Vetkoek (pronounced FET-cook) is a traditional Afrikaner pastry. It is dough deep-fried in cooking oil and either filled with cooked mince (ground beef) or spread with syrup, honey, or jam. It is thought to have its origins in oliebollen, which go back to the time of the migration period. It is similar in taste to Mexican sopapillas.[1]
Vetkoek literally means "fat cake." It is similarly shaped to a doughnut (jam filled, no hole) and is made from flour, salt and yeast. Dough is rolled into a ball then deep fried. It is commonly eaten with butter or filled with jam or a more savory filling. In a traditional South African braai, or barbecue, vetkoek may be served alongside boerewors, (South African sausage). Koeksisters are made from a similar, but sweeter, dough but are braided in long strips then coated in a sticky sweet syrup.
The Black township version of the vetkoek is called magwenya by the locals living in the Gauteng province of South Africa. In the South African townships vetkoek/magwenya are fast selling food items since they are popular, cheap, and easy to eat on the go. Almost every fast food shop in the Black Gauteng townships that sells fish and chips also sells magwenya commonly served with a rectangular piece of snoek fish.