Campbell Chronicles: "Braai, the beloved country"

The above term (title of this post) signifies the important role that the braai plays within the South African culture. This is a pun which refers to the Alan Paton novel, "Cry, the beloved country" ,famous for its anti-apartheid message, as well as serious (Old Testament) Biblical themes of desperation and suffering (while still maintaining one's faith). The musical group, Die Menere, have written a song with the same name, singing about how a braai makes all depression go away. For those South Africans who are old enough to remember, the slogan "Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies, and Chevrolet" was used by General Motors to promote the sale of cars of the "Chevy" brand in South Africa, back in the '70s.
On Monday 24th September, a public holiday (Heritage Day), many South Africans will engage in one of it's favorite outdoor activities, the braaivleis. This day has been earmarked as National Braai Day and I guess this is also a good opportunity to herald in the Spring season.
The word braaivleis is Afrikaans for "roasted meat". The word braai is, in other parts of the world, known as a "barbecue" and is a social custom in South Africa. While wood formerly was the most widely-used braai fuel, the use of charcoal has increased as it is a faster method of getting the coals prepared to cook the meat. Personally, I prefer using wood (usually vine, rooikrans or kameeldoring wood) as it imparts a better flavour to the meat.

The "Bring and Braai"
Similar to a "platter party", this is a social event (yet casual and laid-back) where family and friends converge on a picnic spot or someone's home with their own meat, salad, or side dish in hand. Meats include boerewors(sausage), sosaties or kebabs, marinated chicken, pork and lamb chops, steaks and spareribs. Fish is also popular in coastal areas.