Pretoria born Marcel Marais from the Prue Leith Culinary Institute not only created a superb sponge layered with nastergal (msobo or non-toxic, indigenous nightshade berry), jelly and baobab curd but also reconfigured bobotie as the filling for light-as-air choux pastry puffs topped with apricot essence and Dalewood cheese.
Kenosi Malebye, executive pastry chef at Johannesburg’s Les Créatifs, referenced his grandmother and his Bethanie, North West childhood with a superbly sweet and sour mousse made with umkwakwa (also known as monkey orange, klapper, morapa, or lihlala).
Catherine Adonis, head pastry chef at the Saxon, made a magnificent sorghum shortbread with a noem-noem (also known as amathungulu) mousse — and acknowledged her parents who had generously foraged for wild noem-noem at the foot of Table Mountain and then couriered the fruit to Johannesburg for the competition.
Each chef had three hours to make 35 portions of four separate dishes (one cold set item, one chocolate offering, one piece of pastry and one cake-based preparation). Canape-sized pieces (accompanied by Setsong indigenous teas and Jordan Wines) made it possible for judges and guests to consume multiple rounds of taste treats.
Guest Kwena Moabelo, radio and TV personality, was particularly impressed with Adonis’s xigugu (Tsonga pounded maize, peanut paste) and chocolate tart: “Reinterpreting traditional recipes, creating innovative dishes that also honour the spirit of the original is not easy. Traditional cuisine connects us to our ancestors and brings communities together so any modernisation must respect that. Everything I have tasted today has achieved that and so much more. This xigugu tart feels like it is supporting and protecting a great heritage artisan product and also unlocking its hitherto unrecognised fine dining potential.”
Ooh la la! Pastry par excellence
Combining indigenous ingredients and French patisserie flair, the Harvesting Heritage Pastry competition chefs presented a forage into our edible ancestry and pushed culinary boundaries, writes Anna Trapido
Image: Supplied
Heritage Day food is often reduced to braais and boerewors, but flames and flesh are not the only way to celebrate South Africa’s taste traditions. The Harvesting Heritage Pastry competition, held at Johannesburg’s super smart Saxon Hotel recently, incorporated our nation’s indigenous fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and ferments into an exquisitely innovative afternoon tea.
While pastry is generally thought of as specifically French, this event showcased the work of five chefs who not only embrace ancient, regionally specific South African ingredients but infuse them with modern twists. In so doing, they produce flavours that honour our edible ancestry and push culinary boundaries.
The contestants' work blended tradition and originality, reflecting each chef’s personal journey and cultural identity. As contestant Mmathari Moagi (formerly at Urbanology and the Potluck Club restaurants and now a chef trainer at the Centre for Supplier Development, Johannesburg) observed: “I always want past and present, modern and ancient to talk to each other in my cooking. Each bite should take diners on a journey of memory. I try to take people with me into my story.” Moagi’s morogo and peanut teff tea sandwiches did just that.
Owami Mhlongo (pastry chef de partite, The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate, Pinetown) offered insight into her KwaZulu-Natal upbringing with caramelised amadumbe puff pastry palmers.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Pretoria born Marcel Marais from the Prue Leith Culinary Institute not only created a superb sponge layered with nastergal (msobo or non-toxic, indigenous nightshade berry), jelly and baobab curd but also reconfigured bobotie as the filling for light-as-air choux pastry puffs topped with apricot essence and Dalewood cheese.
Kenosi Malebye, executive pastry chef at Johannesburg’s Les Créatifs, referenced his grandmother and his Bethanie, North West childhood with a superbly sweet and sour mousse made with umkwakwa (also known as monkey orange, klapper, morapa, or lihlala).
Catherine Adonis, head pastry chef at the Saxon, made a magnificent sorghum shortbread with a noem-noem (also known as amathungulu) mousse — and acknowledged her parents who had generously foraged for wild noem-noem at the foot of Table Mountain and then couriered the fruit to Johannesburg for the competition.
Each chef had three hours to make 35 portions of four separate dishes (one cold set item, one chocolate offering, one piece of pastry and one cake-based preparation). Canape-sized pieces (accompanied by Setsong indigenous teas and Jordan Wines) made it possible for judges and guests to consume multiple rounds of taste treats.
Guest Kwena Moabelo, radio and TV personality, was particularly impressed with Adonis’s xigugu (Tsonga pounded maize, peanut paste) and chocolate tart: “Reinterpreting traditional recipes, creating innovative dishes that also honour the spirit of the original is not easy. Traditional cuisine connects us to our ancestors and brings communities together so any modernisation must respect that. Everything I have tasted today has achieved that and so much more. This xigugu tart feels like it is supporting and protecting a great heritage artisan product and also unlocking its hitherto unrecognised fine dining potential.”
SA Chefs Association-accredited judgesdeclared Adonis overall winner, but asadjudicator Candice Adams said: “All thecontestants worked beautifully withtraditional ingredients and adapted themto suit contemporary pastry techniques.That is a remarkable, new achievement. Isalute each and every one of them. I lookforward to seeing where this new chapterin South African cuisine takes us.”
Image: Supplied
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