South African food is a living history book, a fusion of Dutch settlers, Cape Malay cooks, indigenous Khoisan knowledge, British colonial influence, and Indian immigrants. Many of our dishes have roots stretching back to the 1600s, when the VOC established a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope. For our customers in Assen, here is the surprise: many of these recipes are closer to home than you might think. The flavours of South Africa are, in many ways, the flavours of the Netherlands, carried across the ocean four centuries ago, transformed by African sun and Cape spices.
Soet, Sweet
"Soet" is Afrikaans for "sweet", the treats that make every South African homesick.
Droë Lekkernye, Dry Treats
Beskuit (rusks) is quite possibly the most important food in South African history, and its story begins right here in the Netherlands. When VOC ships sailed from Amsterdam to the East Indies, sailors needed food that would survive months at sea. The solution was twice-baked bread, "tweebak" in Dutch, from which the Afrikaans word "beskuit" directly derives. The Voortrekkers of the 1830s–1840s carried beskuit on the Great Trek, and farm wives (boerevrouens) refined the recipe until each family had their own classic. We offer three variants:
Sout, Savoury
"Sout" is Afrikaans for "salty/savoury", the hearty dishes that fuel South African life.
Coming home
These recipes left the Netherlands on VOC ships four hundred years ago. They were transformed by African sun, Cape Malay spices, Indian flavours, and generations of home cooks who turned survival food into soul food. Now, with Suikerbekkie Keuken in Assen, they come home. The circle is complete.
View the menu