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Posted on 5 December 2013

South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (10)

South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (11)

South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (12)

Christmas time is almost upon us! Here are some ideas for South African Christmas recipes for Christmas lunch or dinner, as well as some tasty treats to cook up before the big feast.

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Christmas nibbles

1. Easy rum and raisin chocolate truffles

A quick, homely chocolate truffle recipe that’s so easy to make even your children can do it.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (13)

2. Christmas santa-berries

These are adorable, delicious and super-easy to make. What’s better than decorations you can eat?
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (14)

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3. Festive sweet and savoury nuts

Easy to make and delicious to snack on at any Christmassy moment.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (15)

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Christmas main dishes

4.Roast duck with honey spice glaze

If you’re of the opinion that Turkey is a place, not a meal, try this roast duck. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and it’s infused with the aromatic glory of Chinese five spice powder.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (16)

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5.Gammon with a sticky orange and ginger glaze

Combine that wholesome smoky flavour of gammon with thisdelicioussweet, spicy citrus and ginger glaze.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (17)

6.Butterflied leg of lamb on the braai

Skip the turkey altogether and put a leg of lamb on the braai. Why not?
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (18)

7.Turkey on the braai with cashew nut stuffing

Our ed’s favourite Christmas recipe.
Get the full recipe here

8.Crayfish and beef fillet

Add a bit of surf to your turf (roast) and mix things up a little by combining crayfish with your beef roast.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (20)

9.Gammon with a pomegranate and pink peppercorn glaze

This elixir of pomegranate syrup, cherry juice and crunchy rosy-pink peppercorns is dead easy to make, and tastes sensational drizzled, warm and syrupy, over a gammon.
Get the full recipe here

10.Mango and macadamia nut turkey stuffing

A must-try, albeit rather unusual, Christmas stuffing.
Get the full recipe here

11.Bacon-wrapped apricot and macadamia nut stuffing balls for roast turkey

If you roll your eyes every year at the wodges of pallid, soggy stuffing that are scooped from the inside of the Christmas turkey, here’s a recipe for you.
Get the full recipe here

12. Christmas gammon glazed with brandy and co*ke

Fancy incorporating a bit of Klippies en co*ke into your Christmas feast?
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (24)

13. The perfect roast lamb

Not a fan of turkey or gammon? Try this delicious roast lamb, made with rosemary and garlic.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (25)

14. Roast potatoes with biltong

To accompany your roast lamb, beef, turkey or glazed gammon make these uniquely South African roast potatoes with biltong.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (26)

15. Shallot and brie tart tatin

This tart tatin is a delicious option for the vegetarians at the Christmas table.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (27)

And for Boxing Day lunch,here are some ideas for using up leftover gammon and turkey.

16.Panettone pudding

Crispy top, gooey centre: bread and butter pudding made with Christmas-spiced Italian bread and a marmalade zing is a great addition to your Christmas table.
Get the full recipe here

17.Tower of ice cream with berries and meringue

Why have ice cream in a bowl? Draw gasps of delight and excitement witha splendid tower of ice cream!
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (28)

18. Ice cream Christmas pudding

Christmas in South Africa is too hot for traditional Christmas pudding. Try this perfectsouthern hemisphere summerice cream Christmas pudding instead.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (29)

19. Christmas mince pies

What’s Christmas without mince pies? This easy recipe will motivate you to make your own – so much better than the store-bought variety.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (30)

20. Christmas cookies

These Christmas cookies are the perfect festive treat to bake for your work colleagues, hairdresser, your kids’ teachers, and Santa Clause.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (31)

21. Christmas ice cream cake with white chocolate and berries

With mushed up mince pies, crushed Crunchies, lots of cream, brandy AND a white chocolate casing, this could well be the ultimate Christmas pudding!
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (32)

22. Boozy, fruity Christmas trifle cake

Easy to make and can be prepared a day (or even two) in advance. Need we say more?
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (33)

23. Amarula malva pudding

If you love pudding but aren’t into candied fruits, bake an easy malva pudding with a boozy touch – it’s sure to please the whole family.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (34)

24. Phyllo crackers with spicy plum filling

A spicy Christmas sweet treat.
Get the full recipe here
South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (35)

25. Quick and easy chocolate and Amarula trifle

If you prefer chocolate to fruit and Amarula to sherry then you’ll love this boozy trifle.
Get the full recipe here

South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (36)

26. Poached prune tart with red wine glaze

Another non-traditional Christmas dessert, this poached prune tart with a red wine glaze is the pudding to make if you’re putting on a sophisticated Christmas meal.
Get the full recipe here

South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (37)

27. Rum egg nog

A delicious traditional Christmas tipple.
Get the full recipe here

Recipes by Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner, Michelle Parkin, Meg de Jong, Sarah Duff and Cameron Ewart-Smith.

Photos byJane-Anne Hobbs Rayner, Michelle Parkin, Meg de Jong.

Cover photo by Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner.

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South African Christmas recipes | Getaway Magazine (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular food at Christmas in South Africa? ›

Gammon, a traditional Christmas main course in South Africa, is a type of cured ham typically glazed and roasted. It's often served with a sweet and tangy glaze made from ingredients like honey, mustard, and orange juice. The key to perfect gammon lies in slow roasting to ensure the meat is tender and flavourful.

What is Santa called in South Africa? ›

Santa goes by a few names in South Africa, including Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) and Kersvader (Father Christmas) for those who speak Afrikaans.

How do South Africans say Merry Christmas? ›

In Afrikaans (one the languages spoken in South Africa) Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Geseënde Kersfees'; in Zulu it's 'UKhisimusi omuhle', in Sesotho it's 'Le be le keresemese e monate' and in Xhosa it's 'Krismesi emnandi'.

What are 3 Christmas traditions in South Africa? ›

Attending a church service, exchanging gifts, indulging in a delightful traditional Christmas dinner or braai (barbecue), and playing backyard games are some of the wonderful South African Christmas traditions.

What unusual food is traditionally eaten in South Africa at Christmas? ›

Suckling pig in South Africa

In South Africa, it's summertime at Christmas – so turkey, gravy, and potatoes will never do. A national delicacy, lechona is suckling pig, roasted on a spit, served with yellow spiced rice and salad or BBQed veggies.

What is eaten on Christmas Day in South Africa? ›

Many South Africans still follow the old Christmas traditions of their British ancestors. The Christmas meal may consist of roasted meats and vegetables, followed by a rich fruit pudding and custard. Crackers are pulled before the meal.

Are special clothes worn on Christmas in South Africa? ›

Clothes among African people in South Africa form a significant part of the Christmas celebration. Traditionally, every year parents in different areas of South Africa buy their kids sets of clothes for Christmas celebrations. These brand new clothes are worn on Christmas day and New Year's day.

How do you say Santa in Afrikaans? ›

Afrikaans originally comes from Dutch, even Santa. Claus is called “Kersvaders” in Afrikaans!

What is the month of December known for in South Africa? ›

The Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on 16 December. The holiday came into effect in 1995 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity for the country.

What is the main food of South Africa? ›

Chakalaka and pap are mainstays on every South African dinner table. Chakalaka is a vegetable dish made of onions, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beans and spices, and is often served cold. Pap, meaning 'porridge', is similar to American grits and is a starchy dish made from white corn maize.

What do people in South Africa call the Christmas holiday? ›

Christmas in South Africa is known as "Kersfees" in Afrikaans and "uKhisimusi" in Zulu. South African Christmas traditions are influenced by a blend of European and African cultures.

How do you say bye in South Africa? ›

Totsiens (pronounced Tot-sens) means Goodbye in Afrikaans!

What is one interesting fact about Christmas in South Africa? ›

In South Africa, there is no snow at Christmas time, so locals can only dream of a snowy Christmas. In exchange, the joy of the season is expressed by the countless varieties of cultivated and wildflowers blooming in their full glory.

What do people in South Africa do on Christmas? ›

Church services

These are a huge part of the Christmas celebration in South Africa. Across all cultures, people gather on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in churches, tents, buildings, and sacred spots all over the country. Nativity scenes and plays are popular, with children of all ages taking part.

What do families in South Africa often do on Christmas Day? ›

On Christmas day in South Africa, people also visit family and friends and often choose to go to the countryside to enjoy the summer sun. Those who stay in the cities, like to take their dinners out to their verandas and gardens or organise a “braai” (South African barbeque).

What do South Africans eat for Christmas lunch? ›

For starters, we will usually have some sort of bread table, with lots of fresh breads, butter, preserves, cheeses, cold meat, fruit, and spreads or pates. Then for mains, we will do some sort of poultry, a braaied meat like leg of lamb, and maybe gammon – that is served cold.

What do they eat in Africa for Christmas? ›

And the food is mostly going to be traditional. I don't know about you, but during Christmas my palate longs for those bold, rich and flavorful African dishes that have served me good memories over the years. And in Most West African Countries, Christmas is about stews, chicken, rice, goat and chin chin.

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