Category Archives: Uncategorized

As per my statement on Twitter, I wish to offer Kulula the use of theBraai4Heritage logo. This decision was taken due to the fact that it is the only SA symbol that is left for South African companies to actually use. The rest having been sold to FIFA.

The braai can never be sold to anyone. It is the one thing that belongs to all South Africans.

Update: Mark Stead of KingJames, the ad agency responsible for the Kulula “non WorldCup” ads, emailed me to decline the offer. He did not indicate whether he actually discussed this with Kulula, or whether it was his own decision.

It is easy to make a braai day healthier by keeping these few tips in mind:

• Always choose lean meats and cut off all visible fats BEFORE cooking
• Use skinless chicken breasts and make your own kebabs with red peppers and oni on
• Add fish to the braai for a healthy alternative rich in Omega 3 oils
• Use raw veggies as snacks instead of the high fat chip alternative
• Roast your potatoes in foil on the coals and dress them with low fat cottage cheese
• Smoothies made with fresh fruits and fat free yogurt make for amazing healthy desserts
• Remember to drink lots of water while being out in the sun

(provided by Louise Bembridge, thanks)

As we all start to go into a trance like excitement ahead of Thursday, I wish to bring to your attention the dangers of starting a fire with petrol. Whilst I usually just look at a fire and tell it to light itself, I am aware that some of you use fire-lighters to get your fires going. There is nothing wrong with that. Others use paraffin, and some even use petrol, when they have nothing better available. When using petrol, please take care of the explosion, that will occur. You do not want to end up in a critical condition like The “braai mad” Robert Swanepoel in this article.

I will repeat myself, when using petrol to light a fire, be extremely careful. It will explode. That is what petrol does. It explodes. It is the reason why it makes your car drive. It causes little explosions in the engine.

Bloemfontein – A popular Aliwal-North businessman is in a serious condition after being badly burnt, apparently after pouring petrol over braai coals. The “braai mad” Robert Swanepoel, 38, was braaing with friends last Tuesday when the accident happened. He apparently poured petrol on braai coals and the petrol container exploded in his face. Bloemfontein Medi-Clinic spokesperson Amanda Appelgryn said Swanepoel is in the hospital’s intensive care unit. He sustained burns to his face, upper body and arms. He also inhaled some of the flames. ”He is attached to a ventilator, and his condition is critical but stable. He will be going back into theatre tomorrow [Wednesday] to undergo further skin grafts.”

‘Very responsible’

Swanepoel’s wife, Merica, who has been keeping vigil at his bedside, was still extremely traumatised on Monday. ”Robert and three friends braaied at our house about 23:00, after a meeting. The fire wouldn’t take, and someone suggested that Robert throw a bit of petrol on the coals.  ”He braais often and is very responsible when it comes to such things.” She was working inside the house and their three children were asleep when she heard a deafening thud outside. ”I ran outside. It was chaos. Robert was engulfed in flames and screaming ‘I’m burning, I’m burning!’.

Dog also burnt

“The dog was also burnt and was running around. Wickus Els, a friend, grabbed Robert and threw him to the ground in attempt to douse the flames.” The screaming woke the children, but she sent them back to bed. ”Robert threw petrol in the petrol can’s top, and then apparently threw it over the coals. He held the petrol can in his one hand while he stood next to the braai. We don’t know what exactly happened next.” His sister Santie Terblanche said they had raced to the hospital in Aliwal-North immediately. He was transferred to Bloemfontein afterwards.  Swanepoel remains heavily sedated, she added.- Volksblad

The reason this tragedy occurred, is because they ran out of stock. Make sure you do not run out of stock on Thursday. You have about 24 hours left until braaiday. I know that certain shops who underestimated the demand are already running low on meat. Do you really want to be the guy only braaing mielies on Thursday? Stock up for Thursday now. As a matter of urgency.

My friend Tony Brockhoven, head of “Animals without cruelty” is a vegetarian. However this does not mean that she cannot Braai4Heritage. Here is the flyer of a braai that she is hosting on braaiday, 24 September.

Due to his iconic status, there are many disbelievers out there who think that we made up the fact that Riaan Cruywagen is one of our ambassadors. Others think that the photo we used of him is a fake. I would like to make two things clear: He provided the photo, and, we did not doctor it after he provided it. The photo of Riaan is the original, as provided by him, on request for a mug shot.

I hate spam emails and if you are normal, so do you. The only way we will ever send you an email is if you leave your address in the “Make your Pledge” part of the website. We will then send you a maximum of one email per month, with the exception of September each year, where we will send you two, or three. Every mail that we send contains a button that you click once, and then we take you off the mailing list. If you leave your email anywhere else on this website, you are not on the mailing list, and will not receive our emails. The only time we use your address from anywhere else on the site, is for specific, one-on-one communication. This is when you ask something that we believe warrants a personal response; your recipe needs clarification; or, as happens more than you would think, some newspaper or magazine wants to use a photo that someone uploaded, and needs it in a higher resolution.

Thats it.

May the wors be with you!

With 24 September now just three weeks away, I think that its time we all take a quiet moment out, and in that quiet moment, we should reflect on what we really plan to do on 24 September. We will have at least three braais each. But it is also a time for self improvement. To become a better person. As explained below:

Well you see, Norm, it’s like this…A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers. – Cliff Claven from Cheers

The voice of South Africans living abroad, the South African Times Magazine in London, this year features Braai4Heritage in its September Heritage Day issue, out August 25th. The issue entitled “Braai the beloved country” focuses on the importance of braaing to bridge cultural diversity in the Rainbow Nation, and encourages South Africans living abroad to join their compatriots in South Africa to braai on September 24. In this way they will also celebrate Heritage Day along with South Africans at home.

You will notice that we sometimes give away Braai Equipment on the website. Typically we review and discuss all the weird and wonderful braai gadgets and equipment that South Africans have dreamt up during the years and that is currently on sale. For a manufacturer to have their product featured here, they need to donate a few of their products to us, so that we can in turn give them away to you. Easy. Simple. You support the rest of South Africa, and we support you. We will always announce what you need to do in order to get your hands on the equipement in that article on the site. We will also give some products away to the contributors of the best comments in this section of the site, as well as the best questions thrown at me in the “Ask Jan Braai” section of the site.

I am not the worlds most technically advanced person, as you need but hot coals, a clean grid, quality meat and cold drinks, for a good braai. Sometimes, we need to move with the times though. In the next month braaing and braaiday will feature in the national media more than ever before. If you would like to be on top of events as they unfold, subscribe to Twitter and follow the action at @janbraai. If not, no sweat (except from the flames of course), the website will keep you covered.

With exactly 2 months to go until Braai Day 2009 things are starting to heat up here at the Braai4Heritageheadquarters. Hold on to your braai and salad tongs (respectively) as we provide you, our most valued supporters, with a glimpse of what to expect in the run up to 24 September.

As of today, you will be able to follow me, Jan Braai, on the incredible braai adventures and experience first hand what its like to braai for a living, which is exactly the opposite of a Karoo lamb, who lives for a braaing. Follow the Twitter link from our landing page or go to www.twitter.com/janbraai.

Soon we will be recording the first official Braai Day song featuring various artists including multiple Grammy winners Soweto Gospel Choir and the 2008 SAMA’s best male solo artist winner HHP. It will be released free of charge to all radio stations and will be available for download on our site after the launch.

On the topic of the website, we will be launching our new look website soon, which promises to be the premier braai portal in the world! It will contain a host of new features, with your favourite sections streamlined for easier navigation.

We are grateful for your support, and ask you to help us kick of the “word of nose” campaign this weekend. This entails braaing as often as possible in the next two months, so that others can smell your braai, and thus be ready for what promises to be the biggest Braai Day ever!

May the wors be with you!