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
on the pavement just outside their own yards, or on the
street corners. For dinner, they always have freshly home
cooked dishes, giving their visitors a taste of Sowetan and
African food. Lebo and Maria’s place is one such place in
Orlando West Soweto, which is run by enterprising
businessman Lebo and his wife, Maria.
Annual Soweto Kota Festival. Kota is to South Africans
what open sandwiches or the Smørrebrød is to the Danish
people. “The festival presents the best local Kota chefs who showcase
their Kota cooking skills,” says Sidwell Malixole Tshingilane,
the founder and organiser of the yearly festival, ahead of the
launch of the festival. He then elaborated, “This (the Kota
meal) is the popular fast food in any township. If you are hungry and
you are in Soweto or any other township, the first thing that come to
your mind is a Kota. We will be also introducing a Healthy Kota
Challenge that seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle in the food
preparations when making a Kota. We want the Kota suppliers to
reduce salt and oil in their meals. Given the basic structure of this
popular township street food – a quarter loaf (Kota) of bread hollowed
out and filled with a range of relishes and closed up again – it is easy
to see why many people liken it to another local treat, the Bunny Chow.
However, its contents are what distinguishes the Kota from its Durban
cousin, the Bunny Chow: the soft loaf is crammed with a combination
of, among other ingredients, Atchaar (pickled mango), polony, slap
chips, cheese, egg and Russian sausage.’’
Soweto has been home to many famous musicians in
various genres such as jazz, kwaito and hip hop, like the late
Mandoza, who is best known for his evergreen kwaito
music hit, Nkalakatha. I was a big fan of the late Mandoza
and got to see him perform in Moletsane at a charity event
that I had hosted. Internationally renowned songs that have
come out of Soweto include Mbube: The lion sleeps tonight, the
symbolic Sophiatown anthem, Meadowlands and veteran
musician Sipho Mabuse’s enduring classic, Jive Soweto.
Whenever Sowetans go clubbing, it is all about house music
and there are live music venues throughout Soweto.
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