bredie: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowInformal, Culinary, Regional
Quick answer
What does “bredie” mean?
A South African stew, typically made with meat (often mutton or lamb) and vegetables, cooked slowly until tender.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A South African stew, typically made with meat (often mutton or lamb) and vegetables, cooked slowly until tender.
A term for a specific, traditional Cape Malay or Afrikaans stew, characterized by its slow cooking process and the use of local ingredients like tomatoes, potatoes, and sometimes pumpkin or beans. It can also refer more generally to a comforting, homely dish.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is almost entirely absent from both standard British and American English. It is a South African English term. If encountered, it would be understood as a foreign culinary term, similar to 'tagine' or 'goulash'.
Connotations
In its native context (South Africa), it connotes tradition, home-cooked food, and Cape Malay/Afrikaner culture. In BrE/AmE, it would have no inherent connotations beyond being an exotic dish name.
Frequency
Extremely rare to non-existent in general BrE/AmE corpora. Its use is confined to contexts discussing South African cuisine.
Grammar
How to Use “bredie” in a Sentence
[Subject] cooks/makes a [Adjective] bredie.[Subject] is a bredie [of meat and vegetables].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bredie” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We're going to bredie some lamb for the weekend gathering.
- She expertly bredied the vegetables with the mutton.
adjective
British English
- The bredie pot was passed down through generations.
- It had a rich, bredie-like consistency.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Unlikely, except in the restaurant, food import/export, or tourism industries related to South Africa.
Academic
Might appear in anthropological, cultural studies, or culinary history texts focusing on South Africa.
Everyday
Only in South Africa or among South African expatriates. Elsewhere, it would require explanation.
Technical
Used in specific culinary contexts describing world cuisines or in recipe books.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bredie”
- Using it as a generic term for any stew outside the South African context.
- Misspelling as 'breedy', 'breadie', or 'bready'.
- Assuming it is widely understood in international English.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a specific type of stew within South African cuisine, with traditional recipes and cultural significance, not a generic synonym.
Only if you are speaking about South African food or are in a South African context. Otherwise, you will likely need to explain the term.
Both are SA stews. A 'potjie' is named after the three-legged pot (potjiekos) it's cooked in, often outdoors. A 'bredie' is a broader term for a homely stew, often associated with Cape Malay cooking.
It is pronounced BREE-dee, with the stress on the first syllable.
A South African stew, typically made with meat (often mutton or lamb) and vegetables, cooked slowly until tender.
Bredie is usually informal, culinary, regional in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “"A storm in a bredie pot" (a SA idiom meaning a fuss about nothing).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: "BREakfast? No, I need a hot, slow-cooked South African stew for dinner - a BRE-DIE."
Conceptual Metaphor
COMFORT IS A SLOW-COOKED STEW (bredie represents warmth, care, and tradition).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'bredie' primarily associated with?