Bobotie

Bobotie is minced meat cooked with curry spices, turmeric, onion and something sour and sweet at once - traditionally bread soaked in milk, dried fruit, and chutney or apricot jam - then topped with a beaten egg and milk mixture and baked until the custard sets golden, with bay or lemon leaves pushed in upright so they curl. It is served with yellow rice, raisins, sambals of tomato and onion, banana and chutney. The dish comes out of the Cape Malay kitchen, developed by people brought to the Cape as slaves and political exiles from Southeast Asia from the seventeenth century, and its spicing is Indonesian and Indian rather than European even where the format is not. The sweetness is the thing that divides visitors - it is closer to a mild fruity curry than to a savoury bake, and it is meant to be.

What you actually see

• The custard top - beaten egg and milk baked golden over the mince.
• The upright leaves - bay or lemon leaves standing in the surface.
• Sweet with the spice - dried fruit, chutney and jam in the meat.
• The full plate - yellow rice, raisins, sambals, banana and chutney alongside.

When to go

All year. An hour. Traditional restaurants in the Western Cape do it best.

Honest expectations

The sweetness surprises people who expect a savoury dish. Restaurant versions vary widely and some are bland. It is heavy and filling. Vegetarian versions exist but are uncommon.

Nearby

The Bo-Kaap in Cape Town is where the Cape Malay kitchen is strongest.