The top foods preferred by South African travellers living in London, UK, are of Dutch origin.
The South African Tourism Company, a South Africa based company providing travellers with an online travel guide for visiting the country, has published a list of favourite Southern Africa Food available in London.
Around 140,000 South Africans live in the UK, and approximately half of them work in London. A list of the top ten foods preferred by UK-based South Africans include Drywors; Boerewors; Sparletta Creme Soda; Simba Nik Naks; Mrs Balls Chutney; Peppermint Crisp; Ouma Rusks; Maize meal; and Tennis Biscuits. Of these, three are of Dutch origin, Biltong, Drywors and Boerewors. The company has compiled the list with the help of the top five South African food shops in London.
The study of expat eating habits has also revealed that the food items most missed by UK expats living abroad include Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, Bisto Gravy and HP Sauce. Not surprisingly, all of these foods are of British origin.
Ryan Mackie, the spokesperson for the company, said, ‘It’s not surprising that three of the foods that came up in our top ten list were of Dutch origin – Biltong, Drywors and Boerewors. It’s interesting to see the long-term impact the Dutch have had on South Africa’s current-day culture. Without doubt a great way to experience the diversity of cultures in South Africa is through the local food, often referred to as the Rainbow Cuisine. This is a description that developed from the term ‘Rainbow Nation’ coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa.’
