Cooking over an open fire has long been South Africa’s great common denominator.
Yet as Heritage Day, celebrated on September 24, approaches, the definition of a traditional braai is expanding. Younger braaimasters are combining ancestral roots with modern experimentation, placing whole fish, charred vegetables, and slow-braised brisket alongside traditional staples.
It isn't a replacement for legacy; it's a celebration of where South African food culture is headed next.
The timing is fitting. Heritage Month is a celebration of the cultures, traditions and histories that shape South Africa, while Heritage Day has become closely associated with the country’s braai culture.
The tradition gained national recognition through the National Braai Day initiative, popularised by Jan Braai and supported by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
For generations, cooking over an open fire has brought people together across communities. From boerewors and braaibroodjies to pap and meat, roosterkoek and whole animals cooked over a fire, the braai has always reflected the people preparing the food.
But the modern braai is becoming more experimental.
From familiar cuts to the whole animal
Braai specialist Mandla Ntshangase, known as The Braai Chef, traces his love of the fire back to childhood celebrations and ceremonies.
“I fell in love with braai from a very young age at home during ceremonies and celebrations where we would have izoso (meat cooked over an open fire) straight from a freshly slaughtered cow,” he said.
“Up until today, no braai meat beats that taste.”
Ntshangase has since tried different cooking styles over gas flames, wood and charcoal. He believes that the possibilities have expanded significantly.
“These days you can literally braai anything, from veggies to a whole cow side,” he said.
Wors remains a staple, particularly at shisanyama venues and traditional gatherings, but Ntshangase has noticed growing interest in value cuts such as brisket, chuck and short rib. These cuts can be cooked slowly over fire and offer an alternative to more expensive prime cuts.
At home and at smaller gatherings, lamb chops, beef fillet, rump and sirloin remain popular. Lamb cooked on a spit has also become a regular feature at braai catering events, while chicken and pork offer options at different price points.
The shift is partly about taste and partly about affordability.
As food prices rise, consumers are having to think more carefully about what they buy for a gathering. Bring-and-braai occasions, bulk purchases and mixed meat packs can help people feed larger groups without relying solely on expensive cuts.
“The severe inflationary pressures have forced consumers to rethink what goes onto the grid and how they shop,” Ntshangase said.
He pointed to chicken, pork and wors as examples of proteins that can offer greater value while still keeping the fire going.
Everything can go on the fire
For digital creator, musician, entrepreneur and braaimaster, Dali Danger, younger South Africans are also changing the braai by looking beyond meat.
“I think younger South Africans are becoming a lot more experimental, especially with whole cuts of meat,” Danger said.
While chops, steak, chicken and wors remain familiar, he has seen greater interest in brisket, whole beef ribs and pork shoulders. These cuts require slower cooking and have been influenced by the growing popularity of smoking and low-and-slow barbecue techniques.
The experimentation does not stop at meat.
“We’re also realising that almost anything can go on the fire. It doesn’t always have to be meat,” Danger said.
Vegetables, seafood and plant-based options are increasingly being given space on the grid. He believes that regional food traditions are also influencing what people cook.
“Braaing fish in Cape Town is perfectly normal, whereas in Joburg, putting a whole fish on the braai can still feel like something new,” he said.
“We’re starting to borrow from one another and bring those regional traditions into our own braais.”
That exchange is creating a broader definition of what a South African braai can be.
For people who do not eat meat, vegetables and plant-based proteins are becoming more than an afterthought. They can now be cooked over the same fire and treated as central parts of the meal.
The sides are changing too. Green salads, chakalaka and atchaar are appearing alongside traditional staples, giving hosts more room to experiment with flavour and texture.
Keeping the tradition alive
The evolution of the braai does not necessarily mean abandoning tradition.
Danger believes that younger South Africans are taking the foundations of the braai and finding new ways to use them.
“For me, it’s a new chapter in South African braai culture. We’re using old tricks to braai in new ways,” he said.
“The fundamentals haven’t changed. There’s still fire, smoke, food and people gathering around it.”
What has changed is the range of ingredients and techniques being brought to the fire. Fish can be cooked whole. Vegetables can be charred. Bread can be baked over coals. Fruit can be caramelised. Large cuts can be cooked slowly while smaller cuts are grilled quickly.
Ntshangase has also seen experimentation with game meat, foil roasting and slow cooking of whole fish and animals over an open fire.
For him, this curiosity is part of the braai’s strength.
“A braai is basically cooking meat over a fire, and South Africans have taken it to the next level with their culinary curiosity, while bringing it back to its originality,” he said.
Even as household budgets tighten, the gathering itself remains important. A braai can be a Heritage Day celebration, a family occasion, a weekend at the park, a sporting event or a meal at a shisanyama.
Danger does not see the younger generation as replacing the traditional braai.
“I don’t think the younger generation is replacing the traditional braai. We’re expanding what it can be,” he said.
lutho.pasiya@nationalmg.co.za