AS IT IS 2015-09-28 South Africans Eat Up Southern Food US Style

AS IT IS 2015-09-28 South Africans Eat Up Southern Food US Style

Many Americans love the taste and smell of Southern cuisine¹, such as macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and waffles, burgers and fries.

Now, men and women from townships and villages in South Africa are being trained to cook some of these dishes at an inner-city Johannesburg restaurant. 

Chicken coated in a batter² of secret spices sizzles in oil. At the Mr. Big Stuff eatery, even the squares of macaroni and cheese, known as mac 'n' cheese, are deep fried.

Here in the heart of Johannesburg, customers sit in booths similar to that of an American diner.

At one table, students in fashionable clothes hungrily eat burgers. At another, two lawyers in black suits and lacy white court collars eat waffles topped with chicken strips.

Food blogger Thando Moleketi says Mr. Big Stuff's fried chicken is the best she's tasted.

"It's like the Colonel's fried chicken [Colonel Sanders' founder³ of KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken] but crispier. And then the sweet waffle is like light and fluffy⁴, topped with that mustardy syrup⁵; it's just phenomenal. … It's really good Southern [American] food more than anything else."

Craig Durrant is co-owner of Mr. Big Stuff eatery. He says the "heartbeat" of his business is a team of African chefs trained by an American food expert.

Zimbabwean Makhosi Khumalo is one of them. He says he loves "going all-American" by serving up burgers for breakfast.

"I really enjoy the Crazy Rebel, yeah. We've got bacon there; it's a double cheese. You're having a classic breakfast. And lunch at the same time!" (Laughs.)

But, initially⁶, Makhosi Khumalo doubted the restaurant would be a success.

"When they called me for the interview and they showed me the menu and they were like, This is what you'll be selling.' I was like, Are you kidding me? (laughs) How can I sell this? I've never seen anything like this!'"

He says trying to convince some people to eat bacon with maple⁷ syrup and waffles for breakfast has indeed been challenging.

"They're normally used to waffles as dessert." (Laughs.)

Craig Durrant acknowledges some still hesitate to try the "more quirky” or unusual American recipes.

"They look straight at the chicken n waffles and they go like, This is a bit weird⁸ for me, this is a bit full-on, you know.' … We're really happy with it so far.

A woman orders another Mr. Big Stuff specialty⁹.

Thando Moleketi commends the restaurant for "challenging South Africa" by offering food never before seen in the country, like its mac 'n' cheese burger.

"So it's a normal burger with a slice of mac 'n' cheese on top I mean, that's insane. It is insane but delicious!"

Thando Moleketi says the nation's ready for uniquely American food because tastes here are "expanding rapidly."

"A year ago I'm not sure if people would have been as receptive to chicken 'n' waffles. But now South Africans are kind of broadening their palate, and willing to experiment with two flavors that they're used to having, but separately."

Makhosi Khumalo says he is proud to be part of what he calls a "food revolution," and proud to be an African chef making American food.

"We get Americans coming here and they're like, ‘We only thought we get this only in our country, you know!' "

As more customers line up, and as more classic American tunes¹⁰ play from Mr. Big Stuff's sound system, Makhosi Khumalo's eyes light up … wondering if his bosses are ready for his recipes for deep fried oysters¹¹ and corn dogs.

Words in This Story

sizzles – v. to make a hissing¹² sound when something hits hot metal

eatery – n. a restaurant where people are served food

phenomenal – adj. very good or great

quirky – adj. something unusual especially in an interesting way

insane – adj. extremely foolish, illogical

palate – n. the sense of taste

1 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

2 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

5 syrup   

n.糖浆，糖水

参考例句：

• I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
• Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

8 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

9 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

10 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

12 hissing   

n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The steam escaped with a loud hissing noise. 蒸汽大声地嘶嘶冒了出来。
• His ears were still hissing with the rustle of the leaves. 他耳朵里还听得萨萨萨的声音和屑索屑索的怪声。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕