe, but more of preference. Some may have an old family secret, some may have gotten an idea from the internet, anyway is ok. The basic way of cooking braaivleis is to cook with an open flame. The meat is commonly prepared with a rub or marinate. It is then cooked to the individual's personal preference, whether it be medium or well done.

Most locals would agree that the best place you could get braaivleis would be at a braai held at someones house. But on our trip, restaurants that serve braaivleis seem to be a common sight. One restaurant we could find braaivleis at is “The Braai Shack,” located at 8 Tyrwhitt Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa.