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September 23, 2022
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How to Light a Braai Fire Like a Pro (And Celebrate Heritage Day Properly)
Been invited to a braai by your South African mates? They’ve probably already told you about the 24th of September. It’s National Heritage Day. Back home, it’s widely known as National Braai Day. Millions of South Africans will be lighting fires to celebrate. It’s a public holiday that has been running since the mid-90s to celebrate our diversity, culture, and roots.
The History of Braai Day
Back in 2005, Jan Scannell—better known as ‘Jan Braai’—started a campaign to rename the holiday to National Braai Day. It recognizes the massive cultural importance of gathering around a fire. If you can, check out his TV show Jan Braai on KykNet. We actually just got one of his cookbooks and the recipes are brilliant.
The whole mission of Braai Day is to get South Africans to unite around fires, share our heritage, and wave the flag.
In 2007, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu was made the National Spokesperson for Braai Day. He said it perfectly:
“There are so many things that are pulling us apart. This has a wonderful potential to bring us all together. We have 11 different official languages but only one word for the wonderful institution of braai.”
Lighting a Braai Like a Local
If it’s your first time hosting, you need to know how to get the fire right. At Let’s Braai, we’re obsessed with the atmosphere a good wood fire creates. It’s the only way to get the ultimate braai experience.
African hardwood burns much longer than standard charcoal. It produces a massive amount of consistent heat. That means you can cook anything like an absolute master. Our imported wood is extremely dry with very low moisture content.
Here’s what you should be burning:
Kameeldoring: This is a very dry, slow-burning wood. It gives off a musky fragrance and creates a deep bed of hot coals. It’s superb for grilling.
Sekelbos: Super dry and burns incredibly slow. It kicks out intense heat and adds a heavy smoky flavour to your meat.
Rooikrans: This one produces coals in about 40 minutes. It stays hot enough to cook over for up to an hour and adds a lovely smoky flavour.
Mopane: It’s reddish, very dense, and makes incredibly hot coals that last for ages. You can grill for hours with this.
Want to try a few? Grab one of our Mix and Match bundles or a 30kg box with free mainland UK delivery.
Your 4-Step Fire Guide
A braai isn’t a braai without a proper fire. Here’s how you build one.
1. Get Your Kit Sorted
Grab everything you need before you start. You need a good fire starter. We highly recommend natural firelighters. Or, just keep your old cardboard egg boxes, rub them with vegetable oil, and use them instead.
Next, grab your kindling. Our Sekelbos kindling is extremely dense and dry. Then get your heavy logs ready. You’ll also need a serious pair of tongs. We swear by our Jim Beam grilling tongs.
2. Build the Tower
Put your kindling in the centre of the braai. Lay two pieces down parallel to each other. Place two more pieces on top, but lay them perpendicular to the first two. Place your fire starter right in the middle of this square and light it.
Once that catches, start adding your bigger logs using the exact same square tower technique. Build three or four layers. Keep the wood spaced apart so air can feed the flames.
3. Watch the Flames
You have to watch the fire attentively. Make sure it has enough space to breathe. If you stack too few logs, it dies. If you pack them too tight, you suffocate the flame.
Once it’s burning nicely, leave it alone. When the tower eventually collapses, just move the unburnt logs back onto the hot pile. If you’re using Rooikrans, you’ll have cooking coals in 40 minutes. Give Kameeldoring or Sekelbos about an hour.
4. Move the Coals and Cook
We highly recommend building your main fire on one side of the unit. As the coals form, pull them over to your cooking area and spread them out flat.
Our 900mm stainless steel mobile braai is built specifically for this. It has a dedicated ember maker. You just keep adding logs to the main fire to create a constant supply of fresh coals. Drop the grid to the lowest setting for a quick sear, or keep it high for slower cooking.
Go Bokke!
The 24th of September isn’t just Braai Day. It’s a massive day for the Springboks. They’re playing Argentina with a shot at winning the Rugby Championship.
Since we started Let’s Braai, we’ve actually had the chance to meet a few of the Boks, including Andre Esterhuizen, Jasper Wiese, Wilco Louw, and Jaco Taute. They use our wood and our braais here in the UK for a proper taste of home.
So light a fire, throw a good piece of meat on the grid, and grab a drink. From everyone at the Let’s Braai team, we wish all our friends and family in the UK and back home a brilliant National Braai Day.
