What is "Braai"?

It's heritage, it's culture, it's about socialising and being with great people. It's a tradition, a gathering, an event, a way to make food. It's a barbecue but so much more.

Wikipedia describes it well enough:

“The word braaivleis is Afrikaans for “roasted meat.”

The word braaivleis (English /ˈbraɪfleɪs/; Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈbrɑːifləis]) is Afrikaans for grilled meat. The word braai (plural braais) is Afrikaans for barbecue or grill and is a social custom in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. The term originated with the Afrikaans-speaking people,^[1] but has since been adopted by South Africans of many ethnic backgrounds. The word vleis is Afrikaans for meat.

The word has been adopted by English-speaking South Africans and can be regarded as another word for barbecue, in that it serves as a verb when describing how food is cooked and a noun when describing the cooking equipment, such as a grill.^[1] The traditions around a braai can be considerably different from a barbecue, even if the method of food preparation is very similar.

While wood was formerly the most widely used braai fuel, in modern times the use of charcoal, briquettes and gas has increased due to their convenience, as with barbecues elsewhere in the world.^[2] There has, however, been a renewed interest in the use of wood after the South African government started its invasive plant species removal programme.^[3] Many households now own both a gas and wood or charcoal braai.^[4]

Similar to a potluck party, braais are casual and relaxed social events where families and friends converge on a picnic spot or someone's home (normally the garden or veranda) with their own meat, salad, or side dish in hand. Meats are the mainstay of the South African braai. They typically include boerewors, sosaties, kebabs, marinated chicken, pork and lamb chops, steaks, sausages of different flavors and thickness, and possibly even racks of spareribs. Fish and Rock Lobster, commonly called kreef in Afrikaans, are also popular in coastal areas.

The other main part of the meal in some regions of the country is pap (/ˈpɑːp/, meaning porridge). This dish is a thickened porridge, or krummelpap (crumb porridge), traditionally eaten with the meat. Pap is made from finely ground corn/maize (similar to polenta), and is a staple of local African communities and may be eaten with a tomato and onion sauce, a monkeygland sauce, or a more spicy chakalaka at a braai. In the Cape Town area, the common side dish is a grilled sandwich containing onions, tomatoes, and cheese, with apricot jam and grated cheese being another staple popular among children.

Sometimes this activity is also known as a tjop en dop (dop being Afrikaans slang for an alcoholic drink, literally meaning "cap" or "bottle top", and tjop being the informal Afrikaans term for lamb chop) when significant amounts of alcohol are involved.

A braai is a social occasion that has specific traditions and social norms. In black and white South African culture, women rarely cook meat at a social gathering, as this is normally the preserve of men. The men gather round the braaistand (the grill) outdoors and cook the meat, while women prepare the pap, salads, desserts, and vegetables in the kitchen. The meal is subsequently eaten outside by the braai stand, since these gatherings are normally hosted during the long summer months. The cooking of the meat is not the prerogative of all the men attending, as one person is normally in charge. He will attend to the fire, check that the coals are ready, and cook the meat. Etiquette holds that others are not permitted to interfere with the braai operator's duties, except if expressly asked to help. Other men may assist in the cooking, but generally only partake in fireside conversations while having a drink in hand.^[5] This is very similar to how Australian, New Zealand, and American backyard barbecues are often run .^{[citation needed]} What often makes a braai different from barbecue in that it is the 'go-to' social event for many South Africans, from Christmas Day, to graduation parties, to birthdays and every day get togethers, used as a means to celebrate. Other cultures may reserve a barbecue as a special event in its own right.