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Food

Winning Cape Town restaurant serves up more than a good brownie

October 30, 2017 By Admin

The award is almost sweeter than the brownies they serve. Cape Town cafe Brownies & Downies is the winner of the SAB Foundation’s Disability Empowerment award for 2017.

“We are very excited. The day after we won the award it was hard to stay focused‚” said manager Wade Schultz. “All the trainees and everyone were dancing and cheering in the store.”

The restaurant was crowned this month and with it came R1-million for having come up with a way to improve the employment of disabled people. Read More

Food

Cupcakes fuel protest march to Parliament

April 7, 2017 By Admin

By Alexa Cole and Sealy McMurrey

Photo By: Esa Alexander

Cupcakes decorated with political slogans proved to be a popular snack among many in the crowd waving posters‚ banners and flags.

Charly’s Bakery makes hundreds of cupcakes every day‚ and since Thursday night‚ the bakers have been creating specialty cupcakes in response to the protests against President Jacob Zuma.

Cupcakes were decorated with slogans such as “Recall Parliament”‚ “SA Must Rise”‚ “Divided We Fall”‚ “United We Stand”‚ “Cry Our Beloved Country”‚ as well as images of the South African flag.

Bakery owner‚ Jacqui Biess‚ said‚ “Cupcakes are a wonderful way to mobilize people”.

The bakery has a strong presence on social media‚ with over 100 000 followers on Facebook. Biess said she began advertising the cupcakes on Thursday night on social media and quickly started seeing retweets. “We had no idea if it would be dead today‚ but we’ve had a really good turnout‚” said Biess.

Cupcakes with slogans aren’t new to Charly’s. Biess said that whenever a big event happened‚ she and her daughters brainstormed when to write on their cupcakes that would elicit a giggle and have them flying off the racks.

Previous notable cupcakes have included “Honorable Speaker” in response to the Economic Freedom Fighter’s Julius Malema and his antics in Parliament. “Don’t touch me on my studio” was another in response to former AWB leader André Visagie’s infamous interview on the SABC and “Vote” cupcakes were a hit during the elections.

Read the published story here.

Featured Tagged With: bakery, Charly's, cupcakes, Divided We Fall, mobilization, mustfall, parliament, SA must rise, United We Stand

Best lamb baa none, and now ewe can buy organic

April 6, 2017 By Admin

If you count sheep to fall asleep, you can now do it organically.

CHOPS AWAY: A merino ram shows off his agility to Karoo farmer Willie Esterhuizen and son Jacques.

Willie and Sonja Esterhuizen, of Britstown, in the Karoo, are South Africa’s first internationally certified organic sheep farmers.

The couple took a year converting their thousands of merinos into a certified organic flock, meaning no growth hormones or routine antibiotics are used and the sheep eat material not treated with herbicides or pesticides.

“Their health and wellbeing are top priority,” said Willie, whose family has farmed Elandsfontein for three generations.

The abattoir they use is certified organic, and the meat is sold at a certified butchery in Durbanville, Cape Town.

Elandsfontein’s certification means that its meat is produced to the organic standards of the EU and countries including Australia and Turkey, according to Marianna Smith of Ecocert Southern Africa.

Esterhuizen said organic food was a “growing niche market” and provided export opportunities. Going organic did not increase productivity, but meant the farm could charge more for its meat.

Stellenbosch University agricultural students helped make the farm organic.

“We still need to convert a small portion of our farming operations to 100% organic standards, but because of the valuable relationships with researchers in sustainable agriculture who are studying our endeavours we were able to get international certification,” said Esterhuizen.

The next step is to investigate the production of organic wool and lanolin, a wool by-product used in cosmetics.

“There is not yet a market for organic wool in South Africa, because it is so expensive to wash and process it,” said Esterhuizen.

Stellenbosch student Sarah Erasmus got a PhD in food science this month for research showing Karoo lamb’s unique taste comes from a diet of fragrant indigenous bushes.

Emily Rizzo is on an SIT Study Abroad programme. She wrote this story in association with Round Earth Media

Food

Cabinet reshuffle puts fizz in the sugary drinks tax fight

April 5, 2017 By Admin

By Sealy McMurrey

The Beverage Association of South Africa is hoping that the cabinet reshuffle will bolster its efforts to oppose government’s plans to tax sugary drinks.

Former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan proposed a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages‚ as part of government’s efforts to tackle obesity.

But during the budget meeting in February‚ the proposed implementation date of a sugar tax was shifted until later in 2017.

The beverage association‚ which represents the interests of the non-alcoholic beverage industry‚ is hoping to take advantage of Gordhan’s axing in favour of new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba. Legislation to introduce the tax is yet to be finalised.

Speaking on behalf of the association‚ general manager for corporate services Tshepo Marumule said‚ “We have recognized the change in ministry and see it as an opportunity to take action forward against the tax”.

The cabinet reshuffle has fueled speculation about whether the sugar tax will still be implemented.

“Parliament convened on the taxation because in its current form‚ the tax is too complex and complicated and it can’t be proven that the tax will actually help South Africans’ health. We appreciate the further consultation on the tax and would like to see the best solution for the country‚” said Marumule.

The World Health Organization supports the imposition of a sugar tax. WHO South African representative Dr Rufaro Chatora said‚ “By implementing a tax on sugary drinks to increase the prices of these beverages‚ South Africa will be taking a proactive step to reduce the intake of sugars‚ which contribute to unhealthy weight gain and other diet-related NCDs [non-communicable diseases]‚ including diabetes”.

What lies ahead for the war on sweet beverages is uncertain but there appears to be some fizz left in the fight against taxing them.

– TMG Digital/The Times

Visit the published story here.

Featured Tagged With: BevSA, cabinet, finance minister, Gigaba, Gordhan, health, parliament, politics, reshuffle, South Africa, sugar tax, World Health Organization

Colonial Flair, Domestic Culture Create Unique Southern African Dishes

March 9, 2017 By Admin

By Sealy McMurrey

DURBAN, South Africa – Remnants of the original colonial cultures and indigenous roots give both South Africa and Mozambique an interesting melting pot with which both countries have cultivated their own food cultures, but have also grown together because of close proximity. Flavors mix in ways that wouldn’t be obvious to other parts of the world that don’t have the exact mixture of Portuguese, Indian, and indigenous South African tribal flavors. The fresh seafood from the coast mixed with hot spice from Portugal and the hearty curry from India create an enticing fusion of flavors that have people coming back for more.

The city of Durban, South Africa in particular is an interesting cultural hub for food. Durban has a high population of Indian descendants and the Indian food culture has fit into the South African food culture well, shown by the high number of restaurants that serve authentic Indian food and curry around the city. Bunny Chow is one of the most beloved local masterpieces created in Durban itself. The dish started in Durban and is popular in the small restaurant Patel’s Vegetarian Refreshment Room. A restaurant that is celebrating its 105th birthday this year, it sits right in the middle of the city, down the street from the Victoria street market where one can smell the aroma of spices wafting out the doors. To the untrained eye, Patel’s is hard to find and is a hole in the wall, but these characteristics make the restaurant that much more pleasant for locals who want to hide away from the city’s tourism. The Bunny Chow in Patel’s is still the original vegetarian, but the dish has made its way around the city in meat curry form as well, branching out from its Dr. Yusuf Dadoo Street origins.

While Bunny Chow is loved by most who try it, unfortunately it hasn’t ventured far outside South Africa. The dish is a large chunk from a loaf of bread with the soft middle carved out and the bean curry overflows out of the white bread loaf and served with the gutted part of the loaf on the side. Locals eat the meal using only their hands and use the outside shell of the loaf as well as the gutted part of the bread as utensils with which to eat the curry. Most restaurants serve the dish with either a fork or a spoon anyway though, allowing the prerogative on how he or she would like to eat it. Regardless of whether it is enjoyed by hand and bread or with silverware to help, it is a messy plate and upon leaving the restaurant there will be mountains of napkins left at the tables.

Located off of the South-East coast of the African continent, South Africa and Mozambique have made seafood a staple in their diets. Grilled or pan-fried prawns and calamari can be found in most restaurants and a small, cheap fish called Hake is in almost every grocery store and most restaurants. Though frugality can be common when it comes to meals, in the case of seafood it’s best to spend the extra buck for the quality of the fish and the way it is prepared. However, for those looking to save, there is a fast-food restaurant that serves hake called Hake Away Takeaway. It is popular among local South Africans and is perfect for those who don’t want to spend too much every time they want seafood.

In downtown Maputo, aromas of coffee and sweet pastries spill out of the cafes lining the street. Mozambique was originally colonized by the Portuguese and despite now being independent, Mozambique still speaks Portuguese and has food influences as well. One influence in particular, the Pastel De Nata, is a popular Portuguese dessert which Mozambique has also adopted into its dessert menu. Pastel De Nata is a tartlet made up of a small pie-like crust with a milky custard filling. The top is toasted in a similar way to Crème Brûlée, with the inside custard still chilled. Pastel De Nata goes perfectly with a cappuccino and should be eaten around breakfast time, as it usually sells out by the early afternoon.

Portuguese influence doesn’t stop at the decadent pastries, though, it travels to other restaurants in the area lending the hot culture to dishes like Piri Piri chicken. Piri Piri is a popular chicken restaurant in downtown Maputo, Mozambique. It serves a spicy chicken made by using a spice powder and marinade made with chilies, and is then grilled. The chicken is served in quarter-, half-, or whole-chicken sizes depending on the size of the group and the appetite of the person eating. To cool down the mouth between bites, the dish is sided with rice, potatoes, or chips.

South African has found some Portuguese influence in its cultural diet as well. Nando’s is a South African fast food chain known for its Peri Peri-style chicken (adapted after the Mozambican Piri Piri) and traditional South African sides such as puthu and spicy rice. Nando’s branches out from the original Piri Piri recipe in creating its Peri Peri chicken by marinating the chicken in a spicy sauce rather than a spice powder. Fortunately for the rest of the world, Nando’s is franchised internationally and even has a few restaurants in the United States.

The culture of Southern Africa is such a melting pot that it’s evident that the food fusions in its cuisine won’t stop here. With the further influence of other cultures and how much immigration and television have both been influencing cultures around the world, the variety in Southern African food will keep evolving.

Food Tagged With: Bunny Chow, Curry, Mozambique, Peri Peri, Portuguese Food, Seafood, South Africa cuisine, Southern Africa

Mercado Central market serves as economic hub for over a century

March 1, 2017 By Admin

by Arin Kerstein

A cashew vendor poses with his merchandise at the Marcado Central market in Maputo, Mozambique. Built around 1900, the market is known as the bazaar of the city. Basic goods including fruits, vegetables, spices, and more are sold there, along with several varieties of cashews, of which Mozambique is one of the largest producers in the world. As one of the oldest markets of its size in the country, many unemployed Mozambicans have turned to the informal trade industry within Marcado Central to support their livelihoods in times of economic distress. The market served as an important economic port for Mozambicans during the country’s civil war and it continues to do so today for the country’s producers and vendors.

Food

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Reporting South Africa is produced by US college and university students on an SIT Study Abroad program called “South Africa: Social and Political Transformation”. They are mentored by veteran journalists in a program applying technology and global consciousness to produce high-impact journalism on vital social issues.

Reporting South Africa strives to be a reliable resource for news and information about South Africa.

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