South African Food is...Familiar

Tonight, on my first official night in Durbanville, I attended a youth event.  They had a progressive dinner, which means my very first experience with South African food.  I left my phone at home, because why would I need it??, and that meant I didn't have a camera.  Fortunately, one of the boys in the youth group had a camera on his phone and was kind enough to take pictures for me.  They are forthcoming.

South African food also means there is no way I'll be gluten-free this summer.  As we were picking up our first plate, the pastor's daughter asked me if there is anything I don't eat.  She was really talking about meat, because meat is apparently a staple in South African cuisine.  I told her I don't eat wheat, and she kind of stared at me like I was an alien.  I mean, I am technically, but I don't think gluten-free is a thing here so she saw me as a totally different kind of alien.  It's cool, I'm used to that.  But wheat is also a staple, and I want to really experience what's happening here, so I'm taking a break from gluten-free.

Anyway, the first meal was, as the youth put it, eclectic.  That is also pretty typical I'm told, so between the Tex-Mex and the lasagna and the chicken wings, I tasted South Africa.  Who knew?