Best Cookbooks In South Africa

What is Cookbook?

A cookbook is a book containing recipes and other information about the preparation and cooking of food.

Best Cookbooks In South Africa

The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen by Mogau Seshoene

Seriously, who has time to fully unleash her domestic goddess? You do!

The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen specifically aims to take all the pressure and intimidation out of preparing a show-stopping meal and to bring all the fun back to being in the kitchen.

If you’ve ever tried to cook along with an impossibly glamorous, impeccably sweat-less, and infuriatingly calm TV or online chef, you’ll know why this is important!

Kook en Geniet by S.J.A de Villiers

Kook en Geniet, as just about any South African with a kitchen will know, has been and continues to be, a popular stalwart of South African Cookery. It’s been around for nearly seventy years now and its status is scarcely diminished.

Though it incorporates more than seven hundred recipes, Kook en Geniet is more than just a recipe book: it’s a comprehensive self-contained crash course in all things culinary.

It contains advice on everything from getting the most out of your oven and freezer to basic vegetable preparation and drink mixing.

Banting 7 Day Meal Plans by Rita Venter, Natalie Lawson, and Kim Blom

These days, fad diets crop up and flop off before we’ve even had a chance to figure out which of Gwyneth Paltrow’s peculiar suggestions to shove where, but the Banting diet/lifestyle is not one of those.

This one has been around for a good few years now and remains a popular option for losing weight and improving overall well-being. 

Foodies of South Africa by Hayley Murison, Julie A. Brown, and Chantal Botha

Another cookbook very much based in the community, Foodies of South Africa is a spectacular collection of popular recipes that collects the most local lekker meals and combos ever to hit the blogosphere.

With recipes like Pap in a Pumpkin, Cheesy Braai Bombs, A-maize-ing Chakalaka Dippers, Croque Meneer, and Steri Stumpie Hot Chocolate, this cookbook houses a wealth of uniquely South African treats.

Veg by Jamie Oliver & Dit Proe Soos Huis by Herman Lensing (Tied)

Super-food-star Jamie Oliver is back with a new book of recipes specifically dedicated to the marvelous legume. It’s all about vibrant, fabulous meals that are easy to make and meat-free — a must-have for the adventurous and versatile cook.

Jamie’s Veg includes a host of exciting and versatile vegetarian dishes, celebrating every season of fresh produce and proving that dishes don’t have to be meaty to be vibrant, fun, and delicious. 

What is the fastest-selling cookbook ever?

Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook has become the fastest-selling non-fiction title of all time.

Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals has sold 735,000 copies in 10 weeks, beating the previous record held by comedian Peter Kay’s memoir, The Sound of Laughter.