SOUTH AFRICAN CULINARY HERITAGE
The book South African Culinary Heritage by Eunice Rakhale, is about local food history and traditions interlaced with family conversations. It illustrates the culinary diversity of Southern African cuisine and some neighbouring countries, comparing the similarities and unique palatable heritages thereof. Written in a conversational style, the book is a handy culinary compilation which will bestow the reader with explorations regarding local African lifestyles history, art, clothing, music and perhaps even some song and dance. For tourists visiting these African countries – possessing a diversity of ethnic cultures, it is a worthy read regarding heritage and of-course African cuisine. A guide which should be included in any tourist’s travel pack and families. It is about a genuine story told with an extraordinary ability that draws parallel between the author’s struggle in the restaurant industry and in her personal life. Ultimately, her passion for food is where she finds solace to learn, heal and grow. Mother Daughter relationships can be extremely complex and Eunice is no exception. In the book, besides a plethora of authentic recipes and history, she shares candidly about her strained relationship with her daughter Mothei Makhetha. Being estranged for seven years, Mothei writes her mother a letter, in a desperate cry for help, which she hopes will begin the healing process. After receiving the letter, circumstances of her life took Eunice back home to her mother in Moletsane, Soweto. This happens while she is researching her culinary book authenticating the recipes through the help of her mother. This handing down of recipes from her mother gets them connected on a very deep level, thus, creating compassion and trust they never had. In desperation Eunice seeks counselling from her own mother to try and mend the relationship with her daughter. Their journey is one of true and sincere conversations handed down from one generation to another, around family meals and prayerful family meetings.
The book South African Culinary Heritage by Eunice Rakhale, is about local food history and traditions interlaced with family conversations. It illustrates the culinary diversity of Southern African cuisine and some neighbouring countries, comparing the similarities and unique palatable heritages thereof. Written in a conversational style, the book is a handy culinary compilation which will bestow the reader with explorations regarding local African lifestyles history, art, clothing, music and perhaps even some song and dance. For tourists visiting these African countries – possessing a diversity of ethnic cultures, it is a worthy read regarding heritage and of-course African cuisine. A guide which should be included in any tourist’s travel pack and families.
It is about a genuine story told with an extraordinary ability that draws parallel between the author’s struggle in the restaurant industry and in her personal life. Ultimately, her passion for food is where she finds solace to learn, heal and grow.
Mother Daughter relationships can be extremely complex and Eunice is no exception. In the book, besides a plethora of authentic recipes and history, she shares candidly about her strained relationship with her daughter Mothei Makhetha. Being estranged for seven years, Mothei writes her mother a letter, in a desperate cry for help, which she hopes will begin the healing process. After receiving the letter, circumstances of her life took Eunice back home to her mother in Moletsane, Soweto. This happens while she is researching her culinary book authenticating the recipes through the help of her mother. This handing down of recipes from her mother gets them connected on a very deep level, thus, creating compassion and trust they never had. In desperation Eunice seeks counselling from her own mother to try and mend the relationship with her daughter.
Their journey is one of true and sincere conversations handed down from one generation to another, around family meals and prayerful family meetings.
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South African Culinary Heritage
Month. I was invited for an interview by one of the local
television stations. The presenter, I came to find out, later,
happened to be one of my former guests. In the make-up
room, she had started to reminiscence about her dining
experiences at our restaurant. Suddenly, I was engulfed by
tremendous anxiety as her excitement took me back to the
restaurant business. I had suddenly gone back to my
woundedness. As we prepare to go on air, I remind her,
emphatically:
“Please, Sindy, can we just focus and talk about the book
only; that is the purpose of the interview, remember?” At
that point, we were already on countdown to be on air.
Ignoring my warning, Sindy had gone ahead and introduced
me as a former restaurateur and went on, and on, about the
restaurant. The rest of the interview, I cannot remember,
except for the feeling that had suddenly come upon me. But,
as I was talking to Sindy, something inside of me had come
alive; and my soul had started shining, and – unexpectedly
– my collapsed life did not matter anymore. I had then
rattled through the interview with intense passion and
fervour, and with a type of passion that I had forgotten had
once existed in me. I knew something happened to me on
that show. Yes; something considerably awesome had
happened; but – uncannily – I could not put my finger on
it.
When I got home, my daughter, Mothei, had called for me
to give her feedback. “Good job, Mama; I am so proud of
you,” my daughter had remarked, excitedly and proudly.
“You were in your element, today. And, I think it is good
that you are allowing yourself to go to that sore space in
your life, with such joy.”
Quickly, it had dawned on me that the restaurant pain was
gone; it was no more. I could now talk about food, and food
experiences, without any pain, at all. As I looked back, I
realised that it was exactly eight years later that I had found
healing. I savoured the moment with great joy and gratitude.
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