Celebrity chef, author, and businesswoman Nthabiseng Ramaboa, known as Chef Nti, has just launched her own website and online store where she sells her own range of sauces and spices.
Inspired by South African flavours, the products represent her pride in our heritage and food.
Ramaboa says the range started with the sauces back in 2018, during her first year at the Taste Kitchen. She says the whole idea was that on their menu they had a chakalaka mayo and she decided to turn it into a dressing and people loved it. And when it comes to ushatini (tomato relish), which is a traditional tomato gravy, the technique was to give it a smooth consistency.
This was also part of one of their sauces at Taste Kitchen, so she then decided to package the sauces and make a product that’s proudly South African.
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur and for me, I like to work from a point of truth. The sauces were the easiest to make because already clients were loving the products. Over and above that, it was for representation in the industry, because when you looking at the food and beverage industry there aren’t a lot of products that are proudly South African that represent the black culture.
“These are different in that they are proudly South African, these are the flavours we grew up loving but never had an opportunity to buy conveniently. I can say boldly that with black families, at least two or three times a day they have pap and gravy on the menu and chakalaka, and those are the flavours you find in the products,” says Chef Nti.
She adds that there are plans to introduce more sauces and spices, but at this point she is not sure what she likes, so she will let life lead her.
“With the sauces I was prepared to make, it was all inspired by what we made at the kitchen – people loved it, and I saw a gap and decided to package them,” says Ramaboa.
Below are the spice and sauces and how you can best make use of them in the kitchen.
Creamy chakalaka
Creamy chakalaka sauce complements braai meat, chips and can be used as a salad dressing.
Ushatini
Ushatini is delicious with pasta, paella, and pap and meat.
All-purpose meat rub
The all-purpose meat rub is delectable with beef, chicken, ribs and pork. It can be used as a spice or meat rub, marinade and table seasoning
Multipurpose umami
The multipurpose umami seasoning is perfect to flavour your rice, pasta, salads, fish and poultry.
You can get the products on her website.
Ramaboa joins celebrity chef Zola Nene who also has her own spice range: Zola’s Feasts spice mix and Zola’s Feasts curry powder. Zola’s Feasts flavour bomb spice is a special combination of her favourite spices, ideal for adding a tasty twist to your favourite meals, and also suitable to use as a flavourful rub or as a seasoning to spice up your favourite roasts, meat, chicken, vegetable and fish dishes. Zola’s Feasts fragrant curry powder is a delicate mix of aromatic spices that combine to make a mild curry powder mix. The chilli pungency is very mild and is suitable for a variety of curry dishes, from vegetables to chicken to lamb to chakalaka to pickled fish.