Drinks
Boeber
On boeberaand, the 15th night of Ramadan, Cape Town families mark the halfway point of the fast with this warm, sweet milk and vermicelli drink.
- TraditionCape Malay
- Kind of dishDrinks
- SeasonAll year
- OccasionThe 15th night of Ramadan, known in Cape Town as boeberaand, when families mark the halfway point of the fast.
The story
Milk, vermicelli and sago cook together into a thick, sweet drink, spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and often scented with rose water, and some cooks add sultanas or flaked almonds. Boeber is best served warm, and it sits somewhere between a pudding and a drink.
At the Cape it is tied to Ramadan. It is drunk throughout the month, but made above all on the 15th night, when families mark the halfway point of the fast. In Cape Town that evening is known as boeberaand, and once the halfway point is reached people speak of being op die berg, on the mountain.
The name probably comes from the Malay word bubur, meaning porridge, which in Malay also names bubur nasi, a savoury rice porridge.
Stories
Related reading
Sources
Check out these sources
- boeber, n. · Dictionary of South African English (Rhodes University Dictionary Unit)
- The 15th night of Ramadan: Time to enjoy boeberaand · Food & Home
- 5 Cape Malay-inspired recipes to celebrate Ramadan · Woolworths TASTE
- The complex history of Cape Muslim cuisine (Ishay Govender) · Daily Maverick
- A Guide to Cape Malay Cooking Terms: From Koe'sisters to Mavrou (Robyn Samuels) · Crush Magazine
- Boeber · Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights (Salwaa Smith)
