From: Influence of cultural practices on food waste in South Africa—a review
Culture | Staple food | Food prepared at weddings/funerals | Consequences | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starch | Meat | Salad | Sandwich/scones | Who prepares the food | Invitations | |||
Africans | ||||||||
Zulu | Meat, phutu (crumbly maize porridge) sweet pumpkin and boiled amadumbe, a type of tuber or yam) | Steamed bread/Phuthu | Chicken/beef | x | Close relatives and neighbours | No | Lots of food is prepared in the anticipation that there will be a huge turn-up, but if many people do not pitch up, a lot of food may be wasted. | |
Xhosa | Umphokoqo, a crumbly maize meal with sour milk or buttermilk Umxhaxha is a combination of pumpkin and corn | Samp/pap | Mostly beef and chicken | x | Close relatives and neighbors | No | Cow to be slaughtered the morning of the ritual, and if the cow bellows, it is believed that the ancestors have accepted it if not the sacrifice will not continuea. | |
Sepedi | Thophi (made from maize meal and a melon), mashotja (Mopani worms), morogo | Pap | Chicken/beef | x | Scones | Men and Women in the family. | No | Younger men prefer food prepared by the women; this will mean more food will be wasted from “Banna ba kgorob. |
Sesotho | Ting (grinded sorghum, millet, and maize) with Mangangajane are sundried vegetables. Leqebekoane and oxtail | Pap | Chicken and beef | x | Scones | Relatives and neighbours | No | Overestimation of attendance leads to overcooking. |
Tsonga | Xigugu, Tihove (kind of samp), Tshopi, mealie meal, Xigwimbi, Vukanyi and matomani (Mopani worms) | Samp/pap | Chicken and beef | x | Relatives, friends, and neighbors | No | Overestimation of attendance leads to overcooking. | |
Swati | Sorghum and maize with goat meat | Pap | Beef/goat/chicken | x | Relatives, friends, and neighbors | No | Overestimation of attendance leads to overcookingc. | |
Ndebele | Maize cereal (isitshwala), corn and sorghum milk | Mielie pap | Beef/chicken | x | Relatives, friends, and neighbors | No | Overestimation of attendance leads to overcooking. | |
Setswana | Bogobe (porridge made from sorghum (ting) served with madila (sour goat/cow milk) | Pap | Shredded meat (Setswana) | Family | Overestimation of attendance leads to overcooking | |||
Venda | Tshidzimba, which is a mixture of beans, groundnuts, and maize. Mopani worms | Pap/rice | x | Close relatives, friends, and neighbors | No | Overestimation of attendance and cooking more than required. | ||
White | ||||||||
English | Sunday roasts, fish and chips, full English breakfasts, and Shepherd’s Pie. | Rice | Chicken/fish | x | x | Usually catering | Yes | During events little food is wasted as catering is done as per RSVP. |
Afrikaans | Sosaties(kebab) chicken sausage, and steak served with Stywepap | Stiff pap | Chicken/beef | x | Koeksister | Men braai the meat and women prepare pap and salads. | Yes | Minimal food waste can be anticipatedd |