SA chefs share family-bonding culinary traditions
Africa’s culinary landscape is transforming, with chefs showcasing the diversity of African cuisine. From traditional ingredients to innovative techniques, South African chefs are reshaping the continent’s culinary identity.
Below, Independent Media Lifestyle caught up with some of SA’s best chefs to talk about what heritage means to them.
Kyron Bierman
Since he was a young boy chef Bierman from Capsicum Culinary Studio has always had a passion for pastry.
“Desserts gave me the ability to make people happy. Having a guest or customer gives you positive feedback from a meal makes me proud of what I have accomplished,” he said.
Bierman said as much as he loves desserts, unfortunately, his culture doesn’t come with many desserts or dishes that are very complex.
“They are basic desserts and a lot of those techniques I still use today and just spin flavours and colours to my preference,” he said.
Asked what item in his kitchen connects him most with his past or family, Bierman said it’s muffin tins. He said a family favourite throughout winter is always speculaas spice muffins which are similar to hot cross buns.
Bierman said to him Heritage Month is a representation of our rainbow nation’s cultural diversification.
“We take into consideration where people come from and how we can work together going forward. Understanding someone’s culture makes it far easier to communicate and understand one another,” he said.
As a chef who received his chocolate and confectionery certificates, Bierman said he is inspired by Gordon Ramsey’s philosophy around the kitchen.
Amori Burger
Amori Burger is the executive chef at Upper Union restaurant. Burger said she has always known that she loves cooking since she was little.
“On weekends, my sisters and I would make pancakes and now and again we’d make chocolate cake.”
Burger said there aren’t a lot of ingredients from her youth that she still uses, but the one thing that is always on their tables is sweet, condensed milk mustard.
“My grandmother’s surname was Laas, and every Laas household always has sweet mustard. If it’s not on the table at Sunday lunch, you’ll find it during carte blanche to have with the leftover lamb on a toastie,” she said.
Burger said as someone from the Afrikaans culture, growing up, there was never a weekend without a braai.
She said this month means celebrating where she came from. Burger said she’s lucky enough to work in a beautiful restaurant with a team that’s made up of so many different people, from so many different backgrounds.
“I’m incredibly proud of the chefs I’ve worked with over the years who have gone on to achieve in the world with a kind heart. My proudest moment is that I have chefs who come back to me and talk to me about how nice it was working in my team. We care about each other, but we work hard,” she said.
Burger said within the industry, she has a lot of respect for Bertus Basson for how he has carried his vision throughout all of his restaurants.
Nandile Mtshaha
Nandile Mtshaha grew up in a family where all hands were on deck when they had family functions.
“I grew up with that spirit of family in the kitchen. My mom, aunt, and neighbour also had a catering company and that was also a contributing factor in my journey. That taught me planning, execution, and service to the craft,” said Mtshaha.
She said culture is the centre of all her food and cooking styles.
“I gravitate more towards the traditional foods we grew up eating but also with a dash of modern sophistication. You can never go wrong with traditional comfort foods. The industry is vast and all the people in it have each contributed greatly in shaping the person that I am.
Heritage to me means embracing your roots as well as embracing your culture as loud and bold as you possibly can,” said Mtshaha.
“My food inspiration is vast and influenced by Durban flavours and heritage. Living in Kwa-Mashu, you’re surrounded by a lot of Indian influences. From my sister’s roti, my mom’s chicken breyani, my cousin’s rooibos chicken feet, my aunt’s delicious beans bunny chow, and my cousin’s sugar beans and ujeqe - those are my go-to favourites,” she added.
Mtshaha said before she became allergic to red meat, she used to love tripe served with isigwaqane. But her life changed, and she now enjoys isigwaqane served with pig’s trotters.
Growing up, she used to binge shows with Nigella Lawson, and Jamie Oliver but she now appreciates creatives such as Onezwa Mbola, Siwe Ntombela, and Zola Nene.
Johannes Richter
Johannes Richter can’t pinpoint an exact moment she started loving food and cooking but it certainly has a lot to do with ingredients produced, where something comes from, how it’s grown, and how it’s made.
“My parents’ professions meant we had to travel a lot, so from a young age I was very lucky to be exposed to much of Africa and what it provides. I was always fascinated by the different foods we’d come across in markets or even during a meal with locals,” he said.
Richter said his culture is quite complex. On paper, he is German, but he grew up in Durban, in the house that is now home to the Living Room.
“I grew up around one of Durban’s most iconic, heritage jazz clubs - The Rainbow. It was home to some of SA’s best jazz musicians and also had some real cultural heritage stunners from a Zulu perspective, both in terms of food and culture.
“Being raised in Durban, a cultural melting pot, really allowed me to experience so many of the different cultural influences it has to offer. This is something you can see if you visit The LivingRoom restaurant,” he said.
Richter said there are so many nostalgic foods and ingredients from his childhood, and they all come from a really wide range of experiences. He said heritage to him means embracing those things that make each one of us distinctly South African.
About his favourite dish to prepare, he said: “My favourite dishes to prepare are all cooked over fire. I love braaiing - everything from meat, wors, skilpadjies, poultry, and even vegetables. I enjoy open-fire cooking and that’s one of my favourite moments of downtime that we get to enjoy as a family.”