Vetkoek

A vetkoek is a deep-fried yeast dough bun, often split and filled with savoury mince or syrup. Vetkoek is a South African street food, and Namibia also makes it. The name is Afrikaans for "fat cake": vet means fat and koek means cake. The dough is a simple mix of flour, yeast, sugar and salt, left to rise and then fried rather than baked, which is what sets it apart from a bread roll.

What it really is

The dough is shaped into rounds, left to prove, then lowered into hot oil and fried until deep golden outside and cooked through in the middle. The surface is blistered and crisp, while the inside stays soft and slightly chewy, with a richer, heavier bite than a baked roll. The bun itself is plain and mildly sweet. Most of the flavour comes from what goes inside it, so the filling matters more than the dough.

How it's served

• Hot from the fryer, split open while still warm.
• Filled with savoury mince, a cooked, spiced minced meat, or with syrup for a sweet bun.
• Eaten by hand, often from a paper bag at a street stall.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling in full, such as "Vetkoek with beef mince" or "Vetkoek with syrup." If the mince is lamb or a mix, say so.
• Flag the wheat in the bun. Ask the kitchen whether the dough or filling contains milk, egg or nuts, and state it on the menu.
• Say if the bun is fried in oil shared with fish, crustaceans or other fried foods, since shared fryers are a common source of cross-contact.
• Price the filling clearly if guests choose between mince and syrup.