South Africa just came second in a global “Food World Cup” on TikTok… and while we didn’t take the title, we definitely served the most flavour, the most laughs, and a whole lot of local pride.
Global (19 April 2025) – South Africa might not have clinched the title but we’ve officially cooked our way into the hearts (and stomachs) of the world. And we’re loving every bite of it.
A viral “Food World Cup” series on TikTok has captured global attention… and proudly served up a side of South African flavour. The creator behind the trend, Pushpek Sidhu, a Canadian TikToker with over a million followers spent the last 230 days tasting over 200 dishes from 90 countries. The idea was simple: create food battles between nations and let the flavours do the talking.
Against all odds, South Africa made it to the grand final, facing off against India – a culinary heavyweight in any competition.
From Bunny Chows to Vetkoek, Koeksisters, Boerie rolls and Kotas, South Africa served some serious competition along the way, knocking out dishes from Turkey, Korea, the West Indies and Brazil. With every round, our food stood strong… and so did the humour.
Pushpek did his absolute best but let’s just say he got very creative with our local terms. He bravely mispronounced Vetkoek as “wet cock” (we’ll never unhear it), and then doubled down by calling Koeksisters “cock sisters.” He also translated “Voetsek” completely wrong but honestly, it just added to the charm. We all know how tricky Afrikaans can be when you’re giving it a go for the first time.
The final showdown featured these matchups:
🇿🇦 Peri-Peri Chicken vs 🇮🇳 Tandoori Chicken – South Africa took the win!
🇿🇦 Boerie Roll vs 🇮🇳 Chicken Tikka Roll – India won that one (to be fair, “boerewors” isn’t easy to pronounce).
🇿🇦 Vetkoek vs 🇮🇳 Vada Pav – Vetkoek came out tops!
🇿🇦 Kota vs 🇮🇳 Dosa – India took the win.
🇿🇦 Bunny Chow vs 🇮🇳 Briyani – Briyani edged it.
🇿🇦 Malva Pudding vs 🇮🇳 Jalebi – South Africa took the sweet victory.
🇿🇦 Koeksisters vs 🇮🇳 Kala Jamun – This final round went to India… and secured their overall win.
India may have taken the title but South Africa brought the flavour, the fun and the full experience.
And the world noticed.
@pushpeksidhuINDIA VS SOUTH AFRICA – Food World Cup♬ original sound – Pushpek Sidhu
This entire journey was more than just food battles on TikTok… it was a global celebration of who we are. Our dishes, our culture, our South Africaness. All served up with a side of laughter and a whole lot of heart. People who’d never heard of a Bunny Chow are now craving one. Malva pudding has officially gone international. And thanks to Pushpek’s wildly off-mark pronunciations, the world now knows that Vetkoek is pronounced “wet cock”.
Someone in the comments said it best: “We didn’t just make it to the final. We made the whole thing worth watching.”
Call it what you want… but that sounds like a win to us.
Now, can someone please bring me a Boerie roll before I get emotional?
Voetsek!
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