Before entering the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition and winning the Social Responsibility Award for Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, chef Zanté Neethling wasn’t attuned to how she loves to cook. Encouraged by her mentor, chef Michelle Theron of Hazendal Wine Estate, to enter the competition, she got to discover her style of cooking and what excites her.

Her winning dish showcases – creatively and with nuance – an edible ecosystem of South Africa’s indigenous plants and ingredients. By telling her story through this dish came the realisation of what the essence of South African cuisine could be.

“In questioning what we stand for and what South African food is, I realised we went about things the wrong way. With everything happening in our country and considering its oppressive past, South Africa’s ancestors went through struggles and difficulties. They didn’t get a chance to fully explore their ingredients and what comes out of the forest because it was never seen as good enough. It was always pushed to the side and instead westernised diet, food and agriculture took over. That has become what we know today,” chef Zanté says.

She echoes facts and sentiments shared by African foods researcher Mpho Tshukudu, as well as chef and consumer scientist Zandile Queen Finxa, who with their Sorghum Agenda aims to popularise and mainstream our indigenous foods. Their voices, among others, signal what could be the unfolding of a local food renaissance that centres South African indigenous foods, bringing it to our collective consciousness for us to discover, explore and enjoy. The sustainability and nutritional benefits of indigenous foods are also important and worth learning about.

“I want to create awareness for people to be curious about and discover how incredible these ingredients are. It’s so special to me because it is rooted in our home, in ourselves,” chef Zanté adds. Delving deeper into her dish called ‘Strandveld Ecosystem’, she deconstructs it to show off its triumphant qualities.

“The plate that I used is the Cape Agulhas Ocean Rock, boasting blue and orange hues. On top of that you have your smoked savoury mussel flan with golden sage, Fynbos honey tea and nori sorghum cracker, which gives you a taste of the ocean. Underneath there’s the indigenous pickled cape cob. For the pickle, I used wild garlic, wild rosemary and confetti bos. (The Khoisan wash their hands with that confetti bos to get the fish smell off. It is used as indigenous thyme and has a perfumy taste.) The fish is laid on an indigenous salsa, which is the crunch of the dish. You get your dune spinach for saltiness, apricot for the sweetness, and the spiced spekboom for the lemony acidity at the bottom. Then I showcase a little bit of the inland with the orange sweet potato tart, with the sorghum crust. Then finally the aniseed buchu sauce. Everything was very carefully designed to work in cohesion with each other to showcase an edible ecosystem using medicinal, indigenous ingredients,” explains chef Zanté.

As head chef at Nest Food Bar, she is inspired by Knysna’s abundant biodiversity. “Knysna is the indigenous mecca of South Africa. It screams with inspiration. We have designed a seasonal menu, but the fun part is getting to be creative and play. We have special fine dining nights where I get to create special dishes. I’m still a young chef so I still have a lot to learn. But I’m excited to just express myself. I’m driven by a need to showcase South African terroir.”

Chef Zanté is going to compete digitally for the global title of winner of the  S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Global Sustainability Award and she hopes to continue the conversation she started with her dish. She aims to use the knowledge of indigenous food as an instrument for sustainable development in our region.

On the future of food and dining in South Africa, she says, “Together we can create an evolution in food culture, heal through eating from our land and restore from what has been eroded. We need to embrace our edible indigenous plants. The establishment of indigenous farms can help restore some of the endangered species so they can be available in the future. It’s very important for me that chef schools and schools in general, elaborate more on our plants and the indigenous knowledge base. Knowing this and the culinary benefits would be amazing. And then there’s the cool factor. Our indigenous food is so cool and exciting!”