Feast! A Taste of South Africa Brought to Our Boarding Community
After the evening studies had ended, a long grill was kindled beneath the twinkling night sky, its coals illuminating in a warm, steady red. Around it, low and comfortable chairs were set in a cozy circle. Between hearty draughts from deep glasses, the students feasted upon plump sausages, toasted sandwiches, and generous cuts of sirloin with juices glistening in the warm firelight. The rhythmic hum of hip-hop music drifted through the air, mingling with easy laughers and the savory aroma that filled the night…
On October 10th, the Upper School boarding students are treated to an incredible barbeque hosted by Mr. De Ruiter, who introduced everyone to the South African style of barbeque Braai, a household tradition that’s deeply wove into the culture of his homeland. Students not only enjoyed savory meat, but also got hands-on grilling experience under Mr. De Ruiter’s guidance.
The event was so memorable that we decided to dive deeper by interviewing Mr. De Ruiter on the cultural significance of braai, as well as some cooking tips for it. Mr. De Ruiter shared that braai isn’t just a meal, but also a common social ritual shared by the 11 different official cultural groups in South Africa. While the term “braai” is commonly used by the Afrikaans and English speakers, “Shishanyama” is the collective name used for a braai by Africans, with each group introducing their own slight twist to their technique of cooking the meat. Despite the differences, Mr. De Ruiter assured us that “ALL of them are really tasty”, with braaivleis being his favorite.
Mr. De Ruiter explained that the technique of preparing meat is passed along from parent to children at an early age in South African households, with he himself starting at 9 years old. In most South African households, the wife would prepare the food in the weekdays, while husbands would mostly be responsible for the food over the weekend, letting the ladies of the house rest. “Part of the boarding program at Basis Nanjing is to also try and incorporate some life skills in our offering, and since I know braai well, I thought that it might be helpful to students as well one day,” he expressed.
The night’s menu featured juicy sirloin steaks, savory sausages, and braaibroodjies—a South African grilled sandwich that quickly became my personal favorite. Naturally, I couldn’t resist asking Mr. De Ruiter for the secrets behind making it:
Mr. De Ruiter’s Cooking Tips
“Braaibroodjies is very easy to make and only require a few ingredients. You start off by buttering your two slices of bread. Next come finely sliced onion rings on the one slice of bread, then finely sliced tomatoes. There after you add a generous amount of coarsely grinded black pepper and salt. Lastly you cover the tomatoes with a generous amount of graded cheese. Don’t be skimpy with the cheese as this is the thing that adds tons of flavor. Lastly just cover your sandwich with the other slice of bread and viola, you have made yourself your first braaibroodjie. The trick to cooking it is to grill it on a medium to low heat fire flipping it regularly until the cheese has melted, that’s when you know it is done right. If you grill it on a fire that is too hot, you will burn the bread on the outside and the cheese will not have time to melt.”
When asked about his future plans, he revealed that he would host at least two more braais before the end of school year. Fellow boarding students can look forward to a Homemade Mozambique Peri Peri Chicken, which is very popular in both Mozambique and South Africa. He also plans to teach students on how to prepare pork chops, which he says can be tricky to cook just right.