“I Have No Idea What That Is”: SA Vegetable at Cape Town Spar Confuses Tourist

• A tourist who was in Cape Town shared that he visited a local Spar store to do some grocery shopping
• However, he was confused when he saw one of the vegetables on display and asked locals to advise him about what he had seen
• Social media users went to the comment section to explain what the veggie was and how they would eat it
• A clinical dietician explained to Briefly News the healthiest way to prepare the veggies, which contain many nutrients

What we have in Mzansi may not necessarily be found in other countries, especially concerning some food items. One tourist visiting the Mother City was unfamiliar with one of the vegetables on the shelf at a local supermarket and asked locals online to inform him.

Identifying the veggie

Travel content creator Jack's Travelling shared on his TikTok account that he was at a Spar store in Cape Town and had no idea what gem halves - gem squash cut in half - were.

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After asking South Africans for help with identifying the vegetable, the man comically said:

"It looks like some green coconut thing. I have no idea what that is."

Watch the TikTok video below:

The healthiest way to prepare a gem squash

While speaking to Briefly News, clinical dietician Rudo Tshabalala noted that the healthiest preparation method for cooking gem squash is to steam it.

Sharing that the vegetable is loaded with antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, the expert explained:

"This would mean cutting it in half and putting it over a pot of boiling water until soft. It will allow it to retain all the nutrients and fibre. One can scoop out the seeds before steaming or once it has been steamed and is soft."

Rudo added that people can sprinkle sugar or a seasoning of choice and include other vegetables to enjoy it with.

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SA informs tourist about veggie

Thousands of locals took to the comment section to tell Jack what he saw on the shelf and advised him about how he could prepare the vegetable.

@justfarz wondered in the comments:

"Don't you get gem squashes where you're from?"

@phat.g sarcastically wrote to Jack:

"Read the label, go to your search bar on your browser, type in the name, enter, and you will get a description."

@robbierobinson149 shared how they would eat the veggie:

"You can boil the gem squash in water for approximately 20 minutes. Then scoop sweetcorn from a tin into each half with grated cheddar cheese over it. Grill until the cheese has melted and slightly browned."

@tatum_soulchild said to app users:

"My biggest craving on a Sunday."

@sibungeva told the online community:

"I ate that too much growing up. Yoh."

A curious @_lolnope_____ asked:

"How can you not know what a gem squash is?"

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3 Other stories about tourists and food

• In another story, Briefly News reported about a man from the United Kingdom who gave his honest review of his Nando's meal. His order also stunned locals.
• An American woman tried traditional South African dishes, including dumplings, mogodu and lamb trotters. Mzansi suggested more tasty meals.
• The class was in session when an American man in Johannesburg schooled his friend who mistook biltong for doggy treats.

Source: Briefly News