There are a lot of cooking videos on YouTube. Like everything else on the internet, they are not all good.
The best of the genre will teach you basic cooking skills and help you expand your culinary knowledge, while being entertaining.
YouTube cooking channels are among the platform’s most-viewed content. It’s no surprise; millions of people either love to cook or want to learn how.
Joining the many chefs to launch their own channel is Wandile Mabaso.
In association with Stella Artois, the award-winning Soweto-born chef has launched a three-part series, “The Ritual”, that meditates on African art, food and life, all of which are some of his favourite topics of discussion after kitchen service.
“A ritual for many chefs, ‘after service’, is when we take time to sit down, enjoy a cold beer, and discuss the day, right after service. So, in ‘The Ritual’, I wanted to take a journey into the various aspects of all the things I’m curious about,” said Mabaso.
In episode one, chefs Mmabatho Molefe and Besele Moloi join him in the kitchen, followed by an after-service ritual in which they explore how culture plays a significant role in their shared love for food and passion for cooking.
In episode two, titled “Africasso”, Mabaso journeys to Cape Town to explore the ritual of creating meaningful art with world-class ceramic artists Zizipho Poswa and Andile Dyalvane, whose Imiso Ceramics creates the beautiful, hand-crafted ceramic plates on which his meals at Les Creatifs are served.
“Being a true pioneer means going beyond the status quo, so I’m all about pushing boundaries and finding often unexpected innovations that have a positive impact. This is the legacy of craftsmanship and something I also really wanted to explore in ‘The Ritual’,” he said.
As such, in episode three, Mabaso shares time with artist and fashion designer, Gladys Semenye and sculptor, Dora Prevost, to discover the meaning of inspiration, the importance of sustainability, representation for women and young Africans, and telling an authentic African story through their craft.
Mabaso is a creative food artist with vast global experience, having worked with internationally renowned chefs in Michelin-star restaurants in New York and Paris.
He returned to South Africa in 2019 to launch his acclaimed restaurant, Les Creatifs, in Johannesburg, and in 2022, he was named Chef of The Year at the annual Luxe Restaurant Awards.