Braais

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Outdoor cooking events involving grilling over an open flame or charcoal ; a method of preparing food by roasting meat on a fire ; informal social gatherings centered around barbecuing
2. Social occasions where food is grilled outdoors over coals or an open fire ; a technique of cooking food with direct heat from burning wood or charcoal ; friendly events focused on outdoor meat roasting
3. An outdoor feast involving the slow roasting of meat on a grill or spit ; a culinary practice using fire to cook food directly ; communal activities surrounding cooking and eating grilled dishes outside

Etymology: "Braais" is simply the plural of "braai," the South African term for an outdoor barbecue. The singular form came into English from Afrikaans, where "braai" means "to grill," and that verb descends from Dutch "braden," meaning "to roast." So the word carries a Dutch sense of roasting over a fire into the open-air cooking traditions of South Africa. Because the English-speaking world adopted it only as a loanword, "braais" keeps the flavour of the Afrikaans community that gave it its meaning. The noun now covers the cooking method, the food, and the social gathering built around it, all sharing that original idea of meat roasting on a flame.

Synonyms: barbecue, grill