Thing I love about South Africa #4

Rusks

I know, you have no idea what this is. I didnt either. But lucky for you, I am here to translate all things South African, good and bad.

Rusks are these very hard, almost stale cookie type snack. Alone, they are pretty gross. Very hard and dry. If you just picked up a box and started eating, you likely would be dissapointed. But they are a biscuit that is designed to be dipped into tea. 4 of them can soak up half a cup of tea in one sitting. First, I should say that, much like in England, tea is HUGE here. Everyday at 10 am or so, people stop for tea. Its another built in break to the day. Since I get hungry everyday around 9 am, this works for me. But dipping rusks in my tea makes it even easier to wait all the way until I can eat lunch at noon.

Anyway, I doubt these can even be bought outside of South Africa. I would imagine biscotti, those hard sweet things they sell at coffee shops are a close relative in the states. But if you find yourself in South Africa with a cup of tea in your hand, these are worth a try.