Potato salad forms a big part of the South African food scene.
Potato salad forms a big part of the South African food scene.
IT’S ONE of those deeply personal things, one’s preference for potato salad.
Potato salad is everywhere. Wherever you go, you will find people who buy, eat and make their own. It is a popular side dish that comes in many versions across the world. It is also a dish that, done wrong, can ruin an entire meal.
Salads such as potato salad form a big part of South Africa’s food scene. The way we prepare our salads and the ingredients we instinctively choose are uniquely South African.
Speaking of preparation, a debate has emerged on Twitter about eggs being part of potato salad.
This comes after chef and cookbook author Neo Nontso wrote: “Potato salad must have eggs, please.”
Some of the tweeps agreed with her while others disagreed.
@_sonalujiva wrote: “For the first time I have to disagree with you Neo.”
“Is it even potato salad without eggs?” asked @mpeh_ntuli.
@KgatukeNL commented: “Next thing you’ll be the kind that adds cheese too.” @StevieG_Dj added that bacon tastes good in potato salad.
“Sometimes bacon too. Then drizzle the bacon fat in there. I don’t mind the tuna potato salad either, but the egg potato salad & bacon potato salads are unmatched,” he wrote.
In a recent interview with chef Bontle Molefe about this dish made from boiled potatoes and a variety of other ingredients, Molefe said the potato was the queen of vegetables and was versatile on its own.
“The potato salad is the same. It can be served as a side or as the base of a meal, and you can put almost anything you want or have in it. This makes it the go-to option for most people because it’s so accommodating and easy to make.”
She said you can make potato salad in different ways: the classic potato salad with eggs and mayonnaise, or without mayonnaise, instead using mustard dressing, a simple Greek dressing, or just olive oil and seasoning.
