Koeksisters

Don't be fooled by this South African dish that looks like chicken nuggets. It's actually doughnut pastries. A koeksister derives from the Dutch word //koekje//, which translates to "cookie." A Koeksister is a syrup coated doughnut twisted into a braided like shape. This sweet is prepared by deep frying it and then dipping the deep fried doughnut into sugar syrup. They have a similar taste to the honey we have here, and if you make them right, they are very sticky and sweet. Koeksisters are of Cape Malay origin, among whom they were known as Koe'sisters, apparently suggesting polite gossiping among spinsters. The Afrikaner version is much more syrupy and crisp, while the Cape Malay version is an oval, fried dumpling with a texture more similar to a cake. The doughnut is made with yeast and can be sprinkled or even coated with ingredients like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. You can also roll the doughnut in coconut.

The pastry actually was invented so that people could sell them in bake sales to make money to build and improve churches and schools. It is like a homey treat that South Africans love to eat with a side of coffee. It is actually common for you to be walking through South African cities and find people selling Koeksisters on an intersection. South African families also sell Koeksisters by the half dozen or dozen on Sunday mornings for a breakfast treat. Stores in South Africa stock their shelves with them, but usually with the Afrikaner version. There are plenty of recipes online where you can learn how to make Koeksisters.