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
cup of lemon juice over the sardines.
Finally, spoon the Tomato Olive vinaigrette
over the fish. Serve with Pap.
Portuguese Sardines: Clean 4 – 8 sardines,
and rub these with coarse salt and fish
spice, then fry the fish in butter. Add 1
chopped onion, green pepper and pitted
olives. For variety substitute the standard
green pepper and onion with a combination
of Red, Green and Yellow Peppers. Serve
with pap.
This Portuguese dish suited former Deputy President
Kgalema Motlanthe well, especially because of his then tight
schedule, as it is quick and easy to prepare. Mr Motlanthe is
also a healthy eater, and he is known to fancy the Portuguese
sardines, and always wishes that these should be prepared in
the traditional Portuguese way, and particularly likes these
served with boiled potatoes. On one of his regular visits to
the restaurant, as he was leaving having finished his usual
lunchtime meal, a big table of guests stood up to form an
impromptu “Guard of Honour” and burst into song,
singing beautifully for him, thus capping a good, albeit
unplanned lunch hour performance. Concerned by the
unexpected and somewhat invasive behaviour of my guests,
I had apologised to Mr Motlanthe for the unbecoming
behaviour of the group, which had coincidentally comprised
of women.
But, instead of being offended, Mr Motlanthe had said, with
a boyish smile: “Remember Mme Ma-Molefe, as a public figure, I
belong to the people. It is good that they are happy to see me. No
apologies needed.”
To round off our focus on fish, shell fish from neighbouring
Mozambique provides an exotic flair, and – the bigger the
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