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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Eunice Rakhale-Molefe
and writers can interact, and I always make sure to bring
along copies of the different titles available in the Book
Tourism stable. My best experience at event was when I
placed an order of a handmade stylish hat in the morning
and in between managing my book stall, managed to witness
the hat been handcrafted; and – by six o’clock, when I had
packed up – I had my trendy hat on hand.
The Bryanston Organic Market has one such place. After
a good meal at the Garden Eatery, one can walk around the
market stalls to get all the authentic indigenous ingredients
that are not available at one’s own local vegetable market or
grocery store. Items like Sorghum-Mabele for Umqombothi;
Baobab powder which is used as a thickener in jams and
gravies and the ever so popular Morogo-Thepe (Pigweed). The
market, which is held on Thursdays and Saturdays, has been
an excellent opportunity for me to promote our heritage
through the book, and for one to interact with both the
locals and tourists.
As has been mentioned already, Dijong is a Sesotho word
that means a place to eat. Most of our local eateries feature
open flame grilling, popularly known as Tshisanyama,
IsiZulu for grilled meat. It is Africa’s San people who
began and mastered the art of fire-making, using stones,
rubbed together, to start the fire.
The tradition of Tshisanyama (local version of US-style
Barbeques) comes from this historic art of open fire
cooking. It evolved into using drums for fire-making,
known as Mpaola in Sesotho or Imbaula in isiZulu. An
Mpaola or an Imbaula is a drum with punctured holes on the
sides. This has subsequently evolved into the current drum
cut in half with a firm stand, designed to support and
provide safety. The idea of Tshisanyamas – which are mostly
located next to butcheries – is to buy your choice of meat
cuts from the butcher and have these grilled on the
Tshisanyama’s ready and waiting open fire.
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