Koeksisters (Fried Syrup Braids)
Braids of yeasted dough fried until golden, then plunged hot into a cold syrup flavored with ginger and cinnamon. Crispy on the outside, soaked with syrup inside, irresistibly sticky and sweet.
Braids of yeasted dough fried until golden, then plunged hot into a cold syrup flavored with ginger and cinnamon. Crispy on the outside, soaked with syrup inside, irresistibly sticky and sweet.
Oh, don't tell my doctor! A well-golden koeksister, crispy outside and all dripping with ginger syrup inside — that's one of my most openly admitted weaknesses. We'd buy them from stalls, still cold from the syrup, and lick our fingers like children. God gave us sugar and laughter, my friend, it would be a sin to shun them. I'll have another... or two. Who's counting on the Lord's day?
- •Wheat flour — two bowls (dough)
- •Yeast or sourdough starter — a little (leavening)
- •Butter — a knob (dough richness)
- •Sugar — a lot (syrup)
- •Ginger, cinnamon, lemon zest — to taste (syrup flavoring)
- •Fat for frying — as needed (cooking)
Koeksisters (Fried Syrup Braids)
Braids of yeasted dough fried until golden, then plunged hot into a cold syrup flavored with ginger and cinnamon. Crispy on the outside, soaked with syrup inside, irresistibly sticky and sweet.
Why this dish? The koeksister, a fried pastry dipped in spiced syrup, is an iconic Cape sweet sold at markets and street stalls, shared at any festive occasion. Tutu, a self-confessed foodie who didn't hide his taste for simple pleasures, would not have resisted this sticky, joyful treat from his Cape region.
Oh, don't tell my doctor! A well-golden koeksister, crispy outside and all dripping with ginger syrup inside — that's one of my most openly admitted weaknesses. We'd buy them from stalls, still cold from the syrup, and lick our fingers like children. God gave us sugar and laughter, my friend, it would be a sin to shun them. I'll have another... or two. Who's counting on the Lord's day?
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — two bowls (dough)
- Yeast or sourdough starter — a little (leavening)
- Butter — a knob (dough richness)
- Sugar — a lot (syrup)
- Ginger, cinnamon, lemon zest — to taste (syrup flavoring)
- Fat for frying — as needed (cooking)
Ingredients
- Flour — 250 g (dough)
- Active dry yeast — 1 packet (7 g) (leavening)
- Butter — 30 g (richness)
- Warm milk — 120 ml (hydration)
- Sugar (for syrup) — 400 g (syrup)
- Water — 250 ml (syrup)
- Fresh grated ginger + 1 cinnamon stick + lemon zest — to taste (flavoring)
- Frying oil — 1 L (cooking)
Method
- Prepare the syrup: boil sugar, water, ginger, cinnamon, and zest for 10 minutes, then cool completely in the refrigerator (the syrup must be ice-cold).
- Knead flour, yeast, butter, a pinch of salt, and warm milk into a soft dough. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough, cut into strips, and braid three strips together, pinching the ends.
- Fry the braids in oil at 170°C until beautifully golden.
- Immediately plunge the hot koeksisters into the ice-cold syrup for 30 seconds (the thermal shock creates the crispy/syrupy contrast), then drain on a rack.
How it was made : The koeksister has two traditions: the Afrikaner version, braided and syrupy, and the Cape Malay 'koesister', spiced and rolled in coconut. Women would prepare trays to sell, and Cape market stalls overflowed with them — a popular sweet accessible to all.
The contemporary twist : Roll the syrupy version in shredded coconut in Cape Malay style, and serve warm with a cup of rooibos.
Desmond Tutu · Charactorium
