From spicy bunny chow to a "smiley" roasted sheep head, World Cup visitors will find local food that reflects South Africa's varied cultures, landscapes and 11 official languages.
Local food
Biltong: Dried strips of beef or game like kudu and ostrich. A much-loved snack.
Boerewors: A thick aromatic beef sausage, known as a boerie roll if served as a hot dog.
Bobotie: Spiced, fruity minced meat baked with egg custard on top. A Cape Malay dish believed to have roots in the East Indies slaves brought by Dutch colonists.
Braai: Barbeque, South Africa's best-known and most cross-cultural social custom.
Bunny chow: Curry in a hollowed-out bread loaf, eaten with fingers using bits of bread to scoop up the filling. Originated in host city Durban when black workers weren't allowed into restaurants.
Chakalaka: Spicy vegetable relish. Goes with everything.
Koeksuster: Decadently sweet, fried plaited dough dipped in thick sugar syrup.
Kudu: A large antelope with very lean meat commonly served as fillet. Other popular game meats are ostrich and springbok, a small antelope. Crocodile, zebra and giraffe can also be found.
Melktert: Milk tart sprinkled with cinnamon. Also popular is malva pudding - a spongy cake-like dessert.
Mopane worms: Protein-packed caterpillars eaten dried or fried until crunchy. Often served in a tomato sauce.
Pap: Thick, bland maize porridge and a staple across southern Africa. Served with savoury toppings. Pap and vleis comes with meat often served on sidewalks.
Potjiekos: Literally "pot food", a stew traditionally cooked in a three-legged pot over fire.
Rooibos: Indigenous "red bush" tea, a popular caffeine-free beverage.
Rusk: A hard, dry biscuit made with a long shelf life used by South Africa's European settlers. Often dunked into coffee or tea.
Shebeen: Township drinking tavern with cheap alcohol and festive atmosphere.
Shisa nyama: Zulu for hot meat. Diners select raw meat cuts, often to braai themselves in shops or restaurants.
Sosatie: Chunks of marinated meat or chicken which are braaied.
Smilies: Sheep heads par-cooked and roasted with the heat exposing the sheep's teeth into a grin or smile. Usually found at taxi ranks and downtown city markets.
Ulusu: A stew of animal stomachs.
Umqombothi: Traditional grain-brewed beer. Milky in appearance with a yeasty, sour taste.
Vetkoek/ Amagwinya: Balls of deep fried bread dough. Served plain as street food but also can have sweet or savoury fillings.
Walkie Talkies: Cooked chicken feet and heads. The feet are also known as "runaways".