Autumn is a season for celebrating the harvest, and it is also a time to recognise the indigenous foods found in our country.
In this article, we will take a look at indigenous heritage and food cultures, and the chefs celebrating them. Read on to learn about Indigenous foods and how to incorporate them into your meals.
Indigenous ingredients are deeply embedded in South Africa’s culture and yet many people know little about them or how to use them.
What is indigenous food and cuisine?
Indigenous foods are those that are native to each region. They vary depending on the location. Indigenous foods are whole foods that come directly from the ground or an animal.
Indigenous cuisine, on the other hand, is a type of cuisine that is based on the preparation of cooking ingredients using recipes with products obtained from the native species of an area.
Food is prepared using indigenous ingredients of plant or animal origin in traditional recipes of the particular cuisine of a place.
In South Africa, there are numerous indigenous food crops, such as cereals, green vegetables, and various kinds of wild fruit.
When we talk about local and sustainable produce, indigenous ingredients tick every box. Here are some we think you might be familiar with.
Dune spinach
Dune spinach is a low-growing creeping shrub that is found in coastal areas such as on dunes near the sea. The plant can be found along the African coastline from southern Namibia to the Eastern Cape.
Make sure to pick the leaves only and do not uproot the whole plant. Wash well to rid them of sand and eat raw in salads. When boiled, it loses some of its saltiness.
Visitors lucky enough to make a reservation at Wolfgat will recognise dune spinach on Chef Kobus van der Merwe’s menu. Dune spinach is one of the unique ingredients he uses in his dishes.
Sorghum
A cereal grain, originally from Africa, sorghum is an essential crop in many parts of the world today.
Swap sorghum grains for quinoa or rice in your next salad or side. Like other ancient grains which have gain popularity in recent times – think farro and barley – sorghum has a chewy texture and a nutty flavour.
Simply boil a salted pot of water and cook the sorghum in the same manner as pasta. Chef Peter Tempelhoff has featured sorghum on the menu at FYN Restaurant in Cape Town.
Morogo
Featured in dishes in hundreds of homes across the nation, for decades and decades, morogo is a local favourite that is loaded with nutritional value and lots of flavour.
With morogo being a long-standing staple in millions of South African homes across the years, many methods of cooking it have been tried and tested to give you tasty meals that are full of nutrition.
Johannesburg's upmarket restaurant Solo Restaurant has featured morogo on their menu.
Another chef winning at embracing indigenous ingredients in the kitchen is German-born and South African-raised Johannes Richter who owns and runs The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate.
Amadumbe, amaThungulu, teff, sorghum, purple sweet potato, and pigeon pea are a handful of the ingredients that can be found on his menu.
Commenting on the rise of indigenous ingredients, Ritcher said: “I honestly feel that we are only really seeing the tip of the iceberg and the beginning of what potential these ingredients hold.
Sadly, so much knowledge has been lost over time, information that many people now no longer have access to, and the fact that little academic research has been conducted when it comes to our local ingredients.
All this in addition to the fact that African ingredients have always been seen as secondary to the imported crops that are used commercially in general, though I am happy to see this changing.”
“It is also exciting to see that grains are making a slow comeback – with the likes of sorghum, teff, and millet going through their renaissances – as well as some fruit, herbs, and even fungi, which have been used for healing and cooking purposes for generations and generations.
“For instance, there is a wealth of endemic mushrooms in South Africa – one such genus that I am particularly excited about is cultivated by termites and is completely and solely found in Southern Africa,” he added.
Here is a recipe that you can try at home courtesy of The LivingRoom.
The ordinary carrot, miso macadamia, and mint
Serves: 4
Ingredients
The carrot
Buttered carrot juice
1kg carrot
150g butter
10g salt
10g apple cider vinegar
Carrot pickle
2 carrots peeled and thinly sliced on mandolin
A pinch of salt
To taste, sugar and apple cider vinegar
Miso macadamia
150g roasted macadamia
50g sugar
30g miso
Mint oil
200g fresh mint
200g neutral oil (e.g. sunflower or rape seed)
Garnish
Fresh mint
Method
Buttered carrot juice
Peel and juice carrots.
Bring the carrot juice to a boil and blend with the other ingredients into a hot juice.
Only reheat again before serving.
Carrot pickle
Slice carrots thinly, and season to taste – sweet, sour and salty.
Miso macadamia
Heat a pan to medium heat.
Add the sugar and a tablespoon of water to the pan and caramelise until golden.
Add the miso and macadamia nuts and mix swiftly, set as a brittle on a sheet of baking paper.
Once hardened, chop the brittle into coarse pieces.
Mint oil
Blanch the fresh mint and squeeze out all excess water.
Blend blanched mint with the oil and pass through a fine sieve.
To serve (check image)
Layer the carrot onto the bottom of the plate.
Sprinkle with the miso macadamia nut brittle.
Garnish with fresh mint.
Decant the carrot juice into a small jug and serve on the side.