A day spent cooking across cultural boundaries and with immense love and respect for our ancestral past. Crossing cultural boundaries with our traditional South African Bobotie and cooking in Errieda du Toit’s kitchen for the very first time. 

It was on this day that I fell head over heels in love with South Africa’s domestic goddess, and my food journey began. She’s been one of my greatest mentors, she’s spurred me on to cook with more soul than I could ever have imagined, and she saw my culinary potential (very much like my father) as a cook, a chef and an author – long before identified this to be my calling. A friendship was born, and I am humbled every time we meet to cook together, talk about our dreams and projects, and be in a space where it’s just as effortless as breathing.

It all started with a bobotie.

Even though opinions are divided about the origins and ownership of bobotie in South Africa, I reminisce about days gone by and the religious celebrations where this dish would be cooked in the Cape Malay Quarter accompanied by sweet yellow rice as we welcomed the Islamic new year. The spices added to Cape Malay bobotie remind us most about our ancestral heritage and the traces of our past hidden in our heritage fare. 

That’s the thing about heritage food, isn’t it? It really doesn’t matter what your views are about the traditional dishes being served; all it means to do is conjure up sweet memories from the past and bring those at the table together in the hopes that the conversation will emanate love, the flavours of the food would linger on our tastebuds for a little while longer, and a legacy is left behind.

This is why I am drawn to Errieda du Toit; she reveres heritage food and respects the traditions associated with our kaleidoscope of cultures and the history of food that is a core part of our rainbow nation in South Africa. I echo; food people are simply the best of the best kind of people.

Errieda du Toit: www.huiskok.com

Photographs captured by Ian du Toit