Kaptein and Annie Brandt peri-peri sauces are fast becoming a Lowveld favourite. Produced in Mbombela by the Van Rooyen family, the sauce has a bit of a history.
Sakkie van Rooyen, the owner of Pam Golding Properties, sold his first property in 1997, and he and the property owner ended up becoming best friends. “This guy made a delicious
peri-peri sauce,” explains Sakkie, “but when he passed away, the recipe was lost. Many years later, I helped his widow to figure out the recipe for it. Once we had perfected it, we each went our separate ways and from there developed our own sauces. When Covid hit, Kaptein and Annie Brandt suddenly took off.”
Sakkie applied for a permit to transport food and started delivering all over the country. “I saw the lockdown as an opportunity to expand the business,” he adds. “My philosophy is to always seek new opportunities, so my family and I started producing sauce.” Since then, the business has grown by leaps and bounds, and as the sauce has grown, so has the product range. Currently the Kaptein and Annie Brandt range includes the sauces, buttermilk and bran rusks, coffee (ground and beans) and honey, all of which are now
available countrywide. “When you visit the Kruger National Park, look out for our sauce, it’s in all the park shops,” Sakkie says proudly.
The sauces themselves are mango-based, a common Lowveld crop. “If you are not too keen on a very hot sauce, then Kaptein is the sauce for you. But if you like it hot, Annie Brandt is the way to go. As her tagline says, ‘Jy brand nie vir Annie nie, Annie brand vir jou’.” he laughs. The distinctive packaging, each with its own tongue-in-cheek story about where the sauce originated, is a big drawcard when it comes to these two iconic condiments. Sakkie explains that the stories are a huge part of the appeal for first-time buyers, but adds that once you taste the sauce, you are hooked. “We mostly see people
posting on social media with Kaptein Brandt on their steak, but really, it is equally delicious on chicken, prawns, eggs, in stews, in soups, and even just on a plain piece of bread,” he adds.
Well-known for their hot sauce addiction, it has been jokingly said that Lowvelders have grown up too close to the Mozambican border. “It was wonderful to see how many high-quality sauces are produced and available in the Lowveld and Mpumalanga during the recent Lowveld Peri-Peri Pepper Sauce Show,” enthuses Sakkie, going on to say how
heart-warming it was to see how people assisted one another.
“The show was a great success, reminding me not only of our love of all things fiery, but of how strong our community spirit is. We cannot wait to show off our wares at the next show!”
Sakkie’s chicken wings
Ingredients
• 900g chicken wings
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1cm ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup flour
• oil for frying
• Kaptein or Annie Brandt sauce (to taste)
Method
1. Mix together salt, white pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil, chili flakes and sugar.
2. Pour over chicken wings and mix well to coat them.
3. Put chicken wings in an airtight container, Ziploc bag or cover the bowl with clingfilm.
4. Leave to marinate for at least 45 minutes.
5. Pour the flour in a bowl.
6. When the wings are finished marinating, coat them with the flour and fry in the hot oil for 6 minutes.
7. Take out and drain.
8. When all the wings are fried, refry again, but this time for 3 minutes.
9. Pour Kaptein or Annie Brandt sauce in a pan, bring it to heat, add the wings and baste them in the sauce.
10. If you do not want to baste the wings, you can eat them as is and use Kaptein or Annie Brandt sauce for dipping.
