United Kingdom
SEASONINGS
British food comes from an interesting contradiction: it’s built on simple, restrained cooking, but was heavily influenced by Britain’s global empire. This simplicity focuses on bringing out the natural flavors of ingredients rather than covering them up, which is why British cuisine uses fewer spices than many other food traditions.
British seasoning practices underwent a dramatic transformation across centuries. Medieval British cooking was heavily spiced: research reveals that 90% of 13th-15th century recipes contained imported pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg (source). Later, New World discoveries introduced tomatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers; spices became more accessible to the middle classes. The 1600 founding of the East India Company enhanced British seasoning through organized spice importation and allowed specific spice applications to rise, like CURRY POWDER (made of turmeric, coriander seed, cumin seed, fennel seed, fenugreek, paprika, and mustard), which is a British interpretation of Indian masalas, standardized for British palates. Unlike Indian spice blends, British curry powder provides consistent, mild heat suitable for leftover meat preparations. World War II rationing severely disrupted this heavy spicing trajectory, creating a generation with conservative seasoning habits.
Traditional British herbs that form the foundation are sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. These hardy, climate-appropriate plants have been local since medieval times and continue dominating now. Sage is perhaps the most characteristically British herb, essential in stuffings, sausages, and the sage-and-onion combination for roasted meats.
Spice-wise, white pepper is distinctly British—it’s preferred over black pepper. Nutmeg and mace are important in baking, essential for milk-based dishes, custards, and the MIXED SPICE BLEND of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and coriander. This British spice blend is common for Christmas puddings, mince pies, and hot cross buns.
SAUCES
British people have a notable affinity for tanginess, which is very visible in sauces:
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, accidentally created by Lea & Perrins chemists in the 1830s, undergoes 18-month fermentation to produce its umami profile from anchovies, vinegar, molasses, tamarind, onions, and garlic. This ‘happy accident’ now appears in everything from cheese on toast to cocktails.
HP SAUCE represents the British brown sauce tradition with its blend of tomatoes, malt vinegar, molasses, dates, and tamarind. Served with bacon sandwiches and full English breakfasts, HP sauce shows British preferences for sweet-tangy accompaniments to rich foods.
ENGLISH MUSTARD, though not technically a sauce, but rather a condiment, delivers fierce heat unlike any other variety. It’s significantly hotter and more pungent than French Dijon or American yellow mustard because it’s made without vinegar or with very little acid, relying on water or beer instead. This allows the mustard seeds’ natural heat compounds to remain at full strength, creating that distinctive nasal-clearing bite.
Also not a sauce, but a relish PICCALILLI is made from pickled chunky vegetables like cauliflower and onions in spiced turmeric vinegar. Its traditionally served with cold meats and cheese to add sharp, tangy contrast to rich foods.
South Africa
SEASONINGS
Though the diversity is huge, South African food leans toward a few directions: bold spice, sweet-savory combinations, tangy sauces, smoke from the braai, and some gentle sourness from fermentation. Many recipes focus on spices; herbs are very subtle.
The constant use of sweet-savory is one of the strongest flavour combinations. Raisins, apricot jam, and dried fruits are added to savory dishes for contrast, like in, for example, bobotie. Cape Malay foods also uses this sweet-savory principle, but also add aromatic complexity and warmth on top. The cuisine prioritizes fragrance and layered spice notes over aggressive spiciness. The essential spice palette includes coriander, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and paprika.
If you look at braai marinades and Cape recipes, vinegar and other acids show up over and over. That gives a typical South African plate a sweet-tangy edge.
Compared with many Western European cuisines, there is more sweet + spicy + tangy in the same dish. Compared with very minimalist seafood or vegetable traditions, there is more emphasis on layering and transforming flavours through spice blends, chutneys, smoking, and long cooking.
Many parts of South African cuisine do lean toward spiciness, but not uniformly. For many urban dishes, township foods, or Indian-influenced meals, “spicy” is definitely part of the flavour profile.
CAPE MALAY CURRY POWDER — a traditional blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and sometimes fennel and fenugreek is used in stews and curries.
RAJAH CURRY POWDER – South Africa’s crown jewel spice blend. Launched by Robertsons in 1938, it has become a household name and market leader in authentic South African curry flavours.
SIX GUN – a bold South African spice blend of salt, paprika, onion, celery, cumin, and cayenne. It is designed to enhance grilled meats, stews and mince. It is a trusted braai companion, bringing smoky, robust flavour with the punch of a six-shooter revolver.
SAUCES
PERI PERI sauce originated from the African Bird’s Eye chili, which is native to Africa, and was then popularized by Portuguese settlers who brought it from Africa to Portugal. Portuguese explorers encountered the spicy chili in Africa, brought it back to Portugal, and blended it with other ingredients to create the sauce now popular worldwide. It’s common in grilled chicken, seafood, livers, and meats at braais.
CHAKALAKA RELISH – a spicy, vegetable-and-bean relish which works as a condiment or a side dish. It features onions, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, carrots, sometimes cabbage, tomatoes, and often baked beans, all simmered with curry powder, paprika, and chili.
MONKEY GLAND SAUCE – a thick, dark sauce balancing sweet, sour, and savoury flavours. Base of chopped onion, garlic, fruit chutney and tomato sauce, with added vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, black pepper, chili. Used with steaks, burgers, as a dip for onion rings, fries, roast potatoes. Despite its name, the sauce contains no monkey meat or glands!
MRS BALLS CHUTNEY (BLATJANG) – made from dried fruit, often apricots and chillies, cooked with vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and coriander. This Malay-inspired condiment is a staple at braais and pairs with bobotie.
