Tastes Like Home

Due to similarities in weather and colonial histories,South African cuisine has much in common with Indian food

The table is set. A platter of accompaniments are placed at the centre. Each of the five tiny bowls in the platter contains chunks of a different fruit apple,grapes,apricot,dates and plum made into a preserve using spices such as cinnamon,nutmeg and ginger. Next to it is a mutton dish; the curry is prepared using onions,tomatoes and garlic and carries a hint of sweetness. The chicken,stewed with dry spices and topped with green chilies,offsets the coloured pickles. Going by the appearance and list of ingredients,it is easy to mistake these dishes as those belonging to Indian cuisine. However,a tasting will reveal that albeit similar,they are local to South Africa.

Although in different continents and separated by the Indian Ocean,South Africa and India are known to have much in common colonial history,weather and a passion for cricket. However,few are aware that South African cuisine is strikingly similar to Indian local food,especially from the coastal region. It is,therefore,to create awareness about this fact that JW Marriott has brought down Chef Mohamed Mustafa to host a South African food festival at the hotel. South Africa is home to many Indians descendants of people who moved there in 19th century to work at the sugar plantations. So we have an exposure to Indian culture,but the vice versa isnt true. An acquaintance with our food can be a good beginning for a cultural exchange, says Mustafa. The festival is on till March 24 at the hotels Lotus Cafe.

Talking about the food,the chef points out that it is,in fact,the Indian influence that is part of the reason why the cuisines seem similar. For instance,the curries are a concept that the South Africans adopted from the Indian immigrants,the fruit pickles are also known as chutneys or atjars and the apertif called amasi is much like buttermilk. The Portugese,French,British,who had colonised South Africa 17th century onwards,are other strong influences on the cuisine.

However,a larger influence on South African food is the weather. A country with a big coastline and largely humid weather,the available ingredients include rice and coconut,each of which plays a huge role in the cuisine. Mostly rice eaters,we cook it with meat,herbs or vegetables. Coconut is also used in curries but mostly in soups, points out Mustafa,who is on his maiden trip to India.

What sets the palate of Indians and South Africans apart is the latters preference for a hint of sweet in their otherwise spicy meals. This,they achieve by an abundant use of fruits in their cooking. Apricots,grapes and mango are commonly added to their preparations and green bananas are part of South African cuisine starting with appetisers through main course and down to the dessert.

Given their large forest cover,meats are central to any South African cuisine. Either in the dried and cured form (sausages,known as biltong,draewors) or prepared using the slow-cooking method,beef,lamb and chicken are consumed as stews and barbecue (called sosaties). Even though technology is available,most South Africans prefer to toil over the preparation of food,allowing it to cook on a barbecue grill or in an earthenware pot over fire for hours, explains the chef.

The festival will showcase most of the South African specialities. Our menu includes a variety of atjars,spicy banana bread,Gesmoorde Hoender (stewed chicken),Bobotie (meat pie) and droewors among others, says the chef,adding,But the key feature of the festival will be the live counters for burgers and sosaties.

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