Travel lets (and sometimes makes) you try out new things – if you have the courage. South Africa has a lot of coastline. There’s a lot of fishing, which means there’s a lot of fish in the markets, and a lot of fish on the restaurant menus. But we’re not talking trout, tilapia, salmon, and the other “usual” fish.
South African markets and menus list angel fish, kobeljou (pronounced “kobble-joo”) yellow tail, snoek, red roman, white roman, hake, cape salmon (not a salmon! It’s Geelbek, whatever that is), silverfish, kingklip, and the ever-popular if not attractively named stubnose. But with a spirit of adventure (the courage thing mentioned earlier) you enjoy something you’ve never heard of.
Of course, that’s just the fish. On land, there’s also ostrich (very lean!), eland, kudu, and springbok. Adventure and courage!
In the plant world, there are fewer adventures in the Western Cape, but they’re still delicious. You can get fresh figs are available by the kilo for $4 – (about $1.80 per pound!).
The South African pineapples – these are smaller than their Hawaiian and Central American cousins. And much sweeter – much, much, much sweeter. Part of the sweetness is probably the variety of pineapple, but another part of it is that produce here is shipped to markets when it is ripe. There’s no “let it sit out on the counter for a week” going on here!
There are the melons that look like cantaloupe – NOT. One of the first ‘lopes we cut into was green, more like a honeydew. A bit of a surprise, but delicious nonetheless. And then there were the ones that were sold as “orange melons.” Also delicious. Funny, African bananas aren’t as tasty as the Central American types – guess you can’t win ‘em all.
The takeaway is: be willing to try new things. Kudu? Super! Ostrich? Not my favorite. Any fish? Hey, what fish doesn’t taste good with lots of fresh lemon and a bottle of South African Sauvignon Blanc?
What is true for food is true for so many things in life. With a sense of adventure and a bit of courage, try out new things. Let them surprise you. Not everything will be a hit, but as Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Say Bon Appetit to life’s adventures.
Authors: Jeanne and Randy spend some of their time in South Africa helping the Anglican and Methodist churches with their work on ECD centers, youth programs, and other priority projects for church staff.
