South African plant bounty goes global … and endemic flora graces the world’s medicine chests and grocery cupboards.
There’s an article in today’s Mail & Guardian where Brent Meersman informatively lists ”A shoppers guide to nature’s kitchen”.
He describes the botanist Wim Tijman’s take on the mood enhancing plant Sceletium tortuosum used by the San / Bushmen for bartering with the early Dutch colonists.
He wondered how it was possible that the Dutch, from a wet climate in a country below sea level, could possible survive in the greater rainless interior that drives white men mad. His theory is that they sat on their stoeps staring at the horizon chewing local plants known as kougoed, which has inebriating and even hallucinogenic properties. Early solution by early man.
It’s spring time in the Cape. Experience its botanical riches.
The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the world’s six plant kingdoms, a World Heritage Site and a global biodiversity hotspot. This tiny region in the Western Cape holds one of the richest yet most threatened reservoirs of plants and animal life on earth. It’s home to more plant species than found in the entire northern hemisphere – with seventy percent of these plants found no where else on earth (endemic).
So why don’t you linger over a section of medicinal and culinary plants and engage your senses on the Blind Trail at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.
Or visit farms that are members of the Biodiversity Wine Initiative (BWI). This is a pioneering partnership to conserve the rich natural diversity of the Cape Winelands by the wine industry and the conservation sector (The Botanical Society of SA, WWF-sa, Conservation International) – via private landowner participation.
Since vineyard and urban expansion threaten vulnerable natural habitat and South Africa is the world’s 9th largest producer of wine contributing 3. 4% of the global wine production, this initiative is critical. Support farms that are BWI members and champions who are implementing biodiversity guidelines within farm management practices.
While in the Winelands get a taste of some of the 300 edible plants on Babylonstoren – a 590-acre property that recreates the geometrical layout of the Dutch East India Company’s Garden which supplied fresh produce to ships sailing between Europe and the Eastern Spice Route – and indulge in a farm-to-table fantasy at its restaurant Babel or its Conservatory.
Down the road is Solms Delta’s fynbos focussed menu at its restauarant Fyndraai, or Delaire Graff”s and Tokara’s fresh-from-the-garden offerings at the top of Helshoogte pass that may include seasonal Kalahari truffles.
Stock up on local bounty at Oom Samie se Winkel in Stellenbosch’s Dorp Street. Replenish your medicine chest, grocery cupboard or gift cache with indigenous fare … like aromatic buchu, sworn as a cure all from First Nation times onwards, or rooibos tea, so rich in antioxidants that a Texan company tried to trademark it, as well as honeybush tea and marula in the fermented fruit form – handily bottled as a creamy liqueur.
Not on Oom Samie’s shelves but desired by multinational pharmaceuticals for being on theirs, is hoodia whose intellectual property rights granted to the Kalahari Khomani/San community are being hotly contested because of the plant’s potential as an appetite suppressant in the lucrative slimming market.
These are just some of South Africa’s unique natural treasures. Preserve them by raising awareness and participating in eco-responsible initiatives.