Apples on the braai: Fresh flavour meets fire

South Africans’ love affair with food, fire, and flavour is burning brighter than ever with Ultimate Braai Master Season 9. As fans tune in across e.tv, eExtra, and eReality, one unlikely ingredient has emerged as the star of the flames — the humble Tru-Cape apple.

From smoked apple sauce and savoury sides to caramelised apples hot off the grill, Tru-Cape apples are adding a fresh twist to the nation’s favourite cooking tradition. Contestants have chopped, grilled, and smoked their way through a series of challenges that have reimagined the apple — not just as a sweet treat, but as a perfect companion to steak, chicken, and seafood.

Last Sunday’s episode was a feast for food lovers and braai enthusiasts alike, offering fresh inspiration on how to bring apples to the fire. Smoky sauces, crisp salads, and mouth-watering sides designed to elevate any braai spread showed innovation and skill.

“As any chef will tell you, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear – and that holds just as true for the braai,” said Ultimate Braai Master judge and celebrity chef Pete Goffe-Wood.

“There’s no substitute for good produce. The Tru-Cape apples our contestants were cooking with were next level. These magnificent apples, in the hands of our capable contestants, made for some truly sumptuous eating.”

The heart of apple country

The show’s setting this season adds another layer of authenticity. Filmed in Grabouw – one of South Africa’s most picturesque farming regions and the heart of Tru-Cape’s apple production in the Western Cape, the series beautifully captured the connection between farm and fire.

“Filming so close to our orchards in Grabouw makes this season especially meaningful for us,” says Conrad Fick, marketing director at Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing. “You can almost feel the connection between the apples sizzling on the braai and the trees just a few kilometres away. It’s a reminder that every great flavour, even those born of fire, begins with nature and the care that goes into growing quality fruit.”

This year’s All-Stars vs. Wild Cards theme has turned up the heat, with returning champions and daring newcomers competing in fiery, flavour-packed showdowns. Tru-Cape’s naturally sweet and versatile apples have added their own spark to the competition, inspiring contestants to create dishes that balance smoky, savoury, and fresh elements in perfect harmony.

More than just a cooking competition, Ultimate Braai Master continues to celebrate South African heritage, creativity, and community, proving that when you start with the best ingredients, the results are pure magic.

Ultimate Braai Master is on screens Sundays at 17:00 on e.tv and available to stream on eVOD for those who miss the Sunday-night sizzle.