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A HISTORY OF FOOD AND WINE IN THE CAPE:
FOOD:
 There are not many parts of the world that can claim - like the Cape – that their very origins are connected with food. The modern history of the region dates back to when Jan Van Riebeek was commissioned to establish a vegetable garden in the Cape in 1652 . His mission was to provide fresh victuals to the ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) trading between Europe and the East. Our traditional cuisine, therefore, stems from the early 17th & 18th Century and has over the centuries evolved in the great houses of the fine estates, in the towns and villages and in the humble farmhouses – acquiring a character unique to the region. The Malay slaves added zest to Cape food with spices and herbs. Meanwhile the Dutch trek farmers developed a unique style of cooking. Since this time the inflow of immigrants from other countries such as Greece, Italy and Mozambique (Portuguese), have left definitive marks on the culinary palate in South Africa.
Cape Classic Cuisine is based on the essential foundation of fresh, tasty local produce, a good contribution from the Vineyards and a subtlety of cookery, which came from blending the skills of Europe, Africa and the East.
See lower on the page for some Cape Malay recipes
WINE:
 On 2 February 1659 Jan Van Riebeek produced the first wine in South Africa. In his journal he wrote” Today, praise be to God, wine was pressed for the first time from Cape Grapes…”
Two decades later the VOC appointed Simon van der Stel as governor of the Cape. He was keen to establish a wine industry in South Africa and established farming communities in the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl regions. He noted that winemaking expertise was lacking in the Cape and that the wine produced was of a low quality. He found the answer to this problem when King Louis IV revoked the Edict of Nantes in France. As a result a small group of French Huguenots escaped to South Africa and settled in the Franschhoek region. They brought with them their winemaking and culinary expertise to the Cape.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, viticulture developed as the Cape’s most important branch of agriculture. However, the bulk of the wine produced was of an inferior quality, with the exception of wines of Constantia that gained worldwide renown.
The discovery of Phylloxera, a root louse, on the vines of the Cape in 1886 compelled farmers to destroy millions of vines. The grafting of vines onto Phylloxera-resistant rootstock saved the Cape Vineyards from complete destruction. The industry recovered to such an extent that by the early 1900’s the Cape was faced with the problem of overproduction. In order to solve this problem a controlling body was established to regulate the sale and disposal of South African wine at an adequate return. The deregulation of the industry since the early 1990’s has resulted in an “explosion” of wine-industry expansion. It has led to a rapid increase in micro-wineries, the growth of vines in many new areas, a change from a local focus to a global focus and an increase in the quality of the wine produced in South Africa.
Today South Africa has returned to normal trading with the world. Our wine is exported to a large number of countries and is rapidly becoming an enjoyable part of many people’s everyday lives.
Some Cape Malay recipes from the Bo-Kaap region of Cape Town:
Chicken Curry
2 to 3 onions
3 tbsp oil
3 to 4 chicken fillets pieces
1 teaspoon garlic and ginger
A few curry leaves (optional)
2 to 3 potatoes
Salt for taste
5 ml cumin
5ml chilli powder
5 ml coriander
10ml masala
½ teaspoon turmeric
Fresh coriander (optional)
1 tomotoe or tomotoe paste
Braise onions until golden brown. Add tomatoes or paste. Cook for 5 min. Add garlic and ginger and spices. Simmer for 5 to 10 mins. and add your chicken and potatoes. Once the potatoes are soft, the chicken curry is finish. Garnish with chopped coriander.
Hints
If curry is to watery, mash one of the potatoes. A lot on onions also makes the gravy thick. Good luck!!
Roti
2 cups flour
1 cup luke warm water
Pinch of salt
Mix everything into soft dough. Stretch the dough oblong and cut into smaller pieces.. Each piece will be the size of a tennis ball. Roll the dough and spread with butter. Roll the dough into oblong shape and stretch by hitting it against the table. Roll both sides up into a S shape. Put one side on top of the other. Keep in the fridge for 10 minimum before frying. Fry on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil on both side. Serve with curry.
Sambal
1 onion
1 tomatoe
½ cup brown vinegar
2 tablespoons of jam (apricot)
Pickling spice (my preference)
Fresh coriander
Salt and sugar for taste
Mix everything together. Sambal compliments the curry.
Samoosas
Cheese filling
A cup of cheese (grated)
2 onions chopped
1 teaspoon of barbaque spice
Chicken filling
Steamed chicken breast (3/4) pieces
2 onions
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon masala
1 teaspoon coriander
Half teaspoon chilli powder
Fresh coriander (optional)
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