Waterblommetjiebredie
Encyclopedia
Waterblommetjiebredie is a stew
. The name comes from the Afrikaans
language and literally means 'small water flower stew'. It is made of meat, typically lamb, stewed together with the waterblommetjies (Aponogeton distachyos flowers, commonly known as Cape pondweed, Cape hawthorn or Cape asparagus) which are found in the dams and marshes of the Western Cape
of South Africa. The buds of Aponogeton distachyos are usually ready to be picked in the southern midwinter months of July and August, leading to their use in winter stews such as waterblommetjiebredie.
The taste of the stew has been described as much like stewed green beans with a hint of pumpkin. Waterblommetjiebredie is a well-respected local delicacy in South Africa and popular with foreign tourists.
, peoples who worked in the kitchens of the Dutch together with peoples forcibly exiled from the Dutch East Indies
. Waterblommetjiebredie is a good example of how these three cultural influences were fused into the cuisine of the western cape.
Some believe that the early Dutch settlers (circa Jan van Riebeek’s time) used waterblommetjies as a vegetable (and hence a source of vitamin C) in desperation, since their early farming initiatives had been somewhat less than successful. An alternative theory is that the Voortrekkers
harvested them as a food source since they were unable to grow anything while trekking.
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
. The name comes from the Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
language and literally means 'small water flower stew'. It is made of meat, typically lamb, stewed together with the waterblommetjies (Aponogeton distachyos flowers, commonly known as Cape pondweed, Cape hawthorn or Cape asparagus) which are found in the dams and marshes of the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
of South Africa. The buds of Aponogeton distachyos are usually ready to be picked in the southern midwinter months of July and August, leading to their use in winter stews such as waterblommetjiebredie.
The taste of the stew has been described as much like stewed green beans with a hint of pumpkin. Waterblommetjiebredie is a well-respected local delicacy in South Africa and popular with foreign tourists.
History
It is likely that the use of the waterblommetjie as a food source was adopted from the indigenous KhoikhoiKhoikhoi
The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD...
, peoples who worked in the kitchens of the Dutch together with peoples forcibly exiled from the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. Waterblommetjiebredie is a good example of how these three cultural influences were fused into the cuisine of the western cape.
Some believe that the early Dutch settlers (circa Jan van Riebeek’s time) used waterblommetjies as a vegetable (and hence a source of vitamin C) in desperation, since their early farming initiatives had been somewhat less than successful. An alternative theory is that the Voortrekkers
Voortrekkers
The Voortrekkers were emigrants during the 1830s and 1840s who left the Cape Colony moving into the interior of what is now South Africa...
harvested them as a food source since they were unable to grow anything while trekking.
Recipes
The typical main ingredients of waterblommetjiebredie:- lamb or mutton
- waterblommetjies
- wild sorrelOxalis pes-capraeOxalis pes-caprae is a species of tristylous flowering plant in the wood sorrel family Oxalidaceae...
(surings in Afrikaans) - onions
- potatoes
- salt and pepper