The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods, which is maintained by the global Slow Food movement.
Slow Food founder and United Nations Special Ambassador Carlo Petrini was on a four-day visit to Gauteng, where he visited a number of community farm gardens in Soweto, as well as various artisanal and organic producers in Magaliesberg and Johannesburg. Petrini also announced that he would be starting an annual scholarship for one young South African to attend the University of Gastronomic Sciences which is situated in Pollenzo, Italy.
Cele was overcome when Petrini made the announcement, the equivalent in culinary terms to winning a gold medal at the Olympics. He produces nearly 200kgs of chilli a week in season, as well as a wide variety of other vegetables on a piece of land the size of a football field in Phiri in Soweto. He is passionate about his product, uses permaculture techniques and is scrupulous about the quality of this unique little cultivar.
Cele, who has been a farmer since 2011 when he launched Siyazenzela Plant Biotech and Agricultural Consultants, holds a BSc in Microbiology and Honours in plant biotechnology, both from Wits University.
“We have never had such recognition before, particularly on a global stage. Our customers know that we produce a top-class product but this honour from Slow Food has been amazing. My team and I are delighted,” he said.
The Chilli of Soweto will be one of the attractions at the Slow Food Soweto Eat In & Food Conference which takes place at the Soweto Theatre on Saturday 3 September 2016.
The event comprises a food market (selling the produce of the Soweto and Orange Farm urban farmers) plus a selection of classic township street food, a farming and food security conference and the opportunity to eat an Nguni cow from nose to tail.
Izindaba Zokudla (Conversations about Food) is coordinating a conference with topics such as ‘Growing and Producing Food in Soweto’, ‘Johannesburg: Urban Farmers Speak’ and ‘Buying Food in the City: How to get a healthy and fair deal’. Panellists include dietician and functional medicine specialist Mpho Tshukudu, UJ anthropologist Hilda Bbhenkele, industrial designer Angus Campbell and Wandile Zwane, Head Department of Social Development, City of Johannesburg.
Lunchtime sees an Nguni Eat In competition under the auspices of Slow Meat. This culinary extravaganza sees nine teams of chef students and a 10th team of Soweto Gogos cooking every aspect of a 300 kg Nguni cow. Each group drew lots in order to be allocated two cuts of meat (one muscle, one offal).
Cost is R20 for entry into the food market as well as the conference and R295 to participate and eat at the Slow Meat Chefs’ Competition. Booking for the latter is on www.webtickets.co.za.
Petrini said the food gardens he had seen were fantastic and reinforced the message that organic food is not just for people with money.
“We must protect our indigenous seed. When 100 percent of seed is controlled by multinationals, agriculture will be over. We don’t want our indigenous agriculture polluted by genetically modified products. We have a right to gardening, and communities have a right to it.”
Petrini also met with Xoliswa Ndoyiya, who was the personal chef for many years to the late Nelson Mandela. Sis Xoli, as she is affectionately known, presented him with her book Ukutya Kwasekhaya: Tastes from Nelson Mandela’s Kitchen, which he has said he will donate to the library of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
Since its foundation in 1989, Slow Food has grown into a global movement, involving millions of people in more than 160 countries, working to ensure everyone has access to good, clean and fair food. It is thanks to Petrini’s efforts that a growing movement of people believe that people can reduce both hunger and obesity while improving the quality of food, the life of farmers and the impact of agriculture on the environment and health along with real cooking, taste and pleasure.
He was hosted by the Slow Food Johannesburg and Cape Town Convivia, which made the pledge to create 10,000 food gardens in South Africa. For more information, go to http://slowfood.co.za or http://slowfoodcapetown.co.za.
