Waterblommetjiebredie is a stew.

The name comes from the Afrikaans language and literally means 'small water flower stew'. It is made of meat, typically lamb, s tewed together with the waterblommetjies (Aponogeton distachyos flowers, commonl y known as Cape pondweed, Cape hawthorn or Cape asparagus) which are found in th e dams and marshes of the Western Cape of South Africa. The buds of Aponogeton d istachyos are usually ready to be picked in the southern midwinter months of Jul y and August, leading to their use in winter stews such as waterblommetjiebredie . The taste of the stew has been described as much like stewed green beans with a hint of pumpkin.[citation needed] Waterblommetjiebredie is a well-respected loca l delicacy in South Africa and popular with foreign tourists.[citation needed]

Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Recipes 3 See also 4 Notes History[edit] It is likely that the use of the waterblommetjie as a food source was adopted fr om the indigenous Khoikhoi, peoples who worked in the kitchens of the Dutch toge ther with peoples forcibly exiled from the Dutch East Indies.[citation needed] W aterblommetjiebredie is a good example of how these three cultural influences we re fused into the cuisine of the western cape.[citation needed] Some[who?] believe that the early Dutch settlers (circa Jan van Riebeek s time) us ed waterblommetjies as a vegetable (and hence a source of vitamin C) in desperat ion, since their early farming initiatives had been somewhat less than successfu l. An alternative theory is that the Voortrekkers harvested them as a food sourc e since they were unable to grow anything while trekking.[citation needed] Recipes[edit] The typical main ingredients of waterblommetjiebredie:[1][2][3] lamb or mutton waterblommetjies Cape sorrel (surings in Afrikaans) onions potatoes salt and pepper