THE STICKY FINGERED BLISS of luscious mango eaten straight from the skin. Sweltering heat. Splashing into a lukewarm swimming pool and washing the golden pulp from my little hands. These are my earliest memories of subtropical Limpopo.
My family would leave Johannesburg before dawn and by mid-morning we would be on the R71 sweeping past roadside stalls bursting with fresh, brightly coloured fruit. I recall my dad pulling over to stock up on litchis and exchanging cash for trays of mangoes and paw-paws. These would require careful guarding during the Christmas holidays, during which we crisscrossed self-catering kitchens in the Kruger National Park. Vervet monkeys were enemy number one (children covered in mango juice make soft targets) but even at night, our goods weren’t safe because thick-tailed bushbabies would descend from the trees to get their marauding paws on our ripening stash.
Route 71 is a 200 km stretch of road between Polokwane and Phalaborwa, ending at the Phalaborwa Gate at South Africa’s favourite wilderness destination. Like my family, most visitors eager for sightings of the Big Five rush straight to Kruger – and miss out on so much along the way.
Denne historien er fra January/February 2021-utgaven av Woolworths TASTE.
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Denne historien er fra January/February 2021-utgaven av Woolworths TASTE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Award-winning Food: Trending Plates
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Everything you need to know about quinoa
If it was good enough to sustain the Incan armies - and NASA's astronauts - you'd better believe this protein-rich seed will see you through your afternoon slump.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
The kids will love these quick-and-easy snacks that won't break the (piggy) bank.
82 words on...
THE FROZEN APEROL SPRITZ is the hottest way to keep cool this summer, says Jeanne Calitz.
MEET ME AT THE RIVER
Plan a visit to the new Mukwa River Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi to experience Zambian food with a twist, courtesy of head cook Aaron Menezes and four passionate members of his kitchen team.
FIRE STARTER
Celeb TV chef Clem Pedro - of Afternoon Express and Expresso fame takes the art of hosting to pro level and not because he went to hotel school or worked for TASTE, but because he started in his mom's kitchen. We asked him to share his food nerd roots and family braai secrets.
PLANTS IN PARADISE
Former Durban creative (and one-time carnivore) Neil Roake and his daughter Jordan's epic travels led them to collaborate on the all veg cookbook Castaway. They shared their meat-free adventures on the Filipino island of Siargao with TASTE.
ΤΟ MAY-ΤΟ, ΤΟ MAH-ΤΟ
Midsummer tomatoes are impossible to resist, we know. So when you find yourself with a bounty of exotic varieties - heirlooms, Italian Romas, ripe Mediterraneans and sweet Rosalinis - Hannah Lewry is here to help.
HOME TRUTHS
At her Joburg eatery, established in the iconic former Women's Jail at Constitution Hill, Mpho Phalane has worked to create a space that both honours the historic site and feels like home. She spoke to Khanya Mzongwana about the food journey that brought her here.
Morogo magic
Budget-friendly indigenous leafy greens - fresh, sautéed or preserved for later use are on Mokgadi Itsweng's menu at this time of year.
