THE WORLD WANTS A PIECE OF OUR
BRAAI
We’ ve been doing it for generations. Now the rest of the world is finally catching up.
While South Africans have long taken the braai for granted, firing up on a Thursday evening without a second thought, the international media are tripping over themselves to explain this“ extraordinary cultural phenomenon” to audiences who’ ve never smelt boerewors on an open flame.
The BBC dedicated a full feature to it. The New York Times called National Braai Day one of the world’ s most significant cultural food celebrations. Food writers in the US, UK and Australia are using words like ritual, sacred and community to describe something we simply call“ coming over for a braai”.
In Australia, South African expats have essentially exported the whole tradition: boerewors on supermarket shelves, braai stands in backyards, and a growing number of Australians who’ ve ditched their gas grills for the real thing. In America, food lovers are discovering what we’ ve always known: that cooking over wood and coals, slowly, with people you love, produces something no oven or kettle braai ever could.
Meanwhile, back home, 2 500 South Africans gathered at Loftus Versfeld last Heritage Day and broke a world record because, of course we would!
The braai has always belonged to all of us in SA. It turns out the world wants in, too.
BRAAI MEETS THE WORLD
From Buenos Aires to Seoul, every culture has its own relationship with fire. This Heritage Day, bring a little bit of the world to your braai.
Six simple recipes inspired by global fire traditions, made for your braai.
essentialflavours. co. za • Spring 2026 | 25