Chakalaka

Why it's worth your time

It began in Johannesburg's mine hostels and townships, where Mozambican and local workers cooked a relish from whatever was at hand — onion, tomato, carrot, beans. It spread fast because it was cheap, kept, and made plain food taste alive. Now it's the country's default relish, sold in jars at every supermarket and heaped beside every braai. The fresh version at a shisa nyama is the one worth crossing the street for.