SA Rocks

Ed’s note: This post is a submission by Mike Smith.

If there is one thing South Africa has is sport – lots of it and the perfect environment in which to participate. The Sani2c is an example, a South African multi-day stage race that tours from the foot hills of the Drakensberg to the breaking sea at Scottbrugh – crossing South African lands of beauty and splendour.

What makes South Africa so special in sports events like this one, is not the fast paced competitiveness or the absolutely phenomenal organisation (although these things are resoundingly present), it’s the camaraderie, the people and the countryside. Only South Africa could host an event that traverses such diversified environments. From mountainous grasslands, through rough thorn-veld and on to the tropical vegetation of the South Coast. We have it all!

While passing through some of the most memorable of sites, the people are the key feature of the Sani2c. The one thousand competitors and over three hundred support crew not only make the race but resonate South African spirit. Laced with cultural diversity of language and situation, everyone is never the less a potential friend. When racing, the most you are likely to say to your partner or competitor is “how the legs”, “slow down” or many other four letter combinations that need not be recorded – nevertheless, these are the people who you can walk away from the event feeling like you know better than any friend!

The most astounding aspect of all, is that the race travels through some of South Africa’s poorest communities without trouble or a hint of danger. Considering the fact that millions of Rands worth of equipment makes its way through a population of little wealth one would expect a dismal response. Instead, the people of the area line the single tracks – screaming and shouting in support of the cyclists. Glen and Mandy Haw, the race organizers, are responsible for this to a large degree as they funnel money back into the communities.

South Africa is abundant with opportunities and the blessing of unsurpassed beauty. The Sani2c takes full advantage of this, allowing competitors to experience our countryside and reap rewards it has offer. Sport isn’t just something we have in abundance; it’s something we can use to develop this wonderful country.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Ed’s note: This post is a contribution from Sheena Gates. She was apparently on the verge of leaving our stunning country but chose not to. Here are her reasons why:

I was leaving for Australia. I had my bags packed, my tickets ready and my family there waiting for me. Then one morning I woke up and thought ‘what the hell am I doing?’. I love Africa. I love my country and its people. There are things in this place that only we could ever understand, such as:

The Vern. Vernon Koekemoer. A phenomenon only available to understanding by Saffers. Shopping for birthdays at the robots. Anything from undies to umbrellas or coat hangers are available at a street vendor near you! Places called ‘Moedersfontein’ and ‘Jakobsdaan’. What beauties. Men wear platform shoes down in Bloem and have shirts shinier than any other girl I know. We are the one nation where Mullet hairdo’s are accepted as the norm, and having buck-teeth can like to be okay.

Our people have learned the art of over-coming. Mug us at the beach? its okay, next time we go back we won’t carry anything with us. Rape us in the home? Its okay, because every single girl I know has a can of Mase and/or a baseball bat nearby the bed. Presidents to be sing Umshiniwam, and its okay – because we make fun of it and post pictures all over facebook. We’ve learned the art of rising above, and keeping our sense of humour.

Our nation may be young, stubborn and maybe even a little bit slower than the rest, but you know what? We’re stronger. We’re funnier. We’re going places and we stick together. Our country is more beautiful than most, and our people the most welcoming and hospitable. Aside from the minority of criminals, we have more spirit and oomph than any other.

I love South Africa, and I’m so excited to start over in a new part of it. Here’s to being a Saffa!

*Disclaimer – this post is a contribution from a contributor and might not entirely represent the views of SA Rocks.

Popularity: 13% [?]

No, I am not getting rid of the current contributors, they are doing a sterling job! But I thought that it has been some time since I asked readers, bloggers and anyone else to contribute.

So if you have a blog post, cool story, idea, concept ar anything else for that matter please email me either with the full post or the idea!

If you are interested in becoming a more permanent contributor to the blog then email me too with your pitch!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Editors Note: Paul Jacobson responded to my previous post about iHeritage with the post below. What a great event, great post and a very interesting read:

Some of you may know that I am a Fellow at iCommons (basically, I do a bit of volunteer work for Heather and her team) and I was fortunate to be part of iHeritage on 23 September 2007 in the Rosebank Mall. If you are curious about what iHeritage is, take a look at the iHeritage page and also at my previous post about it. Be sure to check out Heather’s post on her blog too.

In a nutshell iHeritage was about collecting memories of where we came from as individuals and as a collective. We had a scanner (courtesy of Lawgistix) as well as an Internet connection (thanks to M&A Rosebank and Skyrove) and our plan was to scan people’s photos of their families and their homes, interview people about their lives and digitise whatever else we were given and then upload all of that either to Flickr or to Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license.

Included in our wonderful team were translators to help us capture the memories and thoughts of Zulu and Xhosa speaking contributors who spoke about the importance of their culture and what it is like to keep those practices alive in Johannesburg.

It struck me that we had some of our best contributions from people who were passionate about their history and their culture. Isaac and Mbongeni (pictured above) perform at the Rooftop Market and they shared their thoughts about how free they felt to practice some of their traditional practices like the preparation of traditional beer up here in Joburg. We also received some wonderful contributions from people whose families immigrated to South Africa. Hettie Dreyer, the iCommons’ bookkeeper, brought her family to iHeritage and gave us some wonderful photos of her family to scan, including this photo circa 1855 (this image is available on Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license):

Being a bit of a geek one of my favourite aspects of the day was our Jaiku channel which we displayed on a big screen above the stage.

I was using the mobile application for Series 60 devices to post updates virtually in real time while other members of the team posted updates from their laptops on the channel page itself. The channel worked out really well as a back channel for the event and a way to share what was going on with people walking past. Although our event is over, iHeritage is just beginning and you can contribute to the project by doing two things. The first is to license your relevant content under a Creative Commons Attribution or Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license and the second thing you can do is tag your content with the tag “iheritage”. The channel has been set up with a variety of feeds so we should be able to keep the channel going with each new contribution to the project. Most of these feeds will pull in search results using the term “iheritage” and include those search results into the iHeritage collection.

iHeritage is going to go beyond South Africa too. We would love to see contributions from all over the world and one day look back on a collection of our memories and what made us who we are. If you are still a little unsure what is appropriate for iHeritage, think about your home and your family and how they helped you become who you are and are part of your heritage. Bear in mind that heritage isn’t just about the old photos in your family album, it is about what is happening to you now. It is all about our past, our present and even our future and the important thing is to preserve it for future generations who will be able to look back at where they came from and know who they are.

Technorati Tags:

icommons, iheritage, skyrove, rosebank mall, lawgistix, m&a, history, home, family, memories, heritage day

Popularity: 5% [?]

It’s late summer here in Britain, just as the wedding season is drawing to a close. One Saturday you do your Four Weddings and a Funeral thing, dress up in your suit, swear while trying to tie your bow tie, sweat through the ceremony and then make your way to the reception. Where, of course, the smell of a braai assails your nostrils as soon as you arrive.

Whoa, wait up a second! Didn’t you say this is in Britain?

Well, actually, yes. And the reason behind this quiet culinary revolution lies in the determination and skills (both business and culinary) of two young South Africans. George Zaayman and and Johannes Burger both come from Worcester and both studied at Stellenbosch University. After working part time for Spitbraai King as students, they hit upon the idea of a catering company specialising in spit braais, but lacked the capital to do that full-time in Worcester. So after graduation they packed their bags and headed off to London to seek their fortune. But rather than work in a bar for 2 years and then heading home with soem cash, they realised that they could work part-time and start the business in London, particularly given the rich seam of homesick expats available to them as a perfect target market.

And so, in 2002, Nyama Catering was born. Their service is simple: you choose a menu from their website, discuss any specific requirements with them and on the appointed day they will arrive at your house (or hired venue) with their self-contained gas-driven spit roast, a hog or a lamb as per your order, side dishes, crockery and cutlery and proceed to cook while you entertain your guests. Their smoke-free spit roast system even means that you could do the braai indoors should the weather not co-operate – an important selling point in England! And when it’s all over, they clear it all away. Could there be an easier way to do a spit braai??

Although they initially envisioned South African expats as being their target market, the guys have been surprised that the largest uptake has actually been from Brits who are intrigued by the concept, and it is a popular choice for weddings. The only slight cultural difference that they encountered is that, whereas in South Africa a lamb on the spit is more traditional, England has no such tradition. Here, it’s only pigs that get skewered whole and roasted, so some tweaks to their marketing were required. But that aside, they are going great guns.

So great in fact that they have now opened franchises in… South Africa! Talk about coal to Newcastle, but they seem to have made it work. So now you can have the uinque Nyama taste and secret basting sauce in Johannesburg and George, as well as in London. And just in case you think they are now evil business overlords, hell-bent on world domination (insert evil overlord laugh here), don’t worry – they are regular sponsors of SA golf days here in London and the money raised there goes to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. It’s nice to see successful businesses giving something back, right from the start.

So if you are (or know) some homesick SA expats in London and they have a party coming up… look no further than Nyama Catering and support South African entrepreneurship.

CookSister!

Popularity: 5% [?]

I can almost hear the collective question: the say what company?

Gather round, boys and girls – all shall be revealed! The name verjuice comes from the old French vertjus – literally green juice. It was traditionally made in wine growing countries by pressing the unripe, green grapes thinned from bunches early in the growing season to make the remaining grapes stronger. The green grapes were crushed and then either yeast was added (to aid a gentle fermentation) or salt was added (to limit fermentation). Either way, the lack of sugar in the unripe fruit put a damper on any potential fermentation so it’s a very mildly fermented product, acidic but with less bitterness that vinegar. The fermented version could be kept for a reasonably long time, while the unfermented version had a fresher taste but a shorter shelf life. Where grapes were not available, crab apples were commonly used, although any acidic fruit would work.

Traditionally, verjuice was used as an acidulator, particularly (since the 18th century) in the making of mustard. It is said that the replacement of vinegar with verjuice in the making of Dijon mustard is the secret behind its smoother and less tangy taste compared to English mustard. But sadly, verjuice fell from favour during the early 19th century. Crusaders returning to Europe brought lemons from the Middle East and just like that, a far easier source of acidic juice was found. Which meant that verjuice’s time in the spotlight was over. Until the late 20th century, that is, when Australian Maggie Beer spearheaded a revival of verjuice.

So what does this have to do with South Africa? We are one of a select group of countries where commercial production of verjuice has once again started on a small scale. Instrumental in all this are the multi-talented Janice Botha and Diane Heynes and their Verjuice Company. Janice worked for many years in film production before following a dream and designing, building and opening a restaurant at Scarborough (near Cape Town). Her interest in verjuice was piqued after receiving Maggie Beer’s recipe book as a gift and the seed that was to grow into The Verjuice Company was sown.

The first commercially-available vintage was the 2002 vintage made from Pinotage grapes and it sold out completely. And from there, demand for the rather lovely onion-skin coloured liquid has grown exponentially. It is available through many Woolworths stores, as well as delis and speciality shops throughout the country. I discovered it when I bought a bottle of their caramelised verjuice syrup at the lovely Dessie’s in Port Elizabeth, which has since been put to good use drizzled liberally over my prosciutto-wrapped grilled nectarines.

So why use verjuice when lemon juice and vinegar? The main and best reason is simple: whereas vinegar and lemon juice will clash with the taste of whatever wine you are serving with the meal, verjuice is far more closely related in taste to the wine and will compliment the wine to a far greater degree. If you have a bottle of verjuice but are at a loss as to how to use it, here are some ideas:

- instead of vinegar or lemon juice in salad dressings;

- instead of white wine or brandy when deglazing pans;

- poaching fresh fruit or reconstituting dried fruit;

- drizzle over grilled fish or barbecued baby octopus;

- cutting the richness of sauces or meat dishes, especially with pork;

- instead of balsamic vinegar when caramelising onions;

- heavily reduced as a topping for ice cream (or be lazy and buy the caramelised syrup!); or

- in the preparation of mustards.

Here in London, verjuice is still seen as a pretty exotic ingredient, so it’s nice to know South Africa is on the culinary cutting edge!

Popularity: 5% [?]

A criticism of South Africans (and pretty much all antipodeans in London) is that we arrive from sunnier Southern climes, find jobs, find accommodation and then proceed to live in little self-imposed ghettoes, socialising only with other South Africans, eating only out of South African shops, drinking in South African-themed bars, wearing Sprinkbok rugby jerseys everywhere, and generally spending time slagging off the English – our hosts! And I do have to say that there is some truth in this. It is very hard to stick out your finger in Wimbledon/Earlsfield/Southfields and not poke a South African, because a lot of us really do congregate there. And I have spent many a night talking to South Africans in London and thinking “good grief – you’re in LONDON! Stop carrying on about the weather – you didn’t come here for the weather!!”

But let’s not forget that there is always an exception that proves the rule. Since we arrived here, Nick and I have been Eastenders. We have never lived west of Canary Wharf and am not aware of any South Africans in our street. Sure, you do hear Afrikaans on the train occasionally, but we are more likely to bump into our Lithuanian, Irish, Indian, Finnish or West-Indian neighbours than other Saffers. Although I get terribly homesick, I also experience moments of such intense joy at being in London that I want to run laughing through the streets yelling “Hey, everybody, look! I actually live here in one of the most exciting cities in the world!!” On the other hand, you are what you are: there’s no denying your roots. And so, like clockwork, once a year Nick and I host a Big South African Braai. Not to surround ourselves with only South Africans, but to give all our friends a little taste of what home means to us.

We usually have between 10 and 17 people in our tiny garden and we have a rich mix of natinalities and backgrounds. This year we had 3 Brits, 5 Saffers (including me and Nick), 2 Aussies, 2 Kiwis. a German and a Mexican. So naturally we felt compelled to educate them on the finer points of South African cuisine In the past, we have treated them to chakalaka, seven-layer salad, sosaties, braai sarmies and snoek. And this year we treated them to not one but TWO South African delicacies: chicken sundowners (will be blogged in a later post, I promise) and Peppermint Crisp fridge tart.

I don’t know what it is about this desert that makes grown men go all misty-eyed and women look wistful, but it is one of those desserts that everyone seems to like. It is absolutely not fancy, pretty, clever or remotely sophisticated. But I can guarantee you that every South African reading this has tasted it because it is one of those things that every South African mom has at some stage made when catering for masses of people… say, at a braai. Some people whom I invited but could not make it were upset not about missing the braai, but about missing the pudding! In fact, it has become so ingrained in the South African culinary psyche that I was amused to see on my visit home in June that it has become a chocolate flavour! Cadbury’s Dairy Milk has brought out a range of “Local is lekker” chocolates in flavours like milk tart and… mint crisp fridge tart. Jawellnofine.

So what is this ambrosial pudding? OK, don’t wince when I tell you. Many moons ago, a South African company called Orley Foods developed a range of non-dairy cream substitute products. The flagship product was (and still is, apparently) Orley Whip which looks like single cream, whips up to three times its original volume and can be stored in the fridge for up to three months. My recipe for this pudding was copied down from a package insert in a pack of Orley Whip a long time ago, probably much like every other South African I know. The recipe combines Orley Whip with Caramel Treat (caramelised condensed milk) and Peppermint Crisp (a chocolate bar from Nestle that features a filling of tightly packed, long and very brittle tubes of BRIGHT green mint-flavoured candy – looks like Kryptonite and tastes madly minty), layered with Tennis biscuits (shortbread-ish coconut-flavoured cookies). It struck me that it is in some ways a South African take on tiramisu, minus the culinary history and the fashionability . The final product is not overly sweet, thanks to the peppermint and the fairly neutral biscuit layers, but is rich enough to go a long way. And I distinctly remember seeing plates licked clean.

So clearly, local is lekker, even if you have never set foot in South Africa!

PEPPERMINT CRISP FRIDGE TART (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
250ml Orley Whip, whipped
2 packets of Tennis biscuits (although you will probably use less)
375g caramelised condensed milk
20ml caster sugar
3 Peppermint Crisp bars, crushed
3-4 drops of peppermint essence (more, if you like))

Method:
Whip the Orley Whip and then add the caramelised condensed milk castor sugar and peppermint essence. Beat until well mixed and then stir in 2/3 of the crushed Peppermint Crisp.

Place a layer of whole tennis biscuits in a buttered 29x19x5cm dish. Spoon 1/3 of the caramel mix over the buscuits and spread evenly. Continue in layers, finishing with a layer of filling on top.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Decorate by sprinkling the remainder of crushed peppermint crisp on top. Cut into squares and serve.

SUBSTITUTIONS:
You can substitute whipping cream for Orley Whip, but the outcome may be even richer than this pudding already is! I used Elmlea, a half-dairy cream available in the UK. Apparently the American Cool Whip is a near-identical product. For caramelised condensed milk, you can use dulce du leche or you can make your own by boiling a tin of normal sweetened condensed milk (warning: hazardous!!). The Tennis biscuits may prove problematic, although I have seen forums in Australia advising the use of a typr of Arnott’s coconut biscuits or Nice biscuits. Any other suggestions welcome. And as for the peppermint crisp… sadly, for that you will have to bite the bullet and buy it from a South African shop. Not sure if anything else like it exists. Maybe start campaiging for Nestle to produce it worldwide?

Popularity: 20% [?]

Hands up – who’s had a Springbokkie?

No, I’m not looking for some juicy revelation about James Small’s alleged extra-curricular activities or (even less) a discussion analogous to the one about Australian sheep farmers and their relationship with their sheep…! No, I’m talking about those delicious yet lethal little short drinks in the Springbok colours of green and gold.

When people talk about South African booze, they usually go on at length about our vineyards, our progressive and historic winemaking industry, vintages, cultivars, terroir and the like. Or they launch into a misty-eyed anecdote involving a rugby matchm Castle lager and some of the manne. But I think a springbokkie is a far better metaphor for the country and its people. It’s short and to the point. It feels vaguely patriotic. It can kick like a mule if you don’t respect it. But basically somewhere in there is a very sweet layer.

So what’s in this drink? Well, it’s basically a shot glass with crème de menthe in the bottom and a magical elixir called Amarula Cream floated on top. Amarula cream is one of those rare pleasures – a truly South African liqueur (the other one that springs to mind being Van der Hum, made from naartjies). It is made from the fruit of the marula tree; that is, the tree made famous by Jamie Uys’s in his classic movie Beautiful People, which showed drunkenly staggering elephants and baboons who had supposedly eaten the fallen and fermented marula fruit at the foot of a tree. The reality is a lot less amusing – because of the low alcohol content in even fully fermented fruit, it would take more fruit to make an elephant drunk than could possibly be consumed from a lone tree. And apparently baboons prefer the fresh fruit to the fermented ones.

But that does not change the fact that the marula tree is a revered plant in southern Africa. (Some studies show that the cutting down of marula trees is an indicator of the degree of distress that a community is suffering – they are usually the last trees to be cut down for firewood.) The skin of the fruit can be boiled to make a drink or burnt to be used as a substitute for coffee. The wood is soft and used for carving; the inner bark can be used to make rope. The bark contains antihistamines and can be for cleansing by steeping in boiling water and inhaling the steam. The bark can also be crushed into a pulp, mixed with cold water and swallowed in the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea, and can be used as an anti-malarial measure.

Marula trees are dioecious, which means they have a specific sex. This fact contributes to the belief among the Venda that bark infusions can be used to determine the sex of an unborn child. If a woman wants a son the male tree is used, and for a daughter, the female tree. If the child of the opposite sex is born, the child is said to be very special as it was able to defy the spirits.

Inside the fruit are one or two seeds that are rich in protein and contain oil that can be used as a cosmetic. And then, of course there are the fruits. They are approximately the size of small plums and yellow in colour, and are packed with Vitamin C. When they ripen they are avidly collected by all those living near the tree and either eaten fresh, made into jams or fermented into alcohol, including Amarula Cream liqueur.

With or without creme de menthe, it truly is the spirit of South Africa.

CookSister!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Tea and Biltong with the Queen:

In my last column I wrote about isolation versus belonging, and missing the feeling of being part of the bigger picture, a contributing member of an exciting society. I’m cheating a little with this article as it’s not so much about what I miss but rather a continued look at this attitude I described previously.

Now, I’ll concede that South Africa is still a rather divided nation in some sectors, but I do think this is diminishing, especially with the younger generations – for all the reasons I gave here. Racism is something I now tend to associate with older people – products of apartheid who refuse to (for several reasons) change the way they see the world and how they treat people. When I encounter racist youth I am always pretty surprised, and saddened, but I do think these people are the exception rather than the rule.

These racists are both white and black, and the very nature of racism is that it defies logic so you cannot reason it away. I find it very hard to accept this and often “take the bait” and try to make people realise the falsity of what they believe, but in my most rational moments I must accept that this is a losing battle.

With that little disclaimer above, I will say that I believe the over-riding attitude in South Africa is one of amazing optimism. We have so much to overcome, but we were recently found to be the 7th most business-optimistic country in the world, according to a report by Grant Thornton. Other reports suggest that finances rather than ethnicity is now the major deciding factor in terms of where we choose to live – and while divisions in wealth are not a good thing, they are more easily overcome in a growing economy as ours than racial tensions.

If you’ll forgive the bastardisation of a cliché – we now have a South African dream. Unlike the original (read: american) version, this is not a dream of being handed everything on a platter – this dream is not about a land of excess and easy rides. I think the nation dreams of “just rewards” and that my children will compete against yours in a fair world. That is a pretty respectable dream, in my view.

The following quote is taken from an old (2004) BBC article on change in South Africa:
“Where things have changed for the better – where houses have been built, where black people now feel free to go anywhere they choose – this is often taken for granted.
Where things have not changed – where people remain unemployed or live in terror of crime – there is a deep scepticism whether any political party has either the ability or the will to do anything about it. ”

I think this duality of the public opinion of the time is very well expressed, but I would add to this to bring it up to date. We are a nation waking up to personal responsibility and power, we are no longer asking for solutions to be given, but striving for them ourselves. I see this everywhere: in expats marching in London, in various protests and demonstration all over South Africa, in internet discussion forms and websites, in politicians increasingly panicked attempts to explain themselves.

I guess where I see involvement, other may see unrest and dissatisfaction, but I invite them to don a pair of (lightly) rose tinted glasses and get out on the streets (peacefully) or get vocal about our concerns. Action must lead to action.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I talk regularly in my posts here about the foods I miss from South Africa – Anchovette, biltong, Melrose cheese spread, Nice & Spicy spice packs – the list is long. And I must say I always feel for South African expats who live in countries where SA products simply aren’t available. I once sent some Choc-Kits to a blogger in Sweden who almost wept with joy! It really made me feel grateful for the fact that I live in London where the huge SA expat community means that there are very few South African specialities that you cannot get hold of without having to resort to smuggling it in with your underwear at the bottom of the suitcase.

Although there are dozens of South African shops in and around London, I tend to go most regularly to two of them. That’s not to say there aren’t other great places to get your taste of home: St Marcus in Roehampton is on the wrong side of town for me to get to regularly, but I have been there with friends and was deeply impressed with the size of the store and the variety of different types of boerewors and biltong on offer. The Cruga shop in Milton Keynes carries a full range of the delicious Cruga biltong and is the only place I have seen snoek in this country. My delightful South African hardressers in Canada Water (Doyer & Doyer) stock a small range, so you can get a cut, colour and a packet of NikNaks should the mood take you. And I was amazed on a trip to Jersey to see a guy barrelling along the island lanes in van advertising biltong – apparently he supplies home-made biltong to homesick Saffer expats and curious locals.

But these are places I seldom get to. The two places I usually go to get my fix are:

African Enterprises (under the Charing Cross railway arches off Villiers Street)

This is the shop I visit most frequently. It’s easy to get to from a number of Tube lines and is big enough to stock a large range of stuff. Started in 1995 to cater to the growing number of South Africans in London following our readmission to the Commonwealth, it has gone from strength to strength and now even acts as a wholesaler to smaller outlets. I love them because they always have a good range of Cruga biltong and droewors, because they stock the Best Boerewors in London (made by Web Butchers in Southfields) and because they have a good selection of South African wines, beers and ciders. Apart from the edibles, you can also stock up on SA magazines like Huisgenoot/YOU (because you know you want to, even if you won’t admit it!), African curios, SA rugby jerseys/scarves and the like, and a range of South African books. For the homseick braaimeister, there is also a range of Cadac skottelbraai products and authentic 3-legged potjiekos pots. It’s also my first port of call for a range of South African sweets and the jar of Wilson’s Toffees by the till makes me feel like a little kid again.

Apart from what you’ll find on the shelves, I gather that they also have a flower delivery service to all major centres in South Africa (perfect for when you’ve forgotten Mom’s birthday!) and in the summer they will cater a lamb spit braai for your friends, at the very reasonable cost of £10 per head. And best of all, they are prepared to consider individual requests for a particular product that you are craving – so do speak to the (ever-friendly) staff.

AFRICAN ENTERPRISES
Unit 3
The Arches
Villiers Street
WC2N 6NG
Tel. 020 7839 6415

The Savanna (in The Vaults at London Bridge station)

This is just one of four branches of this store throughout London (the other three are in Raynes Park, Wimbledon and Southfields). In a stroke of marketing genius they opened a small store in London Bridge about a year or so ago – at least, that’s when I first noticed it. It meant that people like me who live east of Tower Bridge and don’t really shop in the SW-London Saffer enclaves can conveniently grab a favourite treat from home on the way through, or pick up a bottle of SA wine en route when visiting South African friends in the southwest.

Although the premises are tiny, the shop is jam-packed with your favourites, from Romany Creams to Ina Paarman spices to tins of Koo jams to Simba chips. The Savanna also has an in-house butcher to supply all their branches with meat products such as fresh biltong (including peri peri flavour), droewors, boerewors – and vacuum-packed chicken flatties for the braai! (For those who are wondering, these are spatchcocked chickens, marinated and ready for the coals.) I believe in the larger stores you can also get kudu and springbok meat – ideal for making my springbok fillet on the braai. They also seem to have some captive South African bakers hidden somewhere as you can buy a range of Saffershire (love it!) homemade rusks, milk tart and… cooksisters. And last week while I was cleaning them out of their supply of Tennis biscuits, Caramel Treat and Peppermint Crisp (to make the famous fridge tart!), I also noticed that they have a few bottles of Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance! Impressive, and ideal as a special treat for your English wine fundi friends.

The Savanna
Unit 1
The Vaults
London Bridge Station
SE1 9SP
Tel. 020 7357 9314

Cooksister!

Popularity: 6% [?]