Mzansi eats are unique, South African dishes.

These are things we associate with South Africa, and things we’d encourage visitors to eat first. Koeksisters, malva pudding, and Zulu isijingi are hearty and unique local desserts.

How many of these Mzansi eats have you tried?

Here are six South African desserts everyone should try.

MZANSI EATS: KOEKSISTERS

Koeksisters are made from flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and love!

They’re intertwined dough strips, fried and dipped in sugar syrup. They’re the sweetest thing you’ll ever try. Koeksisters are a legendary, proudly South African dessert.

Some recipes call for cinnamon.

Have you ever tried one?

MZANSI EATS: ISIJINGI

Isijingi is a traditional Zulu dish, made from porridge (okay, or polenta) and butternut. It’s one of the most popular Mzansi eats, according to The African Gourmet.

It’s not always a dessert, but can be sweetened to taste.

Mashed butternut combines well with pap. Add sugar, and you have yourself some isijingi.

It’s better than what the Three Little Bears were eating.

Doesn’t that sound fantastic?

MZANSI EATS: MILKTART

Milk tart (or milktart) is made from milk, eggs, sugar, and flour. Cinnamon goes on top as decoration, and it just doesn’t taste the same without it.

It’s one of the Mzansi eats we’ve known for decades.

It’s custard, but also not.

Recipes vary. Baked or not. Some have lumps, others don’t. That’s what makes them great.

We even have Milk Tart flavoured T(w)inkies.

MZANSI EATS: MALVA PUDDING

Malva Pudding combines fresh cake with hot syrup.

Good malva pudding has a distict trick. Everyone has an individual recipe, usually passed on from one chef to another. Poke holes in, and pour syrup over the cake.

A trick: it gets Cream of Tartar.

That’s all we’re going to say.

You’ll have to try it to understand it!

MZANSI EATS: BOEBER

Boeber is a dessert drink, traditionally Cape Malay, according to AfriFoodNetwork.com.

Vermicelli combines with milk, rose water, cinnamon, and other spices.

Like other Mzansi eats, every chef has their own different recipe or ‘trick’ passed down to them.

One thing is for sure: it’s good!

ONE MORE: PEPPERMINT CRISP TART

Peppermint Crisp is a chocolate type that only some countries sell.

That gave rise to Peppermint Crisp Tart, a refrigerated dessert we’ve enjoyed for decades.

Add the sweetest ingredients into a bowl, and that’s the dessert. It contains caramel, cream, and bits of chocolate. Usually, you also make a crust from Tennis Biscuits.

Have you ever tried it?