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
All year round, there is hardly a weekend which would have
passed without a family feast, and this could either be the
celebration of the birth of a child, a graduation party, a
christening ceremony, the homecoming of local youths
from a traditional grooming school, known in Sesotho as
Lebollo; or lobola, a traditional engagement, involving the
payment of dowry.
Such events are oftentimes a legitimate excuse for the
celebrants to slaughter a cow, sheep, goat or chicken; and
for both the hosts and guests to be resplendent in elegant
traditional dresses and for all to unanimously punctuate the
occasion with impromptu, albeit exuberant song and dance.
South Africans, nearly the same as many other nations
around the world, celebrate Christmas splendidly, and
mostly with the preparation and serving of free-range
chicken, Umleqwa, as they call it in isiXhosa; with the
alternative being Cornish Hen. Conversely, for the
Portuguese, this year-end coincides with the pigslaughtering
season.
In South Africa, the free-range chicken, Umleqwa, graces
many South African family tables during the Christmas
period. The bird is laid out more for your intimate
Christmas meals. But, for more elaborate occasions, a sheep
is slaughtered.
Mogodu complements the meat range, and is served with
dumpling, Samp, conventional pap, or Ting, the fermented
maize meal porridge which is mostly popular among the
Batswana or Setswana-speaking people. These are often
completed with salads, especially when the event is marked
with a Spit Braai (Grill or Barbeque).
Ostrich Kebabs: Thread 500g of cubed
ostrich fillet. Add 2 chopped onions and 3
chopped Green Peppers, on skewers.
Season with salt and pepper.
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