A Hunger For Action

A chef, a baker, a farmer and a forager walk into a room... 67 of our finest food heroes, together with the nelson mandela foundation, were assembled in a collaborative effort to not only donate their royalties to, but develop and support, community food and agricultural projects to become self-sustainable. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

- Anna Trapido

The Great South African Cookbook (Quivertree Publications, R450) offers epicurean insights into the hearts and homes of 67 of our nation’s finest chefs, gardeners, bakers, farmers, foodies and foragers. Each participant was asked to prepare dishes they might make for the people they love. And so it was that this deliciously diverse collection of 130 recipes, including everything from ye-olde culinary classics to über-modern experimental offerings, came into being.

Whether readers favour Reuben Riffel’s lamb knuckle stew, Dorah Sitole’s ujeqe steamed bread or Jackie Cameron’s pork pies with Waldorf salad, The Great South African Cookbook has a purpose beyond pleasure. The number of culinary contributors was specifically chosen in order to underline the tome’s association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF), which will receive royalties of 10% from the sale of the book. As NMF Chief Executive, Sello Hatang, reminds us: “Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life to the struggle for human rights and social justice and the book’s 67 cooks reflect that contribution.

“When the publishers first came to me with the idea in 2015, I knew it was right for us. It’s a book that focuses on cooking with love. Food security (which is a key element in our Mandela Day campaign) and love are intertwined. Currently, 25% of South Africans go to bed hungry. It’s important that those who’ve never had to live with that reality or those who’ve been fortunate enough to move on from such pressures do not forget the daily suffering of others.”