What Are Walkie Talkies? The South African Chicken Feet and Heads Explained
Walkie talkies are a South African township street food of chicken feet and heads, cleaned, boiled and grilled with spice. Here is what they are.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Walkie talkies are a South African township street food made from chicken feet and heads, the parts that walk and talk, which gives the snack its playful name. The pieces are cleaned, boiled until tender and then grilled or fried with spice, and they are sold cheaply by street vendors as a cheerful, nose-to-tail snack. They are budget-friendly, full of flavour and a familiar part of township eating, enjoyed on their own or with pap and a cold drink. In the UK you can buy chicken feet and heads from African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Walkie talkies are a South African street food of chicken feet and heads.
- The name comes from the parts that walk (feet) and talk (heads).
- They are cleaned, boiled, then grilled or fried with spice.
- They are sold cheaply by township vendors as a nose-to-tail snack.
- The parts are also known by names such as amanqina for the feet.
Few snacks say township street corner quite like a tray of walkie talkies sizzling over the coals, the smell of spiced, charred chicken drifting down the pavement. For many South Africans this is the taste of everyday life, of money that stretches far, of vendors who know their regulars and a snack you eat with your hands and a laugh at the clever name. It is honest, unfussy food that has fed generations without ever pretending to be anything grand.
There is real heart in walkie talkies, in the thrift and good sense of using every part of the bird, and in the way something so cheap becomes genuinely delicious with a little spice and fire. To find chicken feet and heads in Britain and cook them the township way is to hold on to that resourceful, flavourful tradition, and to share a plate is to pass on a piece of home. That smoky, well seasoned taste is the quiet comfort walkie talkies carry with them.
What Walkie Talkies Actually Are
Walkie talkies are a South African street food made from the parts of the chicken that "walk" and "talk", the feet and the heads. The name is a bit of township humour, and it has stuck because it captures the dish perfectly. The feet, sometimes known as amanqina, and the heads are cleaned thoroughly, then boiled until tender, and finished on a grill or in a pan with plenty of spice so they take on colour, char and flavour. The result is a small, cheap, deeply savoury snack that vendors sell by the piece or by the portion.
They are a proud example of nose-to-tail eating, using cuts that might otherwise be thrown away and turning them into something people genuinely enjoy. Walkie talkies belong to the wider world of South African street and braai eating, sitting comfortably alongside the grilled meats and township favourites of South African food. They are humble, resourceful and full of flavour, exactly the kind of food that street corners are built on.
The pairing of feet and heads is what makes the snack complete, giving you two quite different eating experiences from a single, low cost portion. The feet are all about texture, soft skin and cartilage that turns sticky and rich once cooked, while the heads are about the hunt for small, savoury pieces of meat. Sold together for a few coins, they offer a satisfying little meal that costs a fraction of a cut of steak, which is a large part of why they have stayed so popular.
How Walkie Talkies Are Made and Eaten
Making walkie talkies begins with careful cleaning, because feet and heads need to be prepared well before cooking. The pieces are then boiled until the feet turn soft and gelatinous and the heads are tender, which is the step that makes them pleasant to eat. After that they are seasoned generously, often with a spice mix, salt, pepper and chilli, and grilled over coals or fried until crisp and browned at the edges. The feet are prized for their sticky, collagen-rich texture, while the heads are eaten for the small, tasty morsels of meat.
They are usually eaten by hand, straight from the vendor, as a snack on the go, and they are especially popular as cheap, filling street food. Many people enjoy them with pap, the maize staple, or simply with a sprinkle of extra spice and a cold drink. Eating walkie talkies is a hands-on, sociable affair, the sort of food you share standing up, and their low cost means they are within easy reach for almost everyone.
Cooks and vendors each have their own touch, and that is part of the appeal. Some keep the seasoning simple with salt, pepper and a good chilli kick, while others reach for a curry-style spice blend or a splash of chutney to serve alongside. The boiling stage is the one that matters most, since properly softened feet and heads make all the difference between a chewy mouthful and a tender one. Get that right and the final grilling or frying does the rest, crisping the skin and adding the smoky char that people wait in line for.
Why Walkie Talkies Matter in South Africa
Walkie talkies matter because they are affordable, nourishing and rooted in township life, where making the most of every part of the chicken has long been both good sense and good eating. They show how resourcefulness becomes tradition, a cheap cut transformed by spice and fire into a snack people seek out and love. For street vendors they are a reliable seller, and for customers they are a tasty, budget-friendly treat that fits everyday life.
The playful name and the shared, hands-on way of eating them also make walkie talkies part of the social fabric of the streets. They are food with character, a reminder that some of the best eating comes from the simplest and cheapest ingredients, cooked with care and a bit of good humour. Passed between friends at a market stall or a braai, they carry a sense of belonging that no fancy dish can quite match.
Where to Buy Walkie Talkies in the UK
Walkie talkies are usually made at home in Britain, and the parts you need, chicken feet and heads, are sold by African food shops and some butchers that serve African communities. Chicken feet in particular are widely available frozen, and once you have them the method is simple: clean them well, boil until tender, season generously and grill or fry until browned. A good spice mix is all it takes to bring the township flavour to your own kitchen. You can find African food stores near you to see which shops nearby stock chicken feet and heads.
Frequently asked questions
What are walkie talkies?
Walkie talkies are a South African township street food made from chicken feet and heads, the parts that walk and talk, which is where the playful name comes from. The pieces are cleaned, boiled until tender and then grilled or fried with spice, and they are sold cheaply by street vendors as a nose-to-tail snack.
Why are they called walkie talkies?
The name is a piece of township humour. The chicken feet are the parts that walk and the chicken heads are the parts that talk, so together they became walkie talkies. It is a clever, memorable name that has stuck to this cheap and popular street food.
What do walkie talkies taste like?
Walkie talkies are savoury and well spiced, with a smoky, charred edge from the grill. The feet are soft, sticky and rich in collagen, while the heads offer small, tasty morsels of meat. Cooked with a generous spice mix, salt, pepper and chilli, they are full of flavour despite being such a cheap cut.
How are walkie talkies cooked?
The feet, sometimes called amanqina, and the heads are cleaned thoroughly, then boiled until tender so they are pleasant to eat. They are seasoned generously and finished on a grill over coals or fried until crisp and browned. They are usually eaten by hand as a snack, often with pap and a cold drink.
Where can I buy walkie talkies ingredients in the UK?
The parts you need, chicken feet and heads, are sold by African food shops and butchers serving African communities, with chicken feet widely available frozen. Once you have them you clean, boil, season and grill or fry them at home. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.