Wild at HEART

first glance, Roushanna Gray's immediate living and working environment is harsh and unforgiving, but this passionate wild food forager loves sharing just how rich in edible treasures her Cape of Good Hope surrounds are

If provenance is the food world's holy grail, then Roushanna Gray's Veld & Sea classroom is a temple to the movement. 'Veld' means 'field' in Afrikaans but a more accurate description is 'wild, untouched vegetation. This is especially true of Cape Point, the most southerly point of the famed Cape of Good Hope where Roushanna and her family live. Part of the Table Mountain National Park and home to one of the most biodiverse indigenous plant kingdoms in the world, this protected reserve area is characterised by a treacherous coastline, a landscape carpeted in indigenous fynbos (the local term for the heather-like flowering plant covering) and wild, wild winds. One is truly at the mercy of the elements here. Whether you visit in winter or summer, rain or shine, it is an unrelenting environment featuring a coast that has claimed many passing ships over the centuries. Some 400 years ago, when the Dutch colonists settled in the Cape to grow produce for the passing sea trade, they relied heavily on the local populace for guidance on where to source indigenous edible offerings and equally, what was safe to eat. Crops failed, the weather did not play ball and relying on local knowledge was essential to their survival. Much of this information has been lost over the centuries except for a growing group of enthusiasts such as Roushanna who are intent on rediscovering and sharing their often delicious and always fascinating findings.