Boeber () is the

Cape Malay Cape Malays (, in Arabies script) also known as Cape Muslims or Malays, are a Muslim community or ethnic group in South Africa. They are the descendants of enslaved and free Muslims from different parts of the world who lived at the Cape duri ...

name for a South African pudding. It has become a traditional Cape Malay sweet, milk drink, made with vermicelli,

sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is ...

, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon, and rose water. The pudding is traditionally served on the 15th night of

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

to celebrate the middle of the fast, for those who have completed the first 15 days of fasting. They are also known as people who are ().

Origin

In South Africa, boeber was originally made by Cape Malays, whose ancestors came from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

, and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Malaysians consume a similar delicacy called bubur lambuk (special porridge) to break their fast in

. A similar drink called Sawine or Sewine is served in

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

and

Tobago Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...

homes on

Eid al-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

(the festival marking the end of Ramadan). Globally, there are similar drinks such as Asian

kheer Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur whe ...

and sweet

congee Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...

. Boeber bears the closest resemblance to kheer or payasam, a dessert hailing from the Indian subcontinent, which is likely to be either introduced by Indian slaves, or the 1860

Indentured Indian immigrants The Indian indenture system was a system of indentured servitude, by which more than one million Indians were transported to labour in European colonies, as a substitute for slave labor, following the abolition of the trade in the early 19th cen ...

. In South Africa, an

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

dish known as melkkos is similar to boeber. Many people make boeber according to family recipes, and most Cape Malay cookbooks feature recipes and pictures of the boeber delicacy. In addition, a boeber mix is available in selected supermarkets, corner cafes, and spice shops in South Africa.

Ingredients

* butter *

* 1 cup of water to soak the sago *

vermicelli Vermicelli (; , , also , ) is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is typically thicker. The term ''vermicelli'' is also used to ...

* 3 cinnamon sticks * 5 whole cardamom (bruised) * sultanas * milk * rose water * white sugar (to taste) * blanched almonds

Preparation

Pre-soak the sago in the water for 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Add the vermicelli and toss it in the butter with a fork until the vermicelli is lightly browned. Add the cardamom, cinnamon and the sultanas, and stir. Pour in the milk and bring to the boil. Add the sago and simmer for 30 minutes or until sago is transparent, stirring constantly to prevent sticking of the ingredients to the saucepan. Add the rose water, sugar and almonds, and continue to simmer until well blended for 10 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Preparation time: 1 hour.

References

*Smith S. ''Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights''. 2015, p. 106. *Field S, Meyer R, Swanson F. ''Imagining the City : memories and cultures in Cape Town''. HSRC Press, 2007, p. 126. *Baderoon G. ''Representation of Islam in South African media and culture''. University of Cape Town, 2014, p. 113 South African cuisine {{South African cuisine