Page 38 - Diplomatists Nov

THE UNIFYING

POWER OF FOOD IN

SOUTH AFRICA

BY KIRU NAIDOO*

herever one is in the world, cooking and sharing
food brings people together. In South Africa’s
WKwaZulu-Natal Province, Biriyani is a rich
metaphor to describe its people and the natural mingling of
cultures and cuisines. In spite of the rigid segregation of both
colonialism and apartheid, food breached the barriers.

The first indentured workers were shipped by the British
from Madras and Calcutta to Durban in November 1860.
From then up until indenture to Natal was stopped in 1911 by
the Government of India, the total emigrants had reached 152
184. Their impact on the rich diversity of the South African
nation has been profound in every sphere.
In fact, there is every likelihood that an invitation to

His Majesty, King Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu’s palaces at flavour. With meat either being very expensive or entirely
KwaNongoma will have biriyani as one of the dishes on out of reach, salted and dried fish added to a tomato chutney

the menu. A visit to any farm store in the remotest part of became a routine accompaniment to the mealie rice. In fact,
KwaZulu-Natal will invariably turn up a packet of the popular that simple meal has become so sought-after that one can
Rajah brand of curry powder. find it on the menu of prime eating establishments like the

This has not been a one-way traffic. Indian and Zulu people Britannia Hotel in Durban.

have liberally borrowed from each other’s traditional foods A coarser ground mealie grain called samp was an
and cooking methods. Picture the scene 160 years ago. Indian established part of Zulu cuisine. Indians spiced up samp with
indentured workers disembarking the SS Truro and other chillies and other spices. Curried samp, nowadays frequently
vessels may be lugged a few cooking utensils and more than cooked with beans or meat is a popular dish.
likely some vegetable seeds. The grinding implements are also very similar in the Zulu
Immediately after the beastly exercise of quarantine, from and Indian methods. In Tamil, the “ammikal” is a fl at granite
which incidentally the colonials exempted themselves, they stone that is accompanied by a rolling pin type of stone. The
were shepherded to plantations very often fifty to a hundred “worral” is a standing receptacle in stone, wood or metal, the

miles away. The terrain and vegetation was different from that contents of which are pounded by a pole-like tool. Variations

which they encountered in either the Southern or Northern of the same are found in any traditional Zulu household.
parts of India. One dish that has the same name in both the Tamil and
Their basic meals came in the form of rations that included Zulu languages is “phutu”. Its pronunciation may vary slightly
dhall. Rations sometimes arrived late or not at all forcing but in cooking method and taste it is exactly the same dish. It
people to forage in the forest picking all varieties of herbs, is commonly eaten with soured milk called “amasi” in Zulu

fruit and tubers. The tasty yam called amadumbe was boiled, which is hardly different from the curd in Indian cooking. The
roasted or curried. Similarly, green bananas became fritters curd has a cooling effect on the stomach with the probiotics

or grated as a curry. Mangoes could be curried either sweet, aiding digestion.
sour or pickled. Gem squashes found form as a deceptive The common ground in cooking traditions is potentially
substitute for meat or fish especially when soured with a fascinating area of inquiry that demonstrates that there is

tamarind or green mangoes. more that unites South Africans in a rainbow nation than
Rice that is a staple throughout Asia was in short supply. divides them.
Indians made amends. Local maize was pounded into fi ne
grains. When slow-boiled it looked very much like rice. * Author is Member of the Advisory Committee at Gandhi
Sometimes turmeric or tamarind was added to vary the Luthuli Documentation Centre

38 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 8 • Issue 9 • November 2020, Noida