Topping my To Do List this week is distilling my trip notes, pictures and impressions into travel content for a new South Africa micro site on Tour de Forks website. What a gorgeous country! I absolutely fell in love with Cape Town. Laid out beneath the magnificent Table Mountain, it’s hip and urbane - and its storied past has brought together a multi-cultural population resulting in a very cool vibe. Think Africans and the Dutch-Afrikaners - with their history and culture -and the musical sounds of all those dialects. Combine that with the veddy British descendants of the early colonists and the beautiful caramel-colored Cape Malay people renowned for their spicy cuisine. Their quaintly charming, high-in-the-hills neighborhood, Boo-Kap is one of the city's most unique.
Cape Town is considered the culinary capital of South Africa - and it would thrill any foodie worth their salt. We ate game, of course; kudu (the skewered and grilled kabobs of this venison-y tasting antelope were pretty good) and warthog burgers (could be an acquired taste). And we discovered little hideaways offering scrumptious Cape Malay dishes redolent with their signature spices; curry, turmeric and cinnamon. My fave? Bobotie – sort of a South African version of mousaka.
Tour de Forks’ clients look for unique food - related adventures, and so we we on a mission to compile a list of experiences to weave into our tours. We found a very special one in the outlying district of Woodstock – the weekly Neighbourgoods Market. Woodstock is an old historic neighborhood, still slightly seedy, but now sufficiently gentrified and described as “emerging”. Its once derelict mill complex – The Old Biscuit Mill – has been spiffily restored, and every Saturday morning it is the scene of a bustling market, chock-a-block with over 100 stalls and pushcarts.
On display are brilliantly colored organic produce, spices, artisanal meats,cheeses,breads, olive oils, and jars of this and that. Coffee (fair trade, natch) South African wines and beers from local breweries are all available as well. Loads of great stuff to take away or sip and nosh in situ. Who are the patrons? Sophisticated mamas, shopping with tots in tow; serious cooks and foodies hand-picking veggies; and just regular folks happily meandering about – taking it all. in. We bought some biltong (beef jerky Afrikaans style), and shared space, at a long, common, trestle table, with a group of 20-somethings. They were breakfasting – after a Friday night on the town - on oysters and champagne.
In the “man does not live by food alone” department, there are pushcarts with things like gots-to-have-it garlic presses and block printed tea towels. And there are the de rigeur lavender soaps, soy candles and such. An adjacent warren of little boutiques, antique shops and flea-market-y places are fun to browse, and sure to produce a find or two.
Our verdict? Four “forks” each, for the food and the ambiance. Come for breakfast – stay for lunch.
