This has everything to do with what we put in our mouths. And nothing to do with soccer (truly).
Spent a perfect Cape winter morning, foraging for mushrooms in Tokai forest, with a group of fellow enthusiasts.
We were on the look out for everything sprouting in the sunshine after the snow on Table Mountain, since we were being shown what’s botanically what by an expert within the Applied Biodiversity Research Division at SANBI.
Gathering whatever had escaped hungry baboons as well as serial mushroom pickers, we displayed our specimens for a ‘’look and tell’’, hearing which ones are life threatening, the lurid details of how they live up to names such as ‘’death cap’’ as well as which are deliciously eadible. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as free, foraged food is there?
The outing was organised by Slow Food Mother City, a local chapter of the international Slow Food movement, which celebrates, protects and promotes foods that are good, clean and fair.
Its mission is to safeguard local and indigenous dishes, made according to traditional methods, to give preference to foods that are grown and produced sustainably by small farmers and producers, using traditional skills and methods.
It regards meal times as an opportunity to celebrate our relationships and cultures and believes the enjoyment of food is a right of all people.
Slow Food Mother City offers monthly activities to promote these values, which include meals, tastings, farm outings and producer visits.
So let’s celebrate the soccer – as well as what makes the Cape unique. And braai a scared cow occasionally!
Marion aka ’Cape Evangelist’