# Braai Mate

> Same fire. Wrong continent.


## Posts

- [South African shops in Sydney and the Central Coast](https://braaimate.com/braai/south-african-shops-sydney/): A South African shop Sydney guide with addresses, phone numbers and hours checked on each shop's own website, plus Central Coast and Newcastle options, online delivery and the names we are still checking.
- [Gas braai vs charcoal in Australia: which one, and when](https://braaimate.com/gear/gas-braai-vs-charcoal/): Gas braai vs charcoal in Australia: how flavour, speed and total fire ban rules compare, and a simple way to choose the right barbecue for your backyard.
- [South African shops in Melbourne: where to buy wors, biltong and Mrs Balls](https://braaimate.com/braai/south-african-shops-melbourne/): A South African shop Melbourne guide with addresses, phone numbers and hours checked on each shop's own website, plus fresh boerewors, delivery options and the details we are still checking.
- [Where to buy maize meal in Australia, and how to cook pap with it](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/where-to-buy-maize-meal-australia/): Where to buy maize meal Australia shoppers can rely on: supermarket and South African shop options, which grade makes smooth pap, and a simple water ratio to cook it.
- [South African shops in Perth: Cape to Cairo, Mufasa and the rest](https://braaimate.com/braai/south-african-shops-perth/): A South African shop Perth guide with addresses, phone numbers and hours checked on each shop's own website, plus fresh boerewors pick-up, online delivery and the names we are still checking.
- [Biltong spice recipe: the mix, the ratio and the grind](https://braaimate.com/biltong/biltong-spice-recipe/): Our biltong spice recipe, in ratios you can scale to any batch. Why whole coriander beats the jar, how coarse to grind it, and how to tweak the mix to taste.
- [South African shops in Brisbane and south-east Queensland](https://braaimate.com/braai/south-african-shops-brisbane/): A South African shop Brisbane guide with addresses, phone numbers and opening hours checked on each shop's own website, plus online delivery options and the names we are still checking.
- [Aromat substitute Australia: what to use, and where to buy the real thing](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/aromat-substitute-australia/): Aromat is easier to find in Australia than it used to be, but shelves run dry. Here is where to look first, then the swaps and a homemade mix that get you close.
- [Biltong box Australia: buy one or build one](https://braaimate.com/biltong/biltong-box-australia/): Buy a biltong box this week, or build one from a fan, some mesh and an old cupboard. Both work. This guide covers what a box actually needs, the DIY build, and the parts worth ordering either way.
- [How to light a braai fire in Australia, without the firelighter taste](https://braaimate.com/braai/how-to-light-a-braai-fire/): Two firelighters, a tight pyramid, every vent open, then patience. Here is how to light a braai fire in Australia, why the chemical taste happens, and how to tell when the coals are actually ready.
- [Biermarinade: the classic braai beer marinade](https://braaimate.com/recipes/biermarinade/): Biermarinade, the classic South African beer marinade: lager, oil, onion and lemon, mixed in two minutes. One batch, about a kilogram of meat, zero secrets kept.
- [Chakalaka recipe with Australian ingredients](https://braaimate.com/recipes/chakalaka-recipe-australia/): The South African relish that goes beside the meat, made from an Australian supermarket trolley. The catch is the curry powder, and almost nobody writes down why.
- [Vinnige paptert: the quick braai side that disappears first](https://braaimate.com/recipes/paptert/): Paptert: maize meal, sweetcorn, cream and cheese baked into one golden dish. The vinnige version, no pre-cooked pap, one bowl and one hour.
- [Microwave mieliepap: pap in ten minutes](https://braaimate.com/recipes/microwave-mieliepap/): Mieliepap in ten microwave minutes: four ingredients, one bowl, no pot to scrub. The quick version of South Africa’s maize meal porridge.
- [Charcoal vs briquettes for a braai in Australia](https://braaimate.com/gear/charcoal-vs-briquettes-braai/): Lump charcoal or Heat Beads? One burns hotter, one burns longer, and the right answer depends on what is going on the grid. The Australian version of an old South African argument.
- [Roosterkoek recipe with Australian flour, on a Weber or a camp oven](https://braaimate.com/recipes/roosterkoek-recipe-australia/): The South African braai bread, worked out for an Australian pantry. Which flour to buy, what to do about 7 g yeast sachets, and three ways to cook it when the fire is too hot or banned outright.
- [Aartappel broodjie: the cheesy potato bread for a braai](https://braaimate.com/recipes/aartappel-broodjie/): The South African grated potato and cheese loaf, made in an Australian kitchen. One bowl, no yeast, forty minutes in the oven. Includes our own potato bake mix for when the packet is nowhere to be found.
- [Braai scones: the cheese and olive rolls for when there is no fire](https://braaimate.com/recipes/braai-scones/): Skon broodjies, the savoury cheese and olive scones baked in a muffin tin. For the balcony braai, the fire ban day and the weeknight when there is meat but no bread.
- [Baked bean salad: the ten-minute South African braai side, made in Australia](https://braaimate.com/recipes/baked-bean-salad/): The bowl at every South African braai, made in Australia. One tin of beans, five things from the crisper, a spoon of honey and an hour in the fridge. Koo or SPC, both work.
- [Monkey gland sauce recipe for Australia: with or without Mrs Balls](https://braaimate.com/recipes/monkey-gland-sauce-recipe/): A monkey gland sauce recipe built from Australian supermarket shelves, with the chutney swap that works when there is no Mrs Balls, and what to put it on.
- [Boerewors vs sausage: what makes wors wors](https://braaimate.com/braai/boerewors-vs-sausage/): Boerewors vs sausage is not just spice. South African law demands 90 percent meat; an Australian sausage can legally be half meat. Here is the real difference.
- [Nik Naks Australia equivalent: the two snacks with one name](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/nik-naks-australia-equivalent/): Looking for a Nik Naks Australia equivalent? There are two different snacks called Nik Naks, and neither is on a Coles shelf. Here is what to buy instead.
- [Biltong drying humidity Queensland: how to beat the mould](https://braaimate.com/biltong/biltong-drying-humidity-queensland/): Biltong drying humidity Queensland: real Brisbane humidity figures, the airflow fix, the best months to dry, and what to do when mould turns up.
- [Caramel Treat substitute Australia: what to buy instead](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/caramel-treat-substitute-australia/): Caramel Treat substitute Australia: Nestle Top 'n' Fill is the closest tin on the shelf. Here is how it differs, where to find it, and a safe stovetop version.
- [The best wood for braai Australia has to offer](https://braaimate.com/gear/best-wood-for-braai-australia/): The best wood for braai Australia has to offer, ironbark, red gum and mallee compared for heat, smoke and price, verified 13 August 2026.
- [Kettle braai vs Weber: which to buy in Australia](https://braaimate.com/gear/kettle-braai-vs-weber/): Kettle braai vs Weber, which is worth buying in Australia? We compare price, build quality and warranty, verified 10 August 2026.
- [How to braai boerewors: the coil, the coals and the timing](https://braaimate.com/braai/how-to-braai-boerewors/): How to braai boerewors without splitting the casing. Coal heat, grid height, turning, timing and the temperature that tells you it is done.
- [Boerewors spice mix recipe: the gram-for-gram guide](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/boerewors-spice-mix-australia/): A gram-for-gram boerewors spice mix recipe built from the ordinary Australian spice aisle, plus how to toast, grind and turn it into proper wors.
- [Best biltong in Australia: five makers worth your money](https://braaimate.com/gear/best-biltong-australia/): Hunting the best biltong in Australia? We compare five top makers on meat, method, price and where to buy, from supermarket packs to wagyu.
- [How to make biltong at home in Australia](https://braaimate.com/biltong/how-to-make-biltong-at-home-australia/): Learn how to make biltong at home in Australia. The beef to buy, a traditional cure, and how to dry it safely in the Australian climate, no fancy kit.
- [National braai day Australia: your 24 September plan](https://braaimate.com/braai/national-braai-day-australia/): National braai day Australia falls on Thursday 24 September 2026. Here is the timing, the fire rules by state and the shopping list, checked 17 August 2026.
- [Potjiekos recipe for beginners: your first pot, step by step](https://braaimate.com/recipes/potjiekos-recipe-for-beginners/): A potjiekos recipe for beginners, built around lamb neck. The fire, the layers, the timing, and the one habit that ruins a first potjie.
- [8 braai side dishes you can make from an Australian supermarket](https://braaimate.com/recipes/braai-side-dishes/): Eight braai side dishes you can put together from an Australian supermarket trolley, with the swaps that work, the ones that do not, and what to make first.
- [Maizena vs cornflour in Australia: same thing, one catch](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/maizena-vs-cornflour/): Maizena vs cornflour in Australia: they are the same starch, except when the packet says wheaten. How to read the label and swap it in your recipes.
- [Where to buy boerewors in Australia: the state by state directory](https://braaimate.com/gear/where-to-buy-boerewors-in-australia/): Where to buy boerewors in Australia, state by state. The butchers and shops worth knowing, who delivers nationwide, and what Coles and Woolworths stock.
- [Tennis biscuit substitutes in Australia: what actually works](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/tennis-biscuits-substitute-australia/): Tennis biscuits do not exist on Australian shelves. Arnott’s Nice biscuits do. The tested swap for fridge tarts, plus where to buy the real thing.
- [Mrs Balls chutney substitute: what actually works in an Australian kitchen](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/mrs-balls-chutney-substitute/): The best Mrs Balls chutney substitute for an Australian kitchen, from supermarket jars that get close to a homemade batch you can make in an afternoon.
- [Braai in Australia: the fire rules, state by state](https://braaimate.com/braai/braai-in-australia-fire-rules/): Braai fire ban rules in Australia, explained state by state. When you can light coals, when you cannot, and how to check before every braai.
- [Oxtail and Red Wine Potjie](https://braaimate.com/recipes/oxtail-and-red-wine-potjie/): Heads up: this post contains affiliate links, including a couple of gear picks for building your own potjie.
- [The five ingredient potjie (no liquid, no stirring)](https://braaimate.com/recipes/5-ingredient-potjie/): Five ingredients, one pot, zero stirring. The lamb potjie that makes its own gravy, with every ingredient from an Australian supermarket.
- [South African ingredient substitutes in Australia: the complete guide](https://braaimate.com/substitution-guides/south-african-ingredient-substitutes-australia/): The complete guide to South African ingredient substitutes in Australia. What Coles and Woolworths stock, what to swap, and where to find the real thing.
- [South African shops in Australia: the directory, state by state](https://braaimate.com/gear/south-african-shops-australia/): A verified, state-by-state directory of South African shops in Australia: the biltong makers, delis and grocers you can walk into, plus online stores. Add yours if we have missed it.
- [The potjie pot guide for Australia](https://braaimate.com/gear/potjie-pot-guide-australia/): A plain-English guide to buying a potjie in Australia: which size to get, how it differs from a camp oven, where to find one, and how to season and care for cast iron.
- [Braaibroodjies with Australian ingredients](https://braaimate.com/recipes/braaibroodjies-australian-ingredients/): How to make braaibroodjies, the South African braai sandwich, with ingredients from any Australian supermarket. Cheese, tomato, onion, chutney and the rules that matter.
- [Braai vs bbq: an expat settles it](https://braaimate.com/braai/braai-vs-bbq/): Braai or barbie? A South African expat in Australia settles the difference, from the fire to the boerewors to what the Aussies get gloriously right.

## Pages

- [Contact](https://braaimate.com/contact/): Found a shop we have missed, a substitute that works better, or a Queensland biltong disaster you need to talk about?
- [Substitutions](https://braaimate.com/substitutions/): Every South African recipe assumes a pantry you no longer live near.
- [About](https://braaimate.com/about/): Twenty years ago I stood in the international aisle of a Brisbane Woolworths, holding the wrong sausage, and realised the homesickness I had outrun for years had finally caught up with me.
- [Home](https://braaimate.com/): Braaimate helps South Africans in Australia find their ingredients, translate their recipes and keep the fire going. There are roughly 224,000 of us here.
- [Privacy Policy](https://braaimate.com/privacy-policy/): Suggested text: Our website address is: http://braaimate.com.

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