"Send The Recipe, Please" South Africans Overseas Miss Mzansi Cuisine As They Share Recipes

• A heartfelt TikTok video resonated deeply with expat South Africans, prompting an outpouring of comments where viewers begged for recipes of beloved Mzansi dishes
• South Africans abroad shared nostalgic cravings for classics like atchar, with many admitting that no overseas substitute matched the taste of authentic home food
• The flood of requests and personal stories highlighted a shared sense of homesickness, as South Africans living in places like Germany, the UK, and the US connected over food memories

A trending TikTok video featuring a South African woman sharing her recipe has struck a chord with expat South Africans across the globe.

The heartfelt content, posted in December 2025, sparked conversations about the unique dishes of Mzansi, evoking memories and nostalgia among viewers living far from home.

Expats poured out their longing, turning a simple post into a virtual braai where everyone reminisced about the dishes that defined their upbringing.

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The woman's TikTok account reveals she has been abroad for an extended period of time, which explains her nostalgia for South African foods.

Watch her video below:

Comments reveal deep cravings for home flavours

Viewers didn't hold back in expressing their yearning. Many pleaded directly with "Send the recipe, please" for favourites that evoked comfort and identity.

Comments flooded in about missing authentic South African foods.

One user, @Franchesker, encouraged the making of atchar, saying:

"O ka se pallwe ke ntho e sa buwing 🔥."

@KButterfly commended the recipe, commenting:

"I know it's going to be good🤤."

@Tshegofatso.Mokoena encouraged a return home for proper cuisines:

"Chommie, come home😩."

@Marve corrected a step in the atchar-making process, adding:

"Let it ferment for three weeks before adding oil."

@Sincerely.Sina.The.Duchess added another correction, writing:

"The vinegar babe! Add spice and a bit of vinegar overnight. After that, add oil. But otherwise, ke yona!"

@Timothy.van.Schalkwyk, who is a South African living in the United States, said:

"I need a South African store in Philadelphia, USA."

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@Samntha, who also lives in Germany, added:

"Yoh, I hate the food here💔."

@PhozesZori said:

"Send through the recipe, please."

The ache of missing Mzansi flavours abroad

It’s one of those things you don’t fully understand until you’re thousands of kilometres from home: the way a simple smell or taste can hit you like a wave and suddenly you’re back on a Saturday afternoon in the township, or at your gran’s kitchen table.

South Africans living overseas talk about it all the time, mentioning how the first time they tried to recreate a proper chakalaka or bunny chow with foreign ingredients, it just didn’t taste the same. The spices are off, the maize meal is too fine, and the bread isn’t quite right for a Gatsby.

What is atchar, and how is it made?

Atchar is a South African, Indian-originated, fermented condiment typically made by combining raw, green mangoes (or sometimes vegetables like carrots and cabbage) with oil, vinegar, and a blend of spices.

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Other Briefly News stories about South Africans living abroad

• A South African man living overseas opened up about the emotional and mental toll of leaving home behind.
• A South African woman living between Switzerland and South Africa made a video listing the top five things she misses most when abroad.
• A South African nurse working in the US shared some unexpected work culture differences that caught her off guard.

Source: Briefly News