- An American woman named Tia, who lives in the Mother City, asked her Xhosa friend if South Africans eat pigeons
- The man, who was kneading dough for steamed bread, shared his answer with Tia, who was surprised
- A few internet users in the comment section were shocked to hear that some people eat pigeons, while others didn't find a problem with it
South Africa boasts various delicacies that may raise a few eyebrows from locals and international tourists alike. In a moment of curiosity, a woman from the United States asked her South African friend if pigeons were on the local menu.
An unusual flying snack
A woman named Tia, who lives in Cape Town, uploaded a video on her TikTok account showing how she and her Xhosa friend were making steamed bread.
While kneading the dough, Tia asked her pal if eating pigeons "was a thing" in South Africa as she had seen a boy catch one while she was in Langa, a township in the Mother City.
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The American woman told her friend:
"I didn't know what he was going to do with it."
Tia then asked the man if he ate the bird before, which he confirmed he did as a teen. He shared that before nibbling on the bird, he and his friends would break the bird's neck and put it in boiling water to remove the feathers. He also added that his grandmother wasn't happy with his eating choices.
Tia then asked the question many may have had on their minds:
"How did it taste?"
Her friend responded:
"I don't remember the taste, but it was like fried meat."
Watch the TikTok video below:
Mzansi speaks on pigeon feast
Several local members of the online community headed to the comment section with surprise after hearing the man admit that catching and eating pigeons was a thing he had done in his youth.
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Some app users confirmed the man's story by sharing what they experienced as children.
A flabbergasted @melintheaslimtonic wrote in the comments:
"I’m Xhosa. I’ve never seen anyone eating pigeons."
Aware of the pigeon situation, @bojackxhosman said to the public:
"It's just something that young boys do. Some young boys."
A humoured @kaybee1418 asked the online community:
"We eat pigeons? Kanti, what South Africa are we living in that I don't know of?"
@anitasoniaririjekeqa shared with people on the app:
"Yeah, it’s true. We used to do that growing up. Our parents didn’t like us doing that. Sometimes, you will get home and you will be beaten because of eating it. It’s not our culture, it’s just what we did as kids."
@tiisetso_mothoagae also confirmed the story and stated with a laugh:
"Between five and 10 years old, yes. We used to hunt sparrows and pigeons as boys and then cook them in the fields. He is telling the truth. We all contributed towards the meal."
@thechadddd noted in the comment section:
"I'm a 30-year-old South African living in Cape Town. I never saw anyone eating pigeons. Where can I get a pigeon pie?"
3 Other stories about South African food
- In another article, Briefly News reported about an American woman who went to a shisanyama in Johannesburg, which she noted was her grandfather's idea.
- South Africans got emotional when they saw throwback prices of food from 10 years ago. Social media users expressed themselves in the comment section.
- An American man tried eight packets of chips from a spaza shop. Locals suggested other brands of chips for him to try.
