 Two boeber drinks | |
| Place of origin | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Associatedcuisine | Cape Malay |
Boeber (pronounced[bubər]) is theCape Malay name for a South African pudding. It has become a traditional Cape Malay sweet, milk drink, made with vermicelli,sago, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon, and rose water. The pudding is traditionally served on the 15th night ofRamadan 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 areop die berg (lit. 'have reached the summit').
In South Africa, boeber was originally made by Cape Malays, whose ancestors came fromIndonesia,East Africa, andIndia.Bubur in modern Malay is the generic word for any kind ofporridge. A similar drink called Sawine or Sewine is served inTrinidad andTobago homes onEid al-Fitr (the festival marking the end of Ramadan). Globally, there are similar drinks such as Asiankheer and sweetcongee. 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 1860Indentured Indian immigrants. In South Africa, anAfrikaans dish known asmelkkos is similar to boeber. A boeber mix is available in some supermarkets, corner cafes, and spice shops in South Africa.[1]
