padkos
South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans for food packed and brought along for a journey — road trip snacks, basically.
Definitions
South African slang borrowed from Afrikaans for food packed and brought along for a journey — road trip snacks, basically. 'Pad' is Afrikaans for road, and 'kos' means food, so padkos is literally road food. It's a beloved concept in South African culture where long drives between cities are common, and no self-respecting traveller sets off without padkos loaded in the cooler bag. Think sandwiches, rusks, biltong, and fruit — the essentials for surviving the N1.
Mom packed padkos for the drive to Cape Town — biltong, rusks, and enough food for the whole week.
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(South Africa) Food for a journey.
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(South Africa) Food cooked in a three-legged pot or cauldron over an open fire.
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South African term for traditional Afrikaner home cooking — hearty, no-nonsense food rooted in Dutch and German settler traditions. Think slow-braised meats, thick stews, potjiekos cooked over fire, rusks dunked in coffee, and generous helpings of everything. Boerekos is deeply tied to Afrikaner cultural identity and nostalgia, representing the kind of food your ouma made. The word literally means 'farmer food' in Afrikaans and carries real pride.
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