When the adventurous tourist comes to South Africa, they step outside the “tourist zone” and mingle with the people. One of the best ways of doing this is going to the townships. The culture there is real and this also includes the food.
As you will see on Mzansi Magic’s Hot Plate Catering: Ekasi, the food culture in South African townships is diverse and often mouthwatering. On the show, we meet several caterers from the ’hood who allow us to see them complete culinary tasks in order to feed the people around us. Marks are gained for originality, taste, presentation and personality.
If you have tried township food then you know that it comes in various shapes and sizes and, in some cases, is made in ways that some conservative people might not agree with.
I witnessed the slaughtering of goats and sheep for the Christmas holiday. As I took snaps for my next profile picture, it quickly dawned on me that some of my friends might find this offensive. So instead of spending the year defending my roots, I just let the idea go.
But if you watch Hot Plate Catering: Ekasi you might actually see such material. It’s common knowledge that goats and chicken roam around in some townships and when the time is right they meet their end in a bowl of stew. You might want to see how that stew comes to be.
But to a much lesser extent, Hot Plate Catering: Ekasi is about bragging about the diversity of South Africans’ culinary skills, especially in areas where people are self-taught.
Some of the dishes to expect include the kota (bunny chow), mogodu (tripe), skop (head of sheep or goat), trotters, chicken, beef, dumplings, pap and samp.
The kota is easily the most common on-the-go meal. It is a cholesterol haven but that doesn’t matter when you are eating it. It usually comes in the back of a dug-out half-loaf of bread. Inside are layers of French fries, polony, vienna sausages, a fried egg and atchar. You can order more of these or other ingredients for extra money.
Mogodu is for the strong-hearted. If you are going to think too much about what it is you will not eat it. It’s the intestines cleaned up and cut into small, chewable pieces. Some cultures actually wrap the small intestines around the large ones, making a delightful meal.
Skop is the head of a sheep, a goat or a chicken. The ones who know how to prepare this will tell you that it needs some serious boiling with spices to get to the hard-to-reach parts. It is tasty, but the eyes, ears, nose and mouth can get in the way of you enjoying it without thinking of the dead animal.
Trotters usually have the same recipe and if they are cleaned well are not as drastic as the head.
• Hot Plate Catering: Ekasi, Mondays at 7pm on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161).