“You’ll Fart Fire”: Mzansi Reacts to American Woman’s TikTok of Her Chakalaka Attempt Going Wrong
- An American woman living in South Africa tried making chakalaka over the Easter weekend and rated herself a complete fail
- Chakalaka traces back to Mozambican mineworkers in Johannesburg who cooked beans and tomatoes after brutal shifts deep underground
- South Africans flooded the comment section with tips and corrections, turning the post into a wonderfully opinionated cooking class
She came, she chopped, and she conquered absolutely nothing at all. An American woman living in South Africa took on one of Mzansi’s most beloved dishes. She did this over the long Easter weekend, and the results had the internet in stitches.
Source: TikTok
TikToker @leesahlane_kgotsocarter rated her chakalaka attempt a total fail after it came out way too hot and without the signature taste. The comment section did not hold back one single bit after that confession.
@leesahlane_kgotsocarter is not in South Africa on a tourist visa or some extended holiday. She is based here because of her Mzansi boyfriend and is slowly soaking up the culture. She chose the Easter weekend to attempt chakalaka, which is peak braai season in South Africa. That is when the side dishes matter just as much as the meat on the grill. It simply did not go the way she had imagined it would go.
Chakalaka is not a dish you wing
Chakalaka traces back to the gold mines surrounding Johannesburg, where life was tough, and meals were simple. Mineworkers cooked canned tomatoes and beans with chili after long and exhausting shifts underground. The result was a spicy and punchy relish that people ate alongside pap to keep going. The word chakalaka comes from Zulu slang and loosely means putting everything together in one pot.
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The classic recipe starts with onions, garlic, ginger, and curry powder blooming in hot oil. Grated carrots, chopped green and red peppers, and fresh tomatoes go in after the spices. A can of baked beans finishes everything off once the vegetables have softened properly. The spice level is entirely up to the cook, which is where many first-timers lose the plot. @leesahlane_kgotsocarter went too heavy on the heat, and the whole thing fell completely out of balance.
Watch the TikTok clip below:
Mzansi debates chakalaka recipes
Briefly News compiled comments from South Africans who debated what chakalaka ingredients must be.
@Rato♥️🇿🇦 commented:
“The secret ingredient is carrots 🥕, not chillies. You'll fart fire.”
@Mandy said:
“My jaw dropped when I saw the amount of chillies. 😳”
@Baby-Yolz noted:
“The secret you're missing is to add more carrots and fewer chillies. No water.”
@Connie said:
“You made chillielaka with a pinch of carrots, but not bad for a first attempt. 🤝”
@Just a commenter wrote:
“Traditional chakalaka has no fancy things in it. I hear people saying add chutney or sugar,😳 😩that's no more chakalaka, it will end up having soup like the one you did. Chakalaka has oil, not soup, and that's it. I don't care who says what, but the advice people give you is not the one.”
@Ole❤️ commented:
“I see everyone saying carrots and rajah but what about baked beans. It’s not chakalaka without beans. Bathong!. 😭”
Source: TikTok
More articles involving chakalaka
- In another article, a Stellenbosch food creator took South Africa's most beloved staple and turned it into something crispy, golden, and completely unrecognisable from what your gogo used to make.
- Tyla put her cooking skills on display after preparing pap, boerewors and chakalaka for British Vogue in a new video.
- A South African showed people that he exposed their American friends to Mzansi food.
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Source: Briefly News
