Bobotie

Why it's worth your time

Bobotie is the signature dish of the Cape Malay community — descendants of enslaved people brought from Southeast Asia by the Dutch in the 17th century. It descends from Indonesian bobotok, adapted with local spices and that savoury egg-custard topping. The sweet-spiced mince under golden custard is the country's most-cited home dish. For the real thing, eat it in Cape Town's Bo-Kaap at Bo-Kaap Kombuis, where the view of Table Mountain comes free with the plate.