THE FUSE

During his cultural food journey, Kent Burris sampled buttermilk and coconut rusks and discovered why they hold a special place in South African households.

Florida, USA (18 February 2026) – Don’t you just love a good morning with a good cup of coffee just enjoying some rusks? American content creator Kent Burris introduced his latest cultural deep dive into one of South Africa’s most loved traditions: rusks and coffee.

In a video shared during his visit with South Africans in Florida, Kent set out to understand what exactly a “rusk” is. A pastry? A biscuit? A biscotti? Not quite!

At Howdy Snax, he met Estelle, a South African baker originally from Port Elizabeth who grew up in Benoni. The rest of the team walked him through the process of making freshly baked buttermilk rusks from the oven stage to the 12-hour drying process in dehydrators.

And of course, no rusk lesson is complete without a bit of history.

In a video that now has over R1 500 likes, Kent was told how rusks date back to a time when women would double-bake bread to preserve it during long journeys. Now it has evolved.

“In South Africa, as kids, we would literally wait on the side of the oven for a fresh rusk to come out.”

Kent sampled both coconut and buttermilk rusks straight from the oven. However, this isn’t his first cultural tasting adventure. He has built a following by exploring foods and traditions from different communities, including Senegalese, Indian and Ethiopian cultures. His South African content, however, has been particularly relatable. From the rusks to braais (of course that would not be left out).

Seeing someone discover rusks for the first time and getting the history lesson was heart warming.

The simplest things like a rusk and a cup of coffee tell the richest stories.

Sources: Kent Burris/ Facebook

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