Five iconic South African desserts RANKED

South African desserts come in many shapes and sizes.

Matters of taste and opinion mean that we tend to disagree on our favourites, but there are a few iconic classics.

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Five truly iconic South African desserts RANKED

Trifle

Coming in at fifth is trifle. South Africans of various cultures might argue about what should go into a trifle, but they’ll unanimously agree that a combination of sponge, jelly and custard is a universal favourite. Especially around Christmas. Personally I am not a fan of this dessert because of the texture, but I couldn’t leave it out. Besides, this isn’t about me.

Amagwinya

Amagwinya (or vetkoek) could just be South Africa’s answer to the doughnut. Vetkoek is served with sweet or savoury fillings, making it a favourite across the board and the best of both worlds. Butter and jam is all you need though if you’re in the mood for a doughnut that isn’t really a doughnut. In some ways it’s better. Fourth place in this esteemed top five.

Malva pudding

A humble yet legendary South African dessert. Malva has a spongy, caramelized texture and plays nicely with cream or ice cream layered generously beside it. Malva can also be laced with booze, if you’re that way inclined. It’s like a sticky, hot cake, which can never be a bad thing. Malva has earned its bronze medal.

Milk tart

Milk tart, or melktert, is a truly iconic South African dessert, if ever there was one. Milk-based custard is flavoured with cinnamon and orange peel, and set in a short crust tart. R20 will get you a large melktert at Checkers too, which means you can grab one on the way to a braai. The best and most authentic version is probably the homemade variety made by your auntie though. The runner-up in our iconic South African desserts countdown.

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Peppermint Crisp tart

Like any good dessert, the base of the Peppermint Crisp tart is made of crushed tennis biscuits. They are topped with caramel caramel whipped cream with crumbled Peppermint Crisp chocolate folded through. Like koeksisters, don’t go close to this if you don’t have an extremely sweet tooth. I have extremely fond memories of this one when I was a kid visiting my grandpa’s house in Joburg. It’s no wonder that people around the world serve up this ridiculous concoction. My gold medal winner.

Did any of you attempt to make any of these South African desserts back in lockdown?

For more food opinions and football insights, read more from James Freemantle

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