Saturday 2nd January 2010
This is only the second out of the 365 days and I am already battling to find a second SA positive.... This is very stressful..... I googled for help and inspiration and all I can find is a bunch of negatives - mainly racism - whites blaming blacks for job restrictions because of affirmative action and blacks blaming whites for apartheid. Even foreigners are complaining - mainly about extreme crime which they attribute to weak government control. What am I going to do? Please help... anyone out there care to give me a positive....
OK... I got it - the BRAAI!! Today my daughter and her fiance are coming for a BRAAI! That's a true positively SA tradition that cuts across all race groups, class and education levels. The Braai is more than a 'barbeque' - it is the one tradition I miss when I am travelling outside the country. It is a great way (if not the best way) to entertain because it connects people in a very special way. It is an easy, simple way to cater for an unlimited number of people in a healthy fashion, experiencing great South African outdoor living - whether in peoples' gardens, around their pools, in campsites or parks all over the country - anywhere and everywhere at any time in the day - breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner - at any time of the year summer, autumn, winter and spring.
This healthy way of entertaining consists of food that is either grilled (no fat but soaked in tasty marinades) or served raw. It includes a variety of meats(South Arican meat is considered one of the best in the world whether beef, lamb or pork), chicken or fish, served with salads and fruit, however the signature ingredient of the braai is the 'boerewors' a truly distinctive sausage - you only need one bite to get hooked for life. A more modern contribution to the braai is the 'garlic' bread. South Africans only began eating garlic after the 70s - in the past us'continentals' were mocked because we ate garlic and olive oil - thankfully this state of affairs has changed - now everyone eats garlic - in fact our late Dr Msimang, the previous health minister, really understood the amazing powers of garlic and went as far as encouraging the whole country to eat garlic, particularly as a cure for aids.
The braai is truly a positive factor because it is not only a very tasty, very healthy way of eating, it is also a way to connect and bond people together as everyone is expected to participate. And as the host, I don't have to be kitchen-bound - all I have to do is prepare the raw food, cover it, set the table, and sit back and enjoy the afternoon - yes it is an all afternoon experience - a braai is never rushed. The men light the fire and cook the meat and everyone chips in with the cooking, serving, drinking beer or wine, and talking and very often, if you are lucky, the cleaning up afterwards.
Most of all it is one of the few cultural traditions that is enjoyed by all in the new rainbow nation that is South Africa today - black, white, coloured, Indian, vegetarian, continental, straight, gay, rural or city dweller. Our weather, our wonderful year round selection of fruit and vegetables, our great tasting boerewors, our good quality meats and our great open spaces make the braai a life enhancing experience.
Yes, I can truly say that the BRAAI is a second positive for living in South AFrican - somehow it never tastes the same anywhere else in the world...
Hew... I managed to complete my second day task.. 363 positives to go!
Posted by Frances Kazan at 9:16 PM 0 comments
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