The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-11
QUEER BOER FOOD.
An Instinct for Good EatinE-Old
Dutch and New African Dishes.

From the London Mail.
The instinct of good feeding is inherent
in the Boer character. In a great many
cases it is impossible for him to indulge
his prediction because of his poverty his
isolation from markets and the scarcity of
provisions.
But if he has the opportunity he feeds
well and often-certainly far better than
man in a like position in England. This
must not be taken, however. as typical OF
the average country Boer but rather of
the domestic arrangements of the better
class educated Pretoria officials and the
like.
They. are very fond of sweetmeat5 in
every shape and form, and are exceeding
ly clever at home made preserves. Tan
gerines or naartjes are a very common
fruit, and preserve called "naarje COM
fyt' is quite excellent. The fruit is pre-
served whole, with sugar and syrup, ana
has an exquisite aroma peculiarly its
own. There is an excellent kind Of cake
called moss bolletjes," made of grapes or
raisins and moss" which is the juice
of the grape in its first stages of fermenta-
ton. During the wine making season in
parts of the Cape Colony this is commonly
used instead of yeast by the country folks
for buns and such like.
An old Dutch sweetmeat is called "koes-
isters' and is made of -four sugar, spices,
eggs, butter and yeast. They are dipped
in syrup and dried. Their particular ex-
cellence lies in the fact that If they are
properly made they viii keep for months.
"Honing koek" is just honey cake, and
is very sweet and rich; it is Favored with
brandy and is not unlike the French pain
d'epices. 'Mebos" is a very common and
universally appreciated preparation of
dried and salted aprieots. They are dried
in the hot sun, then rartened out and
the stone extracted, crystallized sugar and
salt are sprinkled over them, and they are
then stored for winter use, Many people
declare that ''mebos" is an efficaclous rem
edy for seasickness. ''Rys kluitjes' are
simply rice dumplngs, which are usually
eaten with curry or with boiled corned
beef, and they form an excellent accom-
panimeut to sweet potatoes, which are a
luxury in themselves.
A very excellent form of chicken pie Is
called "ouderwetse pastel" II is an elab-
crate sort Of dish, with spices, onions,
wine, lemon, eggs and ham. 1t is how
ever, exceedingly toothsome, and might
with advantage be added to an English
bill of fare. A typical Boer dish is called
"sasaties," or "kabobs," aud is probably
derived from a Malay origin This con-
sists of a leg of mutton cut up into little
squares, fried. curred and then grilled
on skeWers 1t may, perhaps, somewhat
suggest the homely cats meat, but IL is
very good, indeed, and there is a great
deal of local color about this most appe-
tiziug dish.
"Swartzuir' Is made of ribs of mutton
with spices and tamarinds. Some old
recipes recommend the use of the blood
of duck instead of tamarinds. A favor
lite sweet is "tamelettjes," which is prin-
cipally sugar favored with almonds and
tangerine peel. 'Zoete Rockies are tea
biscuits. rather sweet and rich. pecu-
liar Ingredient in their composition, ac-
cording 10 our ideas is sheep tail fat.
In South Africa there is a peculiar breed
of sheep with broad, fat tails, which make
excellent soup, and which are also usel
for other delicacies. as in the above men
toned Cookies" Blatjang Is a hot con-
diment made with chillies. and is an ex-
tremely agreeable adjunct to cold meat.
'Bobotee is a species of Indian curry,
and brood kluitjes'' are bread dumplings
which are served with soup or stewed
chicken.
"Boontjes bFedee" is a dry bean stew.
A "bredee" is a sort Of stew in which any
thing may be put with advantage-quinces,
for instance or tomatoes. In some parts
of South Africa 1t is called brady" but
"bredee" is the correct Dutch spelling.
"Gesmoorde hoender" sounds rather APP
palling, but is nothing more than chicken
fried with onions, spice and chillies.