I have been in South Africa for almost three weeks now. Boy, how time flies. Being an American, I cannot tell you how much I miss my chicken fingers, Mexican food, and all that great food America offers.
I have been in South Africa for almost three weeks now. Boy, how time flies. Being an American, I cannot tell you how much I miss my chicken fingers, Mexican food, and all that great food America offers.
But as a world traveller, I am very open to new foods and cultural experiences. So when the opportunity came to try Xhosa food, I jumped at it and found it definitely satisfied my cravings. In fact, during this experience, I realised that eating shouldn't just always satisfy your cravings. Instead, it should also be a learning experience.
I enjoyed a great learning and cultural experiences through eating a fantastic meal at a Xhosa restaurant known as Nokulunga. The restaurant of chef and restaurant manager, Mama Ndocks, in Joza, offers traditional African food, both to locals and tourists from all over the world.
The food is prepared and served right in her home. “I am inspired by cooking meals and by my culture,” Ndocks said. “I love to share my culture’s food with other people and help them learn about it.”
The 60-year-old started her restaurant with the help of the Umthathi Project, around 1990. Working with the project’s founder, Irene Walker, Ndocks said the restaurant had grown tremendously. Within a month, Ndocks said she and her five chefs made a variety of food – from samp and beans to umqa ( a mixture of maize meal and pumpkin) and even umvubo (stiff pap and sour milk) for their hungry guests.
“I really don’t have a particular favourite food to cook,” Ndocks said. "I like offering a variety for people to eat.” Ndocks said what made her restaurant special was that all her meals were prepared from food from the gardens of the Umthathi Project.
Yet as much as she loves cooking food for her many guests, she said her business had struggled somewhat, as customer numbers dwindled. Ndocks was recently widowed and said as the head of her family, she tried as best she could to support her family.
Although she receives a pension, she relies on her business for income. “We are shy people,” Ndocks said. “We can’t really tell people all of the time about our difficulties. "We can only encourage more people to come and experience our great African meals and the township life.”
In the future, she said, she hoped her business became more widely known. She says she wants to her culture and food to touch the lives of as many people as possible. “I want people to know what I am doing here, and I want them to have a great Xhosa experience, right in my home,” Ndocks said.
People interested in eating at Mama Ndock's home can make reservations by calling her at 083 386 5075. Happy eating.
