{"id":43748,"date":"2026-07-02T16:27:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T14:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?p=43748"},"modified":"2026-07-02T16:27:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T14:27:21","slug":"sa-flavours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2026\/07\/02\/sa-flavours\/","title":{"rendered":"SA FLAVOURS"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Cape Malay cuisine to traditional Afrikaans and Zulu dishes …. Warren Mendes shows off SA\u2019s vibrant flavours and diverse dishes.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cMy earliest memories of food don\u2019t actually involve dishes, they involve people,\u201d says Warren Mendes. \u201cMemories of Mum crafting an endless banquet for family and friends and Dad proudly manning the braai.\u201d It was after he and his family left Sandton in South Africa, moving to Australia, that food became a great way \u2018to hold onto our roots, to quell the moments of homesickness and bond us together during early solitary holiday moments\u2019. After school, Warren studied accounting and economics, but realising food was his passion, applied for cooking school at Le Cordon Bleu, training in Sydney, Paris and London. Then there was a jump from freelancer to food editor of Delicious magazine, as well as writing recipes, styling food, creating content and collaborating with foodies like Matt Preston. And then, after a serendipitous conversation on the back of an open-air safari vehicle in Kruger while on a media jaunt, came the dream of The Food Trail South Africa<\/strong> … which turned into a ten-part series showcasing the food of South Africa. During the second season, he decided on creating a book too … a collection of dishes that pull at the heartstrings of South Africans wherever they are in the world. \u201cWhen I take my first bite of a silky slice of milk tart, I am suddenly standing at my favourite bakery in Johannesburg as a child,\u201d he says. The book opens with his favourite recipes … bobotie, bunny chow, koeksisters, and then it\u2019s just page after magnificently illustrated page of Joburg tempura and Durban fattoush and Kalahari pistachio and honey tart, samp and mushroom risotto, pampoenkoekies with salted caramel. Sublime photographs taken while filming complete the appeal.<\/p>\n