Whether it is shared experiences, conversation starters or special occasions, food has a way of bringing people together. It was for these reasons that South Africans are encouraged to explore the different African cuisines, as we celebrate Heritage Day.
To give locals an example of what’s on offer right here in Durban, the second-year Catering Management students at the Durban University of Technology displayed their interpretation of being African with culinary skills, on “Honouring our Legacy: Reclaiming African Flavours through Decolonised Cuisine.
The event was held on Thursday at the institution’s Hotel School Conference Centre, at Ritson Campus, Durban University of Technology (DUT), with many guests and students who had gathered to learn more about, and taste the food on offer.
Chef Tholakele Mzobe, who works as a lab assistant at DUT and worked alongside the students to prepare the meals said there were many commonalities in African food.
“In Africa, we share the same staples. The only difference is the preparations. However, what is important about the African dishes is that we try to keep them as healthy as possible and that is why some of the items appear to be plain. But when you eat it, you taste the rich flavours and get the health benefits,” she said.
Some of the food on display were Chicken Jollof rice- typically found in Nigeria, Fufu (made from pounded Yams) also from Nigeria and Mozambican prawns, among others.
“Different countries call prawns by different names. For example, if you were to go to the United States of America, they would be called shrimps.
“The difference between shrimps and the prawns is the size,” she said.
Mzobe said that prawns generally blended well when paired with something chilly and peppery, with a hint of lemon.
She said that the prawns were quite popular in Durban.
“When something is big, everyone wants to have a taste of it. It is popular, not only because they are from Mozambique, but because of the size and taste,” said Mzobe.
Nonhlanhla Shangase who attended the event said that locals tend to shy away from food that is foreign.
“We assume that it is not tasty and is exclusive to people from other countries who have prepared it.
“However, being here and tasting the food from different nations made me realise just how much we have in common and how we have been missing out on learning and experiencing other cultures. It actually turns out that we have a lot in common,” she said.
