“To find out if the food is ready, stick your fork in. If it goes through easily and comes out cleanly, the food is ready. Alternatively, just wait for the burning smell.”

The perfect way to cook and stay warm. Note the regularity of the coals though, indicating that these are bought as coal in a bag, and not the result of a wood fire made by the person doing the cooking.

In some countries, people need special permission to make fires or even light coals. Factors such as the hazard to neighbouring buildings, the amount of smoke and the neighbours’ washing lines are all taken into consideration. After much queueing and bureaucratic rigmarole an application is either granted or denied. This is not the case in Namibia. If you want to make a fire, you get the matches, and light some wood.

Fire is very much a part of life in Namibia. For some it is a matter of staying warm and day-to-day cooking. For others, lighting the fire is one of the rituals of companionship, hospitality and cooking, a reminder of how life used to be.

Although lighting a fire is nothing unusual for most Namibians, it is not without its responsibilities. If the neighbour has washing hanging nearby, he or she will probably come out and have a long argument with you. If you set fire to someone’s house or cause a bush fire, the fire brigade and the police will come and have a very short argument with you, which you will definitely lose.

Just as Namibians rely on fire in much of their day-to-day lives, so do travelers. Lighting and enjoying a fire is as much a part of the magic of a journey through Namibia as seeing the wildlife, the scenery, meeting new people and changing a flat tyre. It can also be a matter of survival, if you have to cook or need to stay warm.

However if you are a traveler to Namibia, the chances are that you have not had much experience with the use of fire, and so you should be very careful, and not just for fear of burning your fingers.

There are two methods of making fire. The first is coal, an option frowned upon by most Namibians in much the same way that people dislike painting by numbers, then calling it art. The second is wood. On the topic of the choice of wood, buy camelthorn wood which has a great fragrance that enhances any cooking. Don’t pick up any wood as you don’t know if the wood is poisonous when burnt on the fire, if the wood hides some poisonous creature that lives beneath it or if you are disturbing the ecosytem.

Wood should only be burned in a campsite, and then only in a specially constructed place for burning wood, known locally as a ‘braai’. This is usually made of concrete and brick or a half drum and provides a barrier to prevent hot embers from blowing off the fire.

Never burn wood outside of a braai, unless you are in danger of freezing to death, and then only in a shallow pit surrounded by stones. Irresponsible fires can cause larger, very destructive and dangerous bush fires. On the same topic, never chuck lit cigarettes around or matches that you have just used. Don’t try to burn refuse either. Carry it with you until you reach the next refuse bin. If you make a fire, also make sure that there is enough water nearby to put it out quickly.

There are a number of methods to start a fire. The best method is a match. Second choice is a lighter, though you may burn your fingers. In cases of emergency, a magnifying glass or piece of concave glass from a broken bottle can be used to focus the rays of the sun. On this topic, any glass that you leave lying around may start a fire months or years after you leave it, so make sure that you throw used glass into a rubbish bin.

If you want to light a fire, the traditional method is to set fire to some small twigs and leaves, pile on some slightly larger twigs and when those are burning move on to small logs followed by large logs. On the other hand, a small paraffin-soaked briquette, commonly known as ‘blitz’ is widely available and can be used to light medium sized logs.

If you are going to cook on the braai, you will need a braai grid, four level stones of about 10 cm in height and a fork with long tines. A small spade and braai tongs will come in handy as well, but are not absolutely necessary. A torch will be necessary if you are cooking at night. Bear in mind that cooking over a braai during the day is hot, sweaty work and attracts millions of flies.

Once the wood has burned down to glowing red coals, rake them into a flat, square heap slightly smaller than the braai grid and 3 – 4 cm in height. Place the stones at the corners of the coals and rest the braai grid on the stones. You are ready to begin cooking. If the grid folds over, turn the meat from time to time by turning the grid. If not, use the fork or the tongs to turn the meat.

If you want to keep a fire burning by the side for conviviality and as fuel for the imagination, or because you have a lot of cooking to do, use the spade to remove the coals for the cooking and the tongs to add wood to the fire.

If the coals burn down before you have finished cooking, either turn them and hope that everyone likes their meat rare, or add more coals from the fire. When working with hot coals, beware of burning embers. Many Namibians, myself included, carry small scars from hot cinders and sudden gusts of wind.

The cooking order for the braai should be chicken first, as this requires a long time followed by kebabs (known locally as ‘sosaties’) and chops. Finally cook your sausages. Strangely enough these can be left on the fire while the main course is eaten, and then used as a meaty substitute for dessert or tomorrow’s breakfast.

No braai is complete without the long coils of the local sausage, ‘boerewors’. This translates to ‘farmer’s sausage’ and is made with mutton, beef and pork combined with combinations of seasoning, depending on the maker, that may include coriander and cloves.

If cooking steak, use very hot coals and only cook for a short while. Don’t ask me how to braai a fish. All that I know is that it involves tinned foil. Whole potatoes and onions can be individually wrapped in foil and placed to roast amongst the hot coals.

To find out if the food is ready, stick your fork in. If it goes through easily and comes out cleanly, the food is ready. Alternatively, just wait for the burning smell.

Expect to spend about an half an hour to get the fire ready for cooking and another hour actually cooking. After you have finished, put the fire out with water. Sand is a second option, but coals can still cause fire if the wind blows the sand off the embers, so only use this method as a last resort.

Namibian nights can be bitterly cold and people have been known to die of exposure. If you are caught in the open on one of these nights, make a fire. If need be, don’t hesitate to use the seating material from the car or anything else that comes to hand, just bear in mind that you will have pay for the damage.

Fire is a friend to all Namibians, and definitely livens up any journey. Whatever you do though, use it carefully.

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