Most modern cities seem to have begun by someone building a trading post on the mouth of a river or by the sea, and Cape Town, South Africa, is no exception to that.  In this case, it was Jan van Riebeeck who built a trading post in 1652 for the Dutch East Indies Company.  Today, Cape Town is a city considered world-class and cosmopolitan, with plenty of historical sites, and a far cry from that trading post 357 years ago, and even farther from the area’s first inhabitants’, the Strandloper, who were ancestors to the Kalahari Bushmen. The city is now South Africa’s legislative capital, with a vigorous night life and with many of the best Cape Town restaurants you can find.

What kind of food is favored in Cape Town?  As a city by the ocean, perhaps it’s not surprise that many restaurants specialize in seafood…  fresh sushi or giant prawns or crayfish pulled from the Atlantic.  But steak is high on the list as well, and you might do well to try out some African venison, if you’re one of those folks who still like red meat.  Cape Town, too, has a variety of seasonal, local, fresh vegetables.  You’ll find yourself choosing from a number of cuisines: Cape Malay and seafood, to fusion and Italian, Thai, to Caribbean, to French fine dining to Portuguese grills; you may even find Cajun Creole.

As an example of Cape Malay, have you ever tried Bobotie?  How about Roti or Brandy Pudding?  Bobotie is an example of an essential Cape Malay meal, and is a curried beef (or lamb) mince that you top with an egg custard.  As an accompaniment, you will often find rice flavored with turmeric and a bit of fruit chutney.  Roti is a fried bread, flaky, used to soak up curry, and is actually an Indian dish, but you’ll find it in South Africa, thanks to the contributions of South Africa’s immigrant Indian population.  Cape Brandy Pudding, has a distinct history in the Cape.  The first distillation of Brandy occurred in Cape Town in 1672, and most likely this pudding, designed to warm you in the winter months, was created almost immediate afterwards.

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1. Cape Town’s Balkanology
2. Cape Town Beaches
3. Cape Penguins Endangered
4. There’s New Things in Old Town San Diego
5. Cape May Haunts