Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:58:43.438Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Urban Native Food in Johannesburg

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2012

Ellen Hellmann
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

There are two factors affecting the diet of urban Natives: on the one hand there is the expansive influence of assimilation to and adoption of European food habits, and on the other hand there is active a restrictive influence in the shape of poverty. The urban Native, through his close contact with European culture which residence in an urban environment inevitably entails, has been introduced to an extraordinarily wide range of new foodstuffs and new ways of preparing food. Consequently the range of his food desires has been much increased. But his desires are not allowed free play among this new and wide selection. The factor which narrows down his choice and curbs his desire is his poverty. The urban Native eats according to the capacity of his pocket and his food is usually the first item of expenditure which is marked out for especial economy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , April 1936 , pp. 277 - 290
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1936

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

page 279 note 1 MrsE. J., Krige, ‘Social and Economic Facts revealed in Native Family Budgets’, Race Relations, vol. i, no. 6.Google Scholar

page 279 note 2 Report of Native Economic Commission, U.G. 22, 1932, par. 232.

page 279 note 3 South African Outlook, vol. lxi, p. 61.

page 279 note 4 South African Journal of Science, vol. xxv, p. 499.

page 280 note 1 Marewu is a refreshing drink made of a thin porridge of boiled mealie-meal and water. To this mixture a small amount of flour is added and then the liquid stands until sour.

page 284 note 1 See my article: ‘The Importance of Beer Brewing in an Urban Native Slum Yard’, Bantu Studies, vol. viii, no. 1.