4 Cape Town street food you have to try

Cape Town is a veritable foodie haven. If you are looking for affordable street food, your local spaza or the little food truck at the end of the street is your best bet.

1. Fish and chips
Most fish served in Cape Town, are fresh and worth exploring. If you want to keep it traditional, head to a specialist fish and chips shop, preferably by the ocean, and order deep-fried hake or snoek with chips.

2. Gatsby
If you want food that truly says “Capetonian”, then the gatsby is it. It’s origins can be traced in the Cape Flats and date back to the mid-’70s .

This 30cm-long sandwich is made for sharing and is generally divided into four or three parts. It’s stuffed masala steak, polony or vienna sausage and served with chips and sauces.

3. Amagwinya (vetkoek)
This is arguably one firm favourite for both young and old. Vetkoek is part of the collective heritage of our country and Cape Town is taking a great liking to this golden-brown deep-fried treat.

You could buy these little dumplings filled with a mince-and-veggie curry, bobotie-spiced mince, polony or just spread with good, old butter.

4. Mleqwa, butternut mqa, mfino & pickled fresh vegetables
Fancy fine dining in a township? You can expect a variety of traditional staples with modern twists – such as mleqwa (a traditional chicken dish), butternut mqa (pap), mfino (a mix of maize meal, spinach, cabbage and potatoes) and lightly pickled fresh vegetables – all presented interestingly, and to be enjoyed at a nearby table, or as take-away.