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Spicy Liquids, Robust reds, Curry and more! A real Winter Warmer.
Citation preview
complimentaryMay|Jun 2015|18
brought to you by T t www.topsatspar.co.za
Shiraz & Cabernet | Spice in A
lcohol | Trail running | Three Ships distillery | w
ww.topsatspar.co.za
May|Jun 2015|18
An icon of whisky,The James Sedgwick distillery
Robust reds – Shiraz or Cabernet?
winThere’s nothing like
a Durban Curry – and you could win the book!
Winter heatTasting: Southern Comfort, Jaegermeister Spice, Absolut Vanilia, Captain Morgan Spiced Gold & more
Hops - Beer’s
essential ingredient
TRAIL runningThe shoes to choose
THE CARLING BLACK LABELTHE CARLING BLACK LABELCUP IS BACK
O&
M C
APE
TO
WN
774
63/E
O&
M C
APE
TO
WN
774
63/E
BE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACH
Terms and conditions apply.
OR VOTE ONLINE AT: WWW.CARLINGBLACKLABEL.CO.ZAOR VOTE ONLINE AT: WWW.CARLINGBLACKLABEL.CO.ZA
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
77463 Carling Launch 275x210.indd 1 2015/04/13 12:36 PM
THE CARLING BLACK LABELTHE CARLING BLACK LABELCUP IS BACK
O&
M C
APE
TO
WN
774
63/E
O&
M C
APE
TO
WN
774
63/E
BE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACHBE THE CHAMPION COACH
Terms and conditions apply.
OR VOTE ONLINE AT: WWW.CARLINGBLACKLABEL.CO.ZAOR VOTE ONLINE AT: WWW.CARLINGBLACKLABEL.CO.ZA
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
77463 Carling Launch 275x210.indd 1 2015/04/13 12:36 PM
1May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
contents
40
4 EDITOR’S LETTERHigh praise for spirits
6 NEWSNew crop of protégés, wine, winter &
wacky and two new hippos
14 TINUS TALKSWhat do consumers aspire to?
16 WINTER & WINEShiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon?
22
62
1May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
40
22 DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR
The James Sedgwick facility is world class
28 ISLAND STYLEZanzibar’s archipelago
34 CHILLI VANILLYSpicy spirits tasted
40 BASICS OF BEEROne part Hops ...
44 LEISURE PURSUITA grounding in trail running
48 THINGAMAJIGSPanhandling & other things
28
Publisher | Shayne Dowlingshayne@integratedmedia.co.za
Editor | Fiona Mc Donaldfi ona@integratedmedia.co.za
Art Director | Megan Knoxmegan@integratedmedia.co.za
Advertising | Jess Nosworthy jess@integratedmedia.co.za
PR & Promotions | Ashlee Attwoodash@integratedmedia.co.za
Photography | Ashlee Attwood and Thinkstock.com
Contributors | Tinus van Niekerk , Teresa UlyateEmile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Cliff ord Roberts, Seamus Allardice, Hector McBeth & Ziyaad Omar.
Head Offi ce | Cape TownTel: 021 685 0285
Suite WB03 Tannery Park23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700
Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701
Printing | Paarl Media Cape
Published by | Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR
TOPS at SPAR | Jess Nicholson, Group Promotions & Advertising Manager - Liquor
COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONSCompetition submissions should reach us no later
than 12th June 2015. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision
of Integrated Media will be fi nal and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no
circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize
Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suff ered in relation to the Prize
Draws. By entering these competitions you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information.
Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years
of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their
respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors,
associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Participants
can only win one competition every 3 issues.
SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets.
www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za
Mr Price Home www.mrphome.com & Utique www.utique.co.za
stockists:
contents cont...
2 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
win a copy of Durban
Curry so much of fl avourpg52
50 BOOKS, DVDS & CDSDiversity on display
52 BOOK GIVEAWAYDurban Curry ‒
so much of fl avour!
57 TOPS NOSHHeating things up
62 BLOGSPOTSomething spicy and sweet
44
64 EMILE JOUBERT’n Pot vol smaaklike afval
66 RESPONSIBILITYRandom Acts of Kindness
68 NEXT ISSUEWhat to look out for in Issue 19
72 LOOPDOPSo Engels soos Laaiplek...
48
Publisher | Shayne Dowlingshayne@integratedmedia.co.za
Editor | Fiona Mc Donaldfi ona@integratedmedia.co.za
Art Director | Megan Knoxmegan@integratedmedia.co.za
Advertising | Jess Nosworthy jess@integratedmedia.co.za
PR & Promotions | Ashlee Attwoodash@integratedmedia.co.za
Photography | Ashlee Attwood and Thinkstock.com
Contributors | Tinus van Niekerk , Teresa UlyateEmile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Cliff ord Roberts, Seamus Allardice, Hector McBeth & Ziyaad Omar.
Head Offi ce | Cape TownTel: 021 685 0285
Suite WB03 Tannery Park23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700
Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701
Printing | Paarl Media Cape
Published by | Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR
TOPS at SPAR | Jess Nicholson, Group Promotions & Advertising Manager - Liquor
COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONSCompetition submissions should reach us no later
than 12th June 2015. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision
of Integrated Media will be fi nal and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no
circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize
Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suff ered in relation to the Prize
Draws. By entering these competitions you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information.
Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years
of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their
respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors,
associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Participants
can only win one competition every 3 issues.
SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets.
www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za
Mr Price Home www.mrphome.com & Utique www.utique.co.za
stockists:
contents cont...
2 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
win a copy of Durban
Curry so much of fl avourpg52
50 BOOKS, DVDS & CDSDiversity on display
52 BOOK GIVEAWAYDurban Curry ‒
so much of fl avour!
57 TOPS NOSHHeating things up
62 BLOGSPOTSomething spicy and sweet
44
64 EMILE JOUBERT’n Pot vol smaaklike afval
66 RESPONSIBILITYRandom Acts of Kindness
68 NEXT ISSUEWhat to look out for in Issue 19
72 LOOPDOPSo Engels soos Laaiplek...
48
E X P E R I E N C E W O R L D - C L A S S C O C K TA I L S
I N T H E C O M F O R T O F Y O U R O W N H O M E .
PURCHASE ANY BOTTLE OF CÎROC®, RON ZACAPA®, TANQUERAY® NO. TEN, DON JULIO® OR KETEL ONE®,
AND YOU COULD WIN A HOME COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE FOR YOU AND 20 FRIENDS WORTH R 5000.
SIMPLY EMAIL THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO CHEERS@CHEERSMAG.CO.ZA, WITH THE SUBJECT
LINE “CHEERS CLASSIC MALTS PROMOTION” • NAME • ID NUMBER • TELEPHONE NUMBER • PHYSICAL
ADDRESS • NAME OF THE TOPS AT SPAR WHERE YOU MADE YOUR PURCHASE • TILL SLIP NUMBER
T&C APPLY.
WorldClassSouthAfrica @WorldClassSA@WorldClass
4 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
EditorialFiona McDonald
The above phrase means to be happy about something – and when it comes to the South African whisky scene, there’s certainly cause for celebration.
It never rains but it pours! Whisky-
wise, there’s a lot happening in the
country. Durban enjoyed the Whisky
Live Showroom at the Suncoast casino
in April and, as reported in our News
pages, Pretoria gets in on the act in
mid-May while it returns to Cape Town
in June. It’s something of a homecoming
in the Mother City as the event takes
place in The Lookout at the V&A
Waterfront. I can remember attending
the � rst ever – much smaller – Whisky
Live which was held on the precinct of
the Waterfront’s Clocktower area!
It’s been a huge success and has
done a tremendous job in demystifying
the dram and making whisky
approachable and enjoyable to a
massive number of people. The
organisers should be really proud of
that achievement alone.
Something else to be proud of is more
South African success internationally.
Distell, the parent company of both
Three Ships and Bain’s Cape Mountain
whisky, was given the nod as the
Fiona McDonald is a trained journalist who has spent the last 20 years writing about wine – and more recently, about whisky too.
Distillery of the Year in Whisky
Magazine’s Icons of Whisky awards for
2015. The sleepy Boland town of
Wellington is home to the James
Sedgwick distillery – and it’s where the
Three Ships range of whiskies is distilled,
along with stable mates Bain’s, Knights
and Harrier whiskies.
When Richard Rushton, Distell’s
managing director, presented the
company’s results for the six months to
December 2014, it was minuted that
R139.9 million was spent on revamping
and expanding capacity for whisky and
cider production. Rushton also hailed
the “impressive performances” of the
company’s South African whiskies.
Having won the category of Rest of
the World, the distillery was pitted
against Scotland’s Distillery of the Year
(and eventual overall winner as Global
Distiller of the Year!) – BenRiach – and
the American winner, Four Roses of
Kentucky. In an interesting twist,
High spirits
Read on page 22
R
JamesSedgwickdistillery
ReReRaeae dada onono papap gaga egeg 2
R
BenRiach has a strong South African
connection, owned as it is by Intra, a company
headquartered in Cape Town
BenRiach has a strong South African
connection, owned as it is by Intra, a
company headquartered in Cape
Town with Geo� Bell and
Wayne Kieswetter at the helm.
Soweto and Johannesburg’s thirsty
whisky lovers have to wait until August
and November respectively for their
chapters of Whisky Live.
Cheers, Fiona
4 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
EditorialFiona McDonald
The above phrase means to be happy about something – and when it comes to the South African whisky scene, there’s certainly cause for celebration.
It never rains but it pours! Whisky-
wise, there’s a lot happening in the
country. Durban enjoyed the Whisky
Live Showroom at the Suncoast casino
in April and, as reported in our News
pages, Pretoria gets in on the act in
mid-May while it returns to Cape Town
in June. It’s something of a homecoming
in the Mother City as the event takes
place in The Lookout at the V&A
Waterfront. I can remember attending
the � rst ever – much smaller – Whisky
Live which was held on the precinct of
the Waterfront’s Clocktower area!
It’s been a huge success and has
done a tremendous job in demystifying
the dram and making whisky
approachable and enjoyable to a
massive number of people. The
organisers should be really proud of
that achievement alone.
Something else to be proud of is more
South African success internationally.
Distell, the parent company of both
Three Ships and Bain’s Cape Mountain
whisky, was given the nod as the
Fiona McDonald is a trained journalist who has spent the last 20 years writing about wine – and more recently, about whisky too.
Distillery of the Year in Whisky
Magazine’s Icons of Whisky awards for
2015. The sleepy Boland town of
Wellington is home to the James
Sedgwick distillery – and it’s where the
Three Ships range of whiskies is distilled,
along with stable mates Bain’s, Knights
and Harrier whiskies.
When Richard Rushton, Distell’s
managing director, presented the
company’s results for the six months to
December 2014, it was minuted that
R139.9 million was spent on revamping
and expanding capacity for whisky and
cider production. Rushton also hailed
the “impressive performances” of the
company’s South African whiskies.
Having won the category of Rest of
the World, the distillery was pitted
against Scotland’s Distillery of the Year
(and eventual overall winner as Global
Distiller of the Year!) – BenRiach – and
the American winner, Four Roses of
Kentucky. In an interesting twist,
High spirits
Read on page 22
R
JamesSedgwickdistillery
ReReRaeae dada onono papap gaga egeg 2
R
BenRiach has a strong South African
connection, owned as it is by Intra, a company
headquartered in Cape Town
BenRiach has a strong South African
connection, owned as it is by Intra, a
company headquartered in Cape
Town with Geo� Bell and
Wayne Kieswetter at the helm.
Soweto and Johannesburg’s thirsty
whisky lovers have to wait until August
and November respectively for their
chapters of Whisky Live.
Cheers, Fiona
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 186
News
news news news newsnews newsNew crop of protégésThe admission of four new members into the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme brings to 17 the number of people currently enrolled in the innovative mentorship scheme to transform the local wine industry. Ricardo Cloete, Rose Kruger, Clayton Christians,
Kiara Scott, Rudger van Wyk, Mahalia Matshete, Wade Sander and Logan Jooste toast their bright futures.
And the � rst ever viticulture intern is one of their number. Logan Jooste of Kylemore outside Stellenbosch is the � rst candidate for the two-and-a-half year CWG VinPro Viticulture Protégé programme.
The Cape Winemakers Guild is a highly select group of the country’s best winemakers which raises funds by means of an auction every year to fund worthwhile programmes and individuals, redressing the imbalances of the past. Guild members mentor and guide the protégés through a three year
programme, allowing them to learn the ropes of winemaking from some of the best exponents around.
Jooste is joined by Mahalia Matshete of Vosloorus in the East Rand who is working under Louis Strydom at Ernie Els wines, Clayton Christians of Cloetesville, Stellenbosch, who will spend a year with Etienne le Riche and Kiara Scott who is working with David Nieuwoudt at Cederberg Private Cellar. All three have graduated from Elsenburg Agricultural College’s winemaking course.
No fewer than nine graduates who have successfully completed the programme are currently plying their trade in the local wine industry. And winners of the Guild bursaries for � nal year oenology and viticulture students are Elsenburg students, San-Mari Jacobs of Rayton in Pretoria, and Khunjulwa Zililo of Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape.
It’s not just about wine at Babylonstoren: there are magni� cent gardens because of the romantic association with the hanging gardens of Babylon; fruit trees
and olive orchards – the produce of which are sold in bottles, jars and fresh in the farm shop and not just
an award-winning restaurant but a more casual café too.
To truly get a feel for the place it’s advised that visitors do both the garden and cellar tour. The former starts at 10h00 every morning and booking is essential while the latter takes the form of an hour-long walking tour
of the wine cellar as well as the olive oil production plant.Tastings of Babylonstoren wines are spread throughout the walk as the guide takes you through the farm’s heritage which stretches back more than three centuries.
“At its inception some 322 years ago, the farm’s main occupation was to supply fresh goods to ships passing the Cape between Europe and the East,” said wine sales and marketing manager Anelle van Tonder. “We’ve had vineyards on the farm since then, but it was only four years ago – upon the completion of our new winery – that wine was � rst made under the Babylonstoren name.”
The winery is ultra-modern and e� cient yet eminently practical. “We love honesty, simplicity, diversity and timelessness, said winemaker Charl Coetzee who said his mission was to “capture the essence of Babylonstoren in a bottle.”
The ‘tower of Babel’ peak that gave Babylonstoren its name overlooks the Cape Dutch manor house.
Tasting historyThere’s a hill on the road between Klapmuts and
Simondium. It’s called Babylonstoren – and has given its name to a farm
and winery which are fast becoming one of the
Western Cape’s prime touristic o� erings.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 186
News
news news news newsnews newsNew crop of protégésThe admission of four new members into the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme brings to 17 the number of people currently enrolled in the innovative mentorship scheme to transform the local wine industry. Ricardo Cloete, Rose Kruger, Clayton Christians,
Kiara Scott, Rudger van Wyk, Mahalia Matshete, Wade Sander and Logan Jooste toast their bright futures.
And the � rst ever viticulture intern is one of their number. Logan Jooste of Kylemore outside Stellenbosch is the � rst candidate for the two-and-a-half year CWG VinPro Viticulture Protégé programme.
The Cape Winemakers Guild is a highly select group of the country’s best winemakers which raises funds by means of an auction every year to fund worthwhile programmes and individuals, redressing the imbalances of the past. Guild members mentor and guide the protégés through a three year
programme, allowing them to learn the ropes of winemaking from some of the best exponents around.
Jooste is joined by Mahalia Matshete of Vosloorus in the East Rand who is working under Louis Strydom at Ernie Els wines, Clayton Christians of Cloetesville, Stellenbosch, who will spend a year with Etienne le Riche and Kiara Scott who is working with David Nieuwoudt at Cederberg Private Cellar. All three have graduated from Elsenburg Agricultural College’s winemaking course.
No fewer than nine graduates who have successfully completed the programme are currently plying their trade in the local wine industry. And winners of the Guild bursaries for � nal year oenology and viticulture students are Elsenburg students, San-Mari Jacobs of Rayton in Pretoria, and Khunjulwa Zililo of Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape.
It’s not just about wine at Babylonstoren: there are magni� cent gardens because of the romantic association with the hanging gardens of Babylon; fruit trees
and olive orchards – the produce of which are sold in bottles, jars and fresh in the farm shop and not just
an award-winning restaurant but a more casual café too.
To truly get a feel for the place it’s advised that visitors do both the garden and cellar tour. The former starts at 10h00 every morning and booking is essential while the latter takes the form of an hour-long walking tour
of the wine cellar as well as the olive oil production plant.Tastings of Babylonstoren wines are spread throughout the walk as the guide takes you through the farm’s heritage which stretches back more than three centuries.
“At its inception some 322 years ago, the farm’s main occupation was to supply fresh goods to ships passing the Cape between Europe and the East,” said wine sales and marketing manager Anelle van Tonder. “We’ve had vineyards on the farm since then, but it was only four years ago – upon the completion of our new winery – that wine was � rst made under the Babylonstoren name.”
The winery is ultra-modern and e� cient yet eminently practical. “We love honesty, simplicity, diversity and timelessness, said winemaker Charl Coetzee who said his mission was to “capture the essence of Babylonstoren in a bottle.”
The ‘tower of Babel’ peak that gave Babylonstoren its name overlooks the Cape Dutch manor house.
Tasting historyThere’s a hill on the road between Klapmuts and
Simondium. It’s called Babylonstoren – and has given its name to a farm
and winery which are fast becoming one of the
Western Cape’s prime touristic o� erings.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 7
what’s happening
news news news news
A vineyard trail run is so much more fun in a whacky spotty onesie…
2015 sees the twelfth staging of this event which was recognised with a Klink Tourism Award in 2014 as the best wine route event in the country. Running from Thursday 4 June until Sunday 7 June, the Wacky Wine Weekend attracts an influx of thousands of enthusiastic festivalgoers who attend the many events offered by participating wineries throughout the Robertson wine valley.
This year’s ‘passport’ is R120 and organisers have emphasised that there is a zero tolerance policy with regard to drink driving. A buddy bus service is
offered and the designated driver programme is promoted throughout.
There are cycle rides and fun runs through the vineyards for the fitness freaks while those in favour of more sedentary pursuits can enjoy leisurely wine tastings while cruising the Breede River. There’s entertainment, music and food galore.
But participants should never lose sight of the fact that wine is what it’s all about. Use the opportunity to find new wineries and try whatever wines they make. You could discover a new favourite! For more details visit: www.wackywineweekend.com
Wine, winter & wacky
Robertson’s Wacky Wine Weekend, one of South Africa’s most popular participatory wine events, is almost a teenager!
Robertson wine valley presents the fun side of wine.
Do we have to spell it out in sign language…W – W – W!
Tastings at R100 a head are exclusive and include the focussed attention of a private tasting guide who will not only walk guests through the production process but also a tasting of each of the bubblies in the extensive range. An added bonus for those who wish to be
truly ‘hands on’ is the opportunity to learn to do sabrage, the art of opening a bubbly bottle by means of a healthy whack with a sabre or sword!
The new MCC experience is available Monday to Friday at 11h00 and 14h00. Visit www.webtickets.co.za to book.
Classique in the CapeThe House of JC Le Roux has revamped its tasting experience and included a stylish, new Méthode Cap Classique lounge for visitors to its headquarters in Stellenbosch’s beautiful Devon Valley.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 188
News
news news news news
Making this possible was the partner-
ship between revamped whisky brand
Scottish Leader, Old Mutual and
Cape Media.
Established in 2006, the Tomorrow’s
Leaders Convention is aimed at
advancing young leadership in South
Africa, recognising the potential of the
youth and facilitating the development
of chosen nominees by exposing them
to current thought-leaders and thus
transferring knowledge, skills and ideas.
“In the spirit of celebrating leadership
and rising to meet economic and social
challenges, Scottish Leader was proud
to be part of the 2015 Old Mutual
Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention,” says
Taygan Govinden, marketing spokes-
person for the brand.
“We are especially proud to share the
experience and erudition of Scottish
Leader that has taken the leading
name in Scotch whisky blends to more
than 60 countries across the globe. It is
an opportunity to celebrate an impor-
tant leadership development platform
that helps build and strengthen the
future of our country.”
The unusual name, Carlonet, is a confla-tion of the name of the major grape used in the red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon – and the family who played such an integral part in its history, the Carlowitzes.
Uitkyk is in prime Stellenbosch red wine country, on the slopes of the Simonsberg, a hop, skip and jump away from Kanonkop and was
established as far back as 1712. It was the Prussian emigrant – Hans von Carlowitz – who planted vines in 1929 recognising that the soils were ideally suited to vine cultivation.
The smooth, fruity yet powerful wine has always been a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Cinsaut adding support and approachability. Bearing
Scottish Leadership
Watch out for Uitkyk out the predictions of many a pundit that 2009 was a superb vintage, two years ago the 2009 vintage of Uitkyk Carlonet was rewarded with a coveted gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London.
Young leaders, born between 1980 and 2000 and living in the digital age were the focus of a Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention held in Johannesburg in March.
Scottish Leader marketing spokesman Taygan Govinden.
Uitkyk is one of those wines which is woven into the very fabric of the modern era of the South African industry. It’s been produced for more than 50 years having first made its appearance in 1957.
Estelle Lourens, Uitkyk winemaker, keeping in touch with her vineyards.
The Georgian façade of the historic Uitkyk manor house.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 188
News
news news news news
Making this possible was the partner-
ship between revamped whisky brand
Scottish Leader, Old Mutual and
Cape Media.
Established in 2006, the Tomorrow’s
Leaders Convention is aimed at
advancing young leadership in South
Africa, recognising the potential of the
youth and facilitating the development
of chosen nominees by exposing them
to current thought-leaders and thus
transferring knowledge, skills and ideas.
“In the spirit of celebrating leadership
and rising to meet economic and social
challenges, Scottish Leader was proud
to be part of the 2015 Old Mutual
Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention,” says
Taygan Govinden, marketing spokes-
person for the brand.
“We are especially proud to share the
experience and erudition of Scottish
Leader that has taken the leading
name in Scotch whisky blends to more
than 60 countries across the globe. It is
an opportunity to celebrate an impor-
tant leadership development platform
that helps build and strengthen the
future of our country.”
The unusual name, Carlonet, is a confla-tion of the name of the major grape used in the red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon – and the family who played such an integral part in its history, the Carlowitzes.
Uitkyk is in prime Stellenbosch red wine country, on the slopes of the Simonsberg, a hop, skip and jump away from Kanonkop and was
established as far back as 1712. It was the Prussian emigrant – Hans von Carlowitz – who planted vines in 1929 recognising that the soils were ideally suited to vine cultivation.
The smooth, fruity yet powerful wine has always been a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Cinsaut adding support and approachability. Bearing
Scottish Leadership
Watch out for Uitkyk out the predictions of many a pundit that 2009 was a superb vintage, two years ago the 2009 vintage of Uitkyk Carlonet was rewarded with a coveted gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London.
Young leaders, born between 1980 and 2000 and living in the digital age were the focus of a Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention held in Johannesburg in March.
Scottish Leader marketing spokesman Taygan Govinden.
Uitkyk is one of those wines which is woven into the very fabric of the modern era of the South African industry. It’s been produced for more than 50 years having first made its appearance in 1957.
Estelle Lourens, Uitkyk winemaker, keeping in touch with her vineyards.
The Georgian façade of the historic Uitkyk manor house.
The Original was made to be shared any way, any
time and anywhere. But, when the weather calls
for a double-dare dam dip with your best friends,
we’d recommend sharing it with a splash of ginger
ale. Sedgwick’s Old Brown – crafted to the original
blend of J.Sedgwick & Co. since 1916.
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
ninety9
cent
s 67
68T/
E
6768T SOB CHEERS PRINT AD SPLASH 275x210 FA1.indd 1 4/7/15 9:38 AM
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1810
News
news news news news
Those are the first few lines of Sylvia Plath’s poem Mushrooms. If you’d like to be able to distinguish a boletus edulis from a porcini or morel, and learn more about fungi then Delheim wine farm on the slopes of Stellenbosch’s Simonsberg is the place to go.
The Sperling family of Delheim have done groundbreaking work in helping people to identify safe, edible mushrooms by means of these popular workshops. The dates for the mushroom workshops – which includes not only lectures from mushroom expert Gary Goldman but
forest foraging walks – are 30 and 31 May and 3 and 4 July.
Numbers are restricted to just 40 per day as Delheim balances sharing their ‘family passion’ and protecting the natural habitat. Tickets are R595 per person and include the choice of either a mushroom foraging basket or a bottle of Delheim wine and two glasses to take home, along with the lecture, foraging expedition and three-course lunch with wine.
Pre-booking is essential and no group bookings are allowed. For more info or to book, call 021 888 4600 or email to info@delheim.com.
The venue is the picturesque Lowveld Botanical Garden in Riverside Park and the idea is for the family to enjoy the scenery with entertainment for the kids and parents alike. There’s live music, food stalls and more. OBiKWA are providing four ‘watering holes’ at strategic points along the two kilometre meander, offering those of legal drinking age a chance to sample and appreciate the great value range of wines.
But it’s not just about fun: over the past two years R30 000 has been raised for local charities – and the 2015 beneficiary is Guardian Angels, a local Nelspruit non-profit organisation which assists the elderly.
Tickets costing R180 and including a goodie bag and wine glass can be purchased from www.quicket.co.za or visit www.facebook.com/FindItPromotions for more information.
Forest foraging
No, it’s got nothing to do with the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands’ Meander – but a Lowveld Meander that takes place in Nelspruit on Sunday, May 17.
“Overnight, very whitely, discreetly, Very quietly our toes, our noses Take hold on the loam, acquire the air.”
For the fitness enthusiasts, there is a mountain bike ride, fun
walk or vineyard trail run – but for those who are only
interested in the food and wine, there are both olive oil
and wine tastings on offer too.Reds, whites, the renowned muscadels of Nuy and the
Conradie Family Wines are on display, along with the myriad
olive products made by Willow Creek estate.
May FeastThe Nuy Valley lies between Worcester and Robertson –
and is ideal for growing both olives and wine.
Producers in the valley have joined forces to host the Nuy
Valley Feast which takes place on Saturday 9 May.
Wine in a bag rather than box at Nelspruit’s Lowveld Meander.
For more details visit www.nuyvalleyfeast.co.za.
Meandering in May
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1810
News
news news news news
Those are the first few lines of Sylvia Plath’s poem Mushrooms. If you’d like to be able to distinguish a boletus edulis from a porcini or morel, and learn more about fungi then Delheim wine farm on the slopes of Stellenbosch’s Simonsberg is the place to go.
The Sperling family of Delheim have done groundbreaking work in helping people to identify safe, edible mushrooms by means of these popular workshops. The dates for the mushroom workshops – which includes not only lectures from mushroom expert Gary Goldman but
forest foraging walks – are 30 and 31 May and 3 and 4 July.
Numbers are restricted to just 40 per day as Delheim balances sharing their ‘family passion’ and protecting the natural habitat. Tickets are R595 per person and include the choice of either a mushroom foraging basket or a bottle of Delheim wine and two glasses to take home, along with the lecture, foraging expedition and three-course lunch with wine.
Pre-booking is essential and no group bookings are allowed. For more info or to book, call 021 888 4600 or email to info@delheim.com.
The venue is the picturesque Lowveld Botanical Garden in Riverside Park and the idea is for the family to enjoy the scenery with entertainment for the kids and parents alike. There’s live music, food stalls and more. OBiKWA are providing four ‘watering holes’ at strategic points along the two kilometre meander, offering those of legal drinking age a chance to sample and appreciate the great value range of wines.
But it’s not just about fun: over the past two years R30 000 has been raised for local charities – and the 2015 beneficiary is Guardian Angels, a local Nelspruit non-profit organisation which assists the elderly.
Tickets costing R180 and including a goodie bag and wine glass can be purchased from www.quicket.co.za or visit www.facebook.com/FindItPromotions for more information.
Forest foraging
No, it’s got nothing to do with the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands’ Meander – but a Lowveld Meander that takes place in Nelspruit on Sunday, May 17.
“Overnight, very whitely, discreetly, Very quietly our toes, our noses Take hold on the loam, acquire the air.”
For the fitness enthusiasts, there is a mountain bike ride, fun
walk or vineyard trail run – but for those who are only
interested in the food and wine, there are both olive oil
and wine tastings on offer too.Reds, whites, the renowned muscadels of Nuy and the
Conradie Family Wines are on display, along with the myriad
olive products made by Willow Creek estate.
May FeastThe Nuy Valley lies between Worcester and Robertson –
and is ideal for growing both olives and wine.
Producers in the valley have joined forces to host the Nuy
Valley Feast which takes place on Saturday 9 May.
Wine in a bag rather than box at Nelspruit’s Lowveld Meander.
For more details visit www.nuyvalleyfeast.co.za.
Meandering in May
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
www.theblackbar.co.za
To be part of our exclusive future join us on:
FIND YOUR BLACK BOTTLE AT SPAR
It began in 1879. Three Graham brothers – Gordon, Charles and David
made a good name for themselves as tea blenders, but for these three
entrepreneurs, good would never be good enough. And so they turned
their talents to a different drink, entwined in the very fibres of Scotland
itself – whisky. The blend they crafted was uniquely delicious, made from
the finest grains and single malts.
This reimagined black bottle marks a return to the Grahams’ original
vision, with glass of pure blackness, a distinctive golden label, and a blend
as delicious as ever.
Serve these perfect cocktails.Black Bottle Ti-Punch TwistGlassRocksGarnish½ a limeIngredients1 part Black Bottle Whisky½ part sugar syrup
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Black Bottle Pear & LemonadeGlassHi-BallGarnishLemon wheel & pear sliceIngredients1 part Black Bottle Whisky20ml pear liqueur / Eau De Vieux1 part lemonade
MethodFill glass with ice, add Black Bottle Whisky,add pear liqueur, add lemonade, garnishwith lemon wheel & pear slice
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BB CHEERS MAG ADVERTORIAL.pdf 1 2015/04/09 1:39 PM
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1812
News
news news news newsAnd the name? The story goes that
when Thierry (Boudinaud) and Guy (Anderson) first created the wines the Chardonnay was left on its lees for longer than intended – and when tasted it reminded its creators of the French style of Bâtard-Montrachet. Since French places of origin cannot be used in South African wine names, they decided to use the next best thing which sounded a little similar and which also gave a clue to the hefty bulk of the wine in the bottle.
The theme for the 2015 staging of Fine Brandy Fusion is “The spirit of craftsmanship” said SA Brandy Foundation director Christelle Reade-Jahn. “We’re very excited by the programme,” she said.
The focus is on the art of blending by the experts – and the good news is that attendees can learn about it first-hand, tasting the various components and building blocks in a series of master classes.
“Brandy is made around the world, but South African quality is a recognised champion in this arena. In fact, this year Fine Brandy Fusion showcases International Wine & Spirit Challenge (IWSC) winners of the World’s Best Brandy title of the past 20 years and almost all are South African.
“If you enjoy a good time, appreciate quality brandy or want to know more about it, then you simply can’t afford to miss the occasion,” says Reade-Jahn.
It goes without saying that responsible drinking is encouraged and no under-18s may attend. A variety of transport options will be available with Uber taking the lead. There will also be optional breathalysers for patrons to check their
blood alcohol levels prior to departure. Tickets costing R195 are available
from Computicket and include a crystal brandy snifter, booklet with 15 tasting tickets, three cocktail and two coffee coupons.
For more details and updates visit www.brandyfusion.co.za or follow @BrandyFusion on Twitter.
A portion of the proceeds made from the sale of these Fairtrade wines are ploughed back into the community and social initiatives for wine farm staff. South Africa is one of the world’s foremost producers of Fairtrade wines – and this range falls under the Zonnebloem umbrella, being made in the same cellar with winemaking input by the same team so quality is beyond question.
With its bright rays on the label, Place in the Sun is both a literal and metaphorical reference to the sun and its empowering properties. Keep an eye out for it. You could contribute to making a difference to a wine farm community’s life simply by buying and enjoying a bottle of wine.
Shine onFusion of brandy
Two newhippos
Sandton Convention Centre is the place for Gautengers to be on Thursday, 4 June and Friday, 5 June for the Fine Brandy Fusion event.
Contributing to South Africa’s social transformation is the range of Fairtrade wines, Place in the Sun.
The labels of rudely named Fat Bastard wines boast a cute, chubby hippo making a dent as it sits on the top border.
The range has just been boosted with the addition of two new hippos – the juicy, rich and rounded Merlot which is packed full of berry flavour and the beautiful salmon pink Pinot Noir Rosé which manages to be both refreshing and succulent as well as dry and fruity.
The range of wines, made by Robertson Winery, already comprises a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1812
News
news news news newsAnd the name? The story goes that
when Thierry (Boudinaud) and Guy (Anderson) first created the wines the Chardonnay was left on its lees for longer than intended – and when tasted it reminded its creators of the French style of Bâtard-Montrachet. Since French places of origin cannot be used in South African wine names, they decided to use the next best thing which sounded a little similar and which also gave a clue to the hefty bulk of the wine in the bottle.
The theme for the 2015 staging of Fine Brandy Fusion is “The spirit of craftsmanship” said SA Brandy Foundation director Christelle Reade-Jahn. “We’re very excited by the programme,” she said.
The focus is on the art of blending by the experts – and the good news is that attendees can learn about it first-hand, tasting the various components and building blocks in a series of master classes.
“Brandy is made around the world, but South African quality is a recognised champion in this arena. In fact, this year Fine Brandy Fusion showcases International Wine & Spirit Challenge (IWSC) winners of the World’s Best Brandy title of the past 20 years and almost all are South African.
“If you enjoy a good time, appreciate quality brandy or want to know more about it, then you simply can’t afford to miss the occasion,” says Reade-Jahn.
It goes without saying that responsible drinking is encouraged and no under-18s may attend. A variety of transport options will be available with Uber taking the lead. There will also be optional breathalysers for patrons to check their
blood alcohol levels prior to departure. Tickets costing R195 are available
from Computicket and include a crystal brandy snifter, booklet with 15 tasting tickets, three cocktail and two coffee coupons.
For more details and updates visit www.brandyfusion.co.za or follow @BrandyFusion on Twitter.
A portion of the proceeds made from the sale of these Fairtrade wines are ploughed back into the community and social initiatives for wine farm staff. South Africa is one of the world’s foremost producers of Fairtrade wines – and this range falls under the Zonnebloem umbrella, being made in the same cellar with winemaking input by the same team so quality is beyond question.
With its bright rays on the label, Place in the Sun is both a literal and metaphorical reference to the sun and its empowering properties. Keep an eye out for it. You could contribute to making a difference to a wine farm community’s life simply by buying and enjoying a bottle of wine.
Shine onFusion of brandy
Two newhippos
Sandton Convention Centre is the place for Gautengers to be on Thursday, 4 June and Friday, 5 June for the Fine Brandy Fusion event.
Contributing to South Africa’s social transformation is the range of Fairtrade wines, Place in the Sun.
The labels of rudely named Fat Bastard wines boast a cute, chubby hippo making a dent as it sits on the top border.
The range has just been boosted with the addition of two new hippos – the juicy, rich and rounded Merlot which is packed full of berry flavour and the beautiful salmon pink Pinot Noir Rosé which manages to be both refreshing and succulent as well as dry and fruity.
The range of wines, made by Robertson Winery, already comprises a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 13
what’s happening
news news news news
It was in this spirit that benefactors snapped up highly sought after and exclusive lots at the second annual
Philanthropy in the winelands
That’s according to Drinks International magazine, one of the most trusted and respected global drinks publications in the world which voted the Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes “Best Promotional Body” at the Wine Tourism Awards 2015 – for the second year in a row!
“It is great to see that our innovative wine tourism efforts to promote the region are getting international recognition,” said Annareth Bolton, CEO of the Stellenbosch Wine Routes.
Striking gold
Winston Churchill wrote: “We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give.”
wines on offer. The venue for this was the jaw-droppingly beautiful Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden in Stellenbosch.
The main event was the lunchtime live auction held at Boschendal wine estate’s new venue, The Olive Press. Nearly 400 guests bid briskly with just 37 lots on offer. The top individual bid was R800 000 paid for The Vrede en Lust Lot, which included eight return Air Seychelles business class tickets from Johannesburg to the Seychelles; a stay in a luxury villa with a private beach on the exclusive Eden Island; a three-day cruise on a brand new Powercat, hosted by a private skipper and chef; and a sterling collection of 60 bottles of Vrede en Lust wines.
Organiser Mike Ratcliffe, CEO of Warwick Wines said he was “overwhelmed and humbled” by the generosity of attendees. “We witnessed another outstanding demonstration of the unity of the South African wine industry and the philanthropic capacity of humankind.”
Prising money from peoples’ pockets in aid of a good cause,
the Cape Wine Auction.
Afrasia Bank Cape Wine Auction earlier this year, raising R10.5 million – a new record, more than 50% up on the inaugural event – for education and charitable organisations in the winelands.
The last word in exclusivity and glamour, the two-day affair kicked off with a unique barrel tasting and preview of some of the
The Stellenbosch Wine Route was pioneered by Simonsig, Spier and Backs-berg in the 70s – and is now regarded as one of the most dynamic wine tourism bodies of its kind in the world.
“Research has shown that more and more visitors opt for experiential, multi-dimensional destinations and memorable experiences rather than merely being passive spectators when on leisure or business trips and Stellenbosch certainly has it all and more. More attention, more comfort and more exciting experiences for the whole family.”
Visit the user-friendly StellenBlog
http://blog.wineroute.co.za/ for the latest success stories and attractions through various categories featured on the catchy blog wall. Or contact Stellenbosch 360 at Tel: 021 883 3584 or at their information centre at 36 Market Street. Also make sure to visit the Stellenbosch Wine Routes’ brand new Wine Tourism Visitor Centre at 47 Church Street, where free wi-fi, good coffee and casual wine tastings come standard.
Kleine Zalze wine farm and Terroir restaurant are just two of the many attractions Stellenbosch’s wine route has to offer.
14
Tinus Talks
Despite everyone’s best wishes,
I believe South Africa doesn’t
boast a wine culture. In the
absence of accurate figures we can
surmise that the per capita consumption
of wine remains low. To have a number
of successful wine properties and
producers – some revered and dating
back many decades – and to have
winemakers, marketers, reputable chefs
and also sommeliers around, does not
mean SA can claim to have developed
a wine culture. For that to be the case it
would require wine to have become
intricately embedded into the fabric of
daily life and social cohesion.
As a consultant to TOPS at SPAR,
consumer behaviour is of paramount
importance. I often ask myself whether
there is a wine culture in South Africa; what the consumer really
wants and how good our packaging and
presentation is?
What is “wine culture?” It’s a lifestyle where wine and its
enjoyment has evolved as an integral
part of life, culture and gastronomy, as
a symbol of fine life and as a cultural
complement to food and all
conviviality. In addition, wine culture
also describes a community where the
art of viticulture, winemaking and the
sensible enjoyment of wine has evolved
in association with history, local
tradition and culinary habits.
Does the South African wine industry
essentially represent itself, surviving
inclusively? Or does it truly understand
the local liquor trade and the pocket
Consumer wine culture
www.topsatspar.co.za May|June 2015 Vol 18
14
Tinus Talks
Despite everyone’s best wishes,
I believe South Africa doesn’t
boast a wine culture. In the
absence of accurate figures we can
surmise that the per capita consumption
of wine remains low. To have a number
of successful wine properties and
producers – some revered and dating
back many decades – and to have
winemakers, marketers, reputable chefs
and also sommeliers around, does not
mean SA can claim to have developed
a wine culture. For that to be the case it
would require wine to have become
intricately embedded into the fabric of
daily life and social cohesion.
As a consultant to TOPS at SPAR,
consumer behaviour is of paramount
importance. I often ask myself whether
there is a wine culture in South Africa; what the consumer really
wants and how good our packaging and
presentation is?
What is “wine culture?” It’s a lifestyle where wine and its
enjoyment has evolved as an integral
part of life, culture and gastronomy, as
a symbol of fine life and as a cultural
complement to food and all
conviviality. In addition, wine culture
also describes a community where the
art of viticulture, winemaking and the
sensible enjoyment of wine has evolved
in association with history, local
tradition and culinary habits.
Does the South African wine industry
essentially represent itself, surviving
inclusively? Or does it truly understand
the local liquor trade and the pocket
Consumer wine culture
www.topsatspar.co.za May|June 2015 Vol 18 15
Tinus van Niekerk
Tinus van Niekerk is TOPS at SPAR’s wine consultant and has been instrumental in refining the grocery chain’s wine offering. But
wine is not the only thing that fascinates this Northern Cape-bred nature lover. He’s as au fait with bush lore, animal behaviour and geology as he is about wine.
followed by the producer and
everybody else in the supply chain.
“Give me a wine that I can sell on
quality,” is invariably the wine
promoter’s reaction. Too often wine in
SA is offered and marketed in a
compartmentalised fashion with price
being the only determining factor.
What do we know about premise preferences for wine enjoyment? Are these home, bar or restaurant
based? Who drinks mostly red wine, or
white wine and how often – per day,
per week or special occasion only?
Surely specific differences exist in the
wine consumption patterns and the
taste preferences of males and females
and between generations. For
example, it’s reported that women
drink less red but more white than men
but are inclined to purchase higher
priced wines. Similarly, women are
more opinionated about wine style and
have stronger preferences for medium-
bodied and more fruit-defined and
expressive wines while men prefer
aged wine more.
In our fast-moving world the
available wine types and styles must be
pertinently identifiable in label
presentation, shelf-tagging and in-store
merchandising to ensure wise selection
and the easy serving and imaginative
food pairing of wine. And offering
practical advice to wine producers is
needed for them to understand what
packaging is important to the market,
including bottle closures and relevant
label information.
How much are we embracing the
“digital” era when it comes to wine
marketing? And how successful are we
to discard the image of wine being a
beverage only for special occasions?
What about wine becoming the
default drink at parties, for all alfresco
dishes and picnic baskets?
All of which can only be achieved if
serving South African wine types and
styles are conducive with such lifestyle
notions. Are we even close to
answering these questions yet?
and taste preferences of the consumer,
regardless of gender and age? Wine is
not made/created/crafted to impress
the landowner or vigneron, but to please
the consumer, and to comply with both
the established and potential wine
drinker’s pocket and taste preferences.
In assessing dozens of wine styles on
offer in supermarkets and wine retailers,
one can only lament the monotony
and similarity that often earmark low to
medium entry wines. These include
decidedly rough and alcoholic styles of
red wine and thin and acidic white
wines, with poor bouquets often the
order of the day. The consumer’s
prerequisites for “enjoying” wine,
namely for every sip of wine to be
“fresh, nice, vigorous, fruit expressive
and many-faceted” are simply
absent. It’s sometimes shocking to
experience how many wines are
lacking in that magic word “balance”
which translates into red wines being
astringent and rough with some lip-burn
when tasted, and white wines overly
acidic and thin with bitterness often
creeping through. Fruit purity, flavour
concentration and complexity are
simply absent in many wines.
In the above respect retail reality
dictates that successful wine offerings,
in-store promotions, media marketing
and truly savouring wine at the table,
demands that from the vine to the
bottle a holistic approach must be
It’s sometimes shocking to experience how many wines are lacking in that magic word “balance” which translates into red wines being astringent and rough with some lip-burn when tasted, and white wines overly acidic and thin with bitterness often creeping through.
May|June 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1816
wine
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1816
wine
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Cabernnet vs Shiraz
17
Kings princes
Cabernet Sauvignon, the full-bodied, deep and rich red wine, is known as the
king of noble grape varieties. Shiraz – also
known and labelled as Syrah, its French name – is
a youthful yet popular pretender to the throne. Fiona McDonald reports on these two wine styles.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1818
wine
“How can you
even think about comparing Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon? It’s like writing about the difference between rugby and soccer!” was Stellenzicht cellarmaster Guy Webber’s response when posed the question.
“They’re two very different animals – and you treat them as such.” Webber conceded that if he had to be pinned down to ascribe characteristics to the two grape varieties and wine styles, Shiraz would be masculine while Cabernet Sauvignon would be more feminine. “And that’s why Cabernet Sauvignon also takes longer to get to know…” he quipped with a typical chuckle.
It’s a very valid observation nonetheless: generally Shiraz (or Syrah) is more approachable and drinkable at a younger age than Cabernet Sauvignon. “Cabernet needs a bit more time to show itself.”
In the past decade and a half South African winemakers have been enamoured of Shiraz. In 2002 the late Tony Mossop wrote a report on a category tasting conducted by Wine Magazine and stated that Shiraz had experienced “the most rapid increase of any plantings in any grape over the past 10 years”. The area under Shiraz had multiplied seven-fold in a decade from 1990 and at the time of writing in 2002 Shiraz comprised a total of seven percent of all vineyard plantings in the country.
In 2000 the total area under Shiraz grapes was 5 631 hectares – and it was the third most prolific red wine grape. According to the SA Wine
cabernet
The classic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be full-bodied wines with high tannins and noticeable acidity that contributes to the wine’s aging potential. In cooler climates, Cabernet Sauvignon tends to produce wines with blackcurrant notes that can be accompanied by green bell pepper notes, mint and cedar which will all become more pronounced as the wine ages. In more moderate climates the blackcurrant notes are often seen with black cherry and black olives notes while in very hot climates the current flavours can veer towards the over-ripe and “jammy” side. wikipedia.org
Information Systems website, in 2013 Shiraz accounted for a total of 10 509 hectares while Cabernet Sauvignon was still top of the pile at 11 658 hectares – or 12% of the national vineyard.
If Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of grapes, then Etienne Le Riche of Le Riche Wines is the king of making it! Le Riche Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve are critically regarded as some of the best examples available in South Africa.
He concurs with what Jancis Robinson wrote in her book The Guide to Wine Grapes, that “Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect vehicle for individual vintage characteristics and winemaking techniques and local physical attributes or terroir”.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1818
wine
“How can you
even think about comparing Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon? It’s like writing about the difference between rugby and soccer!” was Stellenzicht cellarmaster Guy Webber’s response when posed the question.
“They’re two very different animals – and you treat them as such.” Webber conceded that if he had to be pinned down to ascribe characteristics to the two grape varieties and wine styles, Shiraz would be masculine while Cabernet Sauvignon would be more feminine. “And that’s why Cabernet Sauvignon also takes longer to get to know…” he quipped with a typical chuckle.
It’s a very valid observation nonetheless: generally Shiraz (or Syrah) is more approachable and drinkable at a younger age than Cabernet Sauvignon. “Cabernet needs a bit more time to show itself.”
In the past decade and a half South African winemakers have been enamoured of Shiraz. In 2002 the late Tony Mossop wrote a report on a category tasting conducted by Wine Magazine and stated that Shiraz had experienced “the most rapid increase of any plantings in any grape over the past 10 years”. The area under Shiraz had multiplied seven-fold in a decade from 1990 and at the time of writing in 2002 Shiraz comprised a total of seven percent of all vineyard plantings in the country.
In 2000 the total area under Shiraz grapes was 5 631 hectares – and it was the third most prolific red wine grape. According to the SA Wine
cabernet
The classic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be full-bodied wines with high tannins and noticeable acidity that contributes to the wine’s aging potential. In cooler climates, Cabernet Sauvignon tends to produce wines with blackcurrant notes that can be accompanied by green bell pepper notes, mint and cedar which will all become more pronounced as the wine ages. In more moderate climates the blackcurrant notes are often seen with black cherry and black olives notes while in very hot climates the current flavours can veer towards the over-ripe and “jammy” side. wikipedia.org
Information Systems website, in 2013 Shiraz accounted for a total of 10 509 hectares while Cabernet Sauvignon was still top of the pile at 11 658 hectares – or 12% of the national vineyard.
If Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of grapes, then Etienne Le Riche of Le Riche Wines is the king of making it! Le Riche Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve are critically regarded as some of the best examples available in South Africa.
He concurs with what Jancis Robinson wrote in her book The Guide to Wine Grapes, that “Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect vehicle for individual vintage characteristics and winemaking techniques and local physical attributes or terroir”.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Cabernnet vs Shiraz
19
“Cabernet is a classic variety,” Le Riche said, “and it’s one which adapts well to conditions all over the world.” There’s evidence aplenty of this since Cabernet is planted in California, Chile and Argentina, Australia and Spain and Italy, to mention just a few.
Furthermore Robinson wrote: “The particular appeal of Cabernet Sauvignon lies much less in primary fruit aromas than in the much more subtle flavour compounds that evolve over years into a subtle bouquet.”
Echoing the sentiments and thoughts of Webber, Le Riche said it was a “classy wine – it has gravitas and presence”.
“Coincidentally we’ve just received the first two loads of Cabernet for the 2015 harvest,” Webber said, “and they look beautiful – easily the best grapes we’ve received in the cellar so far.”
When it comes to vinification the grapes are treated differently with Shiraz getting more robust handling with regard to fermentation temperatures as well as oak treatment. American oak adds an even spicier edge to Shiraz while it’s seldom if ever used on Cabernet. “The type of oak and also whether it’s brand new or previously used barrels varies between the two grapes – along with the length of time they spend in barrel,” Webber said.
It was the wine boffins of America’s University of California, Davis’s department of viticulture and oenology who showed by means of DNA typing in 1996 that Cabernet Sauvignon was the result of a crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. This crossing was believed to have taken place in the 17th century. It also explains why some of the aromas and flavours associated with this grape include blackcurrant and dark berry fruit as well as some grassy notes – both characteristics of the respective ‘parent’ grapes.
Three years later, scientists once again used DNA typing to determine the origins of Shiraz. UC Davis researchers found that it was the love child of two rather obscure grapes – with Dureza, a grape that has all but disappeared nowadays, as the original father and Mondeuse Blanche, the mother.
Both Cabernet and Shiraz feature prominently on wine farms from the Swartland to Stellenbosch, Robertson, Paarl and even as far afield as Elim – but they produce markedly different wines. And on the honours roll of international competitions both
Syrah (also known as Shiraz) is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine.
The style and flavour profile of wines made from Syrah is influenced by the climate where the grapes are grown with moderate climates tending to produce medium to full-bodied wines with medium-plus to high levels of tannins and flavours of blackberry, mint and black pepper notes. In hot climates Syrah is more consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of liquorice, anise and earthy leather. In many regions the acidity and tannin levels of Syrah allows the wines produced from the grape to have favourable aging potential. wikipedia.org
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1820
wine
All South African reds – not just Shir� and Cabernet – have come in for increasing international praise
for their blend of classic elegance and modern fruit-driven style.
Olive Brook Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Overtones of violets, spices, and fruitcake aromas, all supported by generous cherry and plum fruit taste impressions, with all elements in perfect balance. Vigorous, complex and well-structured, supported by fi rm, ripe tannins; rich and concentrated, revealing multi-layered fruit nuances on an engaging, extended fi nish.
attain their fair share of gold medals. At the Decanter World Wine Awards , for example, last year Hartenberg’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon beat the best in the world to claim the International Trophy for that wine style while in 2013 Boschendal’s Reserve Collection Shiraz 2011 was the International Trophy winner!
All South African reds – not just Shiraz and Cabernet – have come in for increasing international praise for their blend of classic elegance and modern fruit-driven style. Winemakers are true to the country’s 350 year old winemaking tradition but merge it e� ortlessly with the latest techniques, methods and modern
styles. Gone are the days when Cabernet from South Africa was easy to pick out in a blind tasting because it was green, stalky and lean – or Shiraz was automatically made in a dikvoet beefy, meaty style and was spotted by means of its “sweaty saddles” or smoked meat aroma!
Cheers columnist and wine blogger Emile Joubert recently wrote an ode to Cabernet on his winegoggle blog: “If I were going to take one South African wine to a High Noon Vinous Showdown of International Reds, Cabernet Sauvignon will be it. You want to see South African personality in a red wine, well, the power, muscular grace and assertiveness borne by a � ne Cabernet Sauvignon is a � nger-print of true expression, a window into what the industry has been doing for the past century and what it still is capable of achieving.”
Webber said it was impossible to compare Cabernet and Shiraz – like rugby and soccer. Are they really so di� erent? In a rugby team there are bulky forwards who make up the engine room of the team, getting stuck in and doing the heavy lifting. But there are more streamlined centres, wings and fullbacks too – players with lithe physiques who accelerate e� ortlessly through gaps and silkily sidestep the opposition en route to the try-line. And it’s the same in football with defenders and strikers.
So, as the chilly nights take hold, the � re begins to crackle in the grate and you wonder what to drink – a bold, somewhat robust, plum and pepper-spiced Shiraz or a smoother, elegant, re� ned mouthful of fruitcake, cedar and black berry Cabernet Sauvignon – realise that both � t the bill in terms of enjoyment. Your mood is the one which will dictate which suits the moment.
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1820
wine
All South African reds – not just Shir� and Cabernet – have come in for increasing international praise
for their blend of classic elegance and modern fruit-driven style.
Olive Brook Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Overtones of violets, spices, and fruitcake aromas, all supported by generous cherry and plum fruit taste impressions, with all elements in perfect balance. Vigorous, complex and well-structured, supported by fi rm, ripe tannins; rich and concentrated, revealing multi-layered fruit nuances on an engaging, extended fi nish.
attain their fair share of gold medals. At the Decanter World Wine Awards , for example, last year Hartenberg’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon beat the best in the world to claim the International Trophy for that wine style while in 2013 Boschendal’s Reserve Collection Shiraz 2011 was the International Trophy winner!
All South African reds – not just Shiraz and Cabernet – have come in for increasing international praise for their blend of classic elegance and modern fruit-driven style. Winemakers are true to the country’s 350 year old winemaking tradition but merge it e� ortlessly with the latest techniques, methods and modern
styles. Gone are the days when Cabernet from South Africa was easy to pick out in a blind tasting because it was green, stalky and lean – or Shiraz was automatically made in a dikvoet beefy, meaty style and was spotted by means of its “sweaty saddles” or smoked meat aroma!
Cheers columnist and wine blogger Emile Joubert recently wrote an ode to Cabernet on his winegoggle blog: “If I were going to take one South African wine to a High Noon Vinous Showdown of International Reds, Cabernet Sauvignon will be it. You want to see South African personality in a red wine, well, the power, muscular grace and assertiveness borne by a � ne Cabernet Sauvignon is a � nger-print of true expression, a window into what the industry has been doing for the past century and what it still is capable of achieving.”
Webber said it was impossible to compare Cabernet and Shiraz – like rugby and soccer. Are they really so di� erent? In a rugby team there are bulky forwards who make up the engine room of the team, getting stuck in and doing the heavy lifting. But there are more streamlined centres, wings and fullbacks too – players with lithe physiques who accelerate e� ortlessly through gaps and silkily sidestep the opposition en route to the try-line. And it’s the same in football with defenders and strikers.
So, as the chilly nights take hold, the � re begins to crackle in the grate and you wonder what to drink – a bold, somewhat robust, plum and pepper-spiced Shiraz or a smoother, elegant, re� ned mouthful of fruitcake, cedar and black berry Cabernet Sauvignon – realise that both � t the bill in terms of enjoyment. Your mood is the one which will dictate which suits the moment.
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
SOUTH AFRIC A
www.twooceanswines.co.za
African SunCool Sea Breeze.
Crafted by the&
At the tip of Africa where two oceans collide,
extraordinary grape growing conditions exist.
Under sunny skies grapes soak up the summer heat
and then the fresh ocean breeze cools them.
This ripens and sweetens the grapes, and inspires
Two Oceans to craft exceptional wines.
140 B
BDO
_810
817_
CM
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1822
spirit
Wellington’s
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1822
spirit
Wellington’sMay|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
whisky
23
There are three distilleries vying for the coveted title of Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Distillery of the Year 2015: Four Roses of Kentucky took the American honours while Speyside’s BenRiach was the best in Scotland
– and the James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington, South Africa, came out tops in the rest of the world, competing against highly-rated distilleries in Japan, Korea, Sweden and elsewhere.
What makes this performance remarkable is that it is welcome recognition for a distillery which was still in the planning stages as recently as 1994! Only just into its third decade in Wellington, the James Sedgwick distillery has a long and distinguished history nonetheless.
Captain James Sedgwick was a seafarer with the British East India Company who was granted command of his own vessel at the tender age of 22. He later married and decided to settle in the Cape in 1850, opening up a watering hole known as The Captain’s Room - a good call as the fairest Cape was also known as the Tavern of the Seas among thirsty mariners! Having worked for a trading company for many years, Sedgwick was quick to spot a commercial opportunity and opened J. Sedgwick & Co. in 1853, supplying liquor products, cigars and tobacco. Sedgwick died in 1872 leaving the company to his three sons – and it was the second Sedgwick generation which purchased distilleries to ensure the supply of brandy and the fortified wine which is nowadays affectionately simply known as OB’s.
Over the years ownership changed hands a few times with Sedgwick’s eventually falling under Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery (SFW) in 1970 – and while brandy had long been part of Sedgwick’s production, whisky was produced for the first time in 1990. SFW and Distillers Corporation later merged in 2001 to form Distell.
Perception is a funny thing. Distell is known in South Africa mainly for brandy and wine. Yet the world has taken note of Distell’s whisky over the last eight years and has bestowed more than 30 gold medals on them,including “world best blended whisky”for Three Ships premium select in 2012 and” best grain whisky”for Bain’s mountain whisky as well as“whisky innovator of the year”.
My mental image of Distell is the Sherman tank of liquor companies: their strategies are solid and with the path set they rumble forward in a steady uncompromising way,
The Boland town of Wellington is better known for dried fruit, chunky chutney and wine than it is
for the fine spirits distilled there. Whisky aficionado Hector McBeth takes a closer look at
the James Sedgwick distillery.
whisky factoryWellington’s
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1824
spirit
Watts has been allowed to realise more of his dreams and
expand the styles of whisky made at the plant.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 25
whisky
progressing slowly yet surely. ‘Why did the world finally notice them?’ was the question I asked current master blender and distiller Andy Watts. In all the years I have known Watts, the one thing he’s unequivocal about is that all things have a sense of place and time. He knows we need marketing to create opportunities, sales people to be knowledgeable and company directors to steer the course and somehow still create a culture of empowerment down the line, but how and where did the modern whisky renaissance begin?
In 1977 Francis Naughton, a maverick Irish-born marketer convinced his employers, the then SFW, to start the Three Ships brand at the R&B distillery which was managed by Dave Akker. The distillery was situated on the wonderful songstress Lesley Rae Dowling’s farm in Stellenbosch but when the lease was up in 1989 the distillery was moved to the current Wellington site. The equipment and wood policy at that stage was near nonexistent but the dream and vision to become an internationally recognised whisky producer burned. The original plans drawn up in early 1994 that hang proudly in Watts’ office today have still not been fully realised, and continue as a work in progress.
As South Africa converted to a new democracy so did the distillery and with the merger of SFW and Distillers Corp in 2001 a huge step forward was made. One of the most significant developments was the investment in a serious oaking regime – along with subsequent multi-million rand upgrades to the distillery. And due to the increasing success of the whisky produced at James Sedgwick distillery, plans are in place to increase capacity once more.
With a new emerging market and a changing demographic – including a notable increase in women enjoying whisky, Watts has been allowed to realise more of his dreams and expand the styles of whisky made at the plant. The whiskies produced from the early days until now have always included a percentage of
Scottish malt blended with South African grain.Watts’
ideal was to eventually be able to produce a
100% South African whisky, a dream realised in 2005 with the release of
the Three Ships Bourbon cask finish and also in 2009 with the release of Bains, the first ever 100% South African yellow
As the man behind www.whiskyshop.co.za, Hector McBeth literally has whisky running through his veins. He lives, eats, breathes and sleeps whisky…
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1826
spirit
maize whisky. Watts hopes to have all the brands currently made at the distillery to be 100% South African and believes this could happen as early as 2017. However,quality will always be more important than origin he maintains. Although the barley will probably always be imported as every bushel produced locally is snapped up by SABMiller…
The distillery produces four brands of whisky: Harrier (South Africa’s no 5 by volume), Knights, Three Ships (South Africa’s no 7 by volume) and Bain’s (South Africa’s fastest growing whisky).All are treated with the same respect and each has its distinct place within the portfolio. With Bain’s being quintessentially South African and The Three Ships 5 year old Premium
Select Watts’ favourite, Harrier is the ‘bread and butter’ brand that pays the bills whilst Knights is slowly taking on an ever growing African market share.
Watts says he is blessed to have been given a world class facility that honours tradition but is not dictated by it, as well as the freedom to innovate. His biggest realisation, however, is that the key to everything is always patience.He is quick to point out that the final decision is always his bosses - which frees him up to make his workers and colleagues happy.
Walking around the distillery it’s evident that there is a lot of pride in the staff as everyone is greeted by name and they are all aware of those who came before them. The two pot stills that were based on the stills at Bowmore distillery on Islay and commissioned from Forsyth’s of Scotland, are labelled and named “Oom Piet se pot” paying homage to a previous stalwart employee.
Technology is certainly playing a big part in this Wellington distillery with not only computer controls in evidence but fantastic ISO 9001 and 14001 standards being met as well as a great environmental/green policy and stringent safety of primary concern. Not only that, but the Wellington community is equally proud of the distillery achievements and recently acknowledged it as the most attractive industrial site in the town.
Social media is adding to the awareness of the small town of Wellington and its community and perhaps assisting Watts to convince the powers that be that the visions and dreams are perfectly attuned to what the consumer wants.
What are those dreams? It seems producing quality whisky primarily for the South African consumer with a recognition that the rest of Africa holds huge potential. While Europe and America will be considered, capacity probably won’t allow them to be everywhere at once. Watts hopes to release some different small batch whiskies with different finishes and is bullish that he may even be able to experiment with other grains.
As I leave the James Sedgwick distillery I can fully appreciate why it was considered one of Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky for 2015.
Watts hopes to release some different small batch whiskies
with different finishes.
And
y W
atts
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1826
spirit
maize whisky. Watts hopes to have all the brands currently made at the distillery to be 100% South African and believes this could happen as early as 2017. However,quality will always be more important than origin he maintains. Although the barley will probably always be imported as every bushel produced locally is snapped up by SABMiller…
The distillery produces four brands of whisky: Harrier (South Africa’s no 5 by volume), Knights, Three Ships (South Africa’s no 7 by volume) and Bain’s (South Africa’s fastest growing whisky).All are treated with the same respect and each has its distinct place within the portfolio. With Bain’s being quintessentially South African and The Three Ships 5 year old Premium
Select Watts’ favourite, Harrier is the ‘bread and butter’ brand that pays the bills whilst Knights is slowly taking on an ever growing African market share.
Watts says he is blessed to have been given a world class facility that honours tradition but is not dictated by it, as well as the freedom to innovate. His biggest realisation, however, is that the key to everything is always patience.He is quick to point out that the final decision is always his bosses - which frees him up to make his workers and colleagues happy.
Walking around the distillery it’s evident that there is a lot of pride in the staff as everyone is greeted by name and they are all aware of those who came before them. The two pot stills that were based on the stills at Bowmore distillery on Islay and commissioned from Forsyth’s of Scotland, are labelled and named “Oom Piet se pot” paying homage to a previous stalwart employee.
Technology is certainly playing a big part in this Wellington distillery with not only computer controls in evidence but fantastic ISO 9001 and 14001 standards being met as well as a great environmental/green policy and stringent safety of primary concern. Not only that, but the Wellington community is equally proud of the distillery achievements and recently acknowledged it as the most attractive industrial site in the town.
Social media is adding to the awareness of the small town of Wellington and its community and perhaps assisting Watts to convince the powers that be that the visions and dreams are perfectly attuned to what the consumer wants.
What are those dreams? It seems producing quality whisky primarily for the South African consumer with a recognition that the rest of Africa holds huge potential. While Europe and America will be considered, capacity probably won’t allow them to be everywhere at once. Watts hopes to release some different small batch whiskies with different finishes and is bullish that he may even be able to experiment with other grains.
As I leave the James Sedgwick distillery I can fully appreciate why it was considered one of Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky for 2015.
Watts hopes to release some different small batch whiskies
with different finishes.
And
y W
atts
C ASK-MATUREDW HISK Y
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.
INTERNATIONALLY AWARDED. PROUDLY MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
140 B
BDO
_810
816_
CM
Island Style
� eSo-So Spicy
Islands
Salt and spices were valid currency just a few hundred years ago – which made the Zanzibar
archipelago, just a few miles o� Tanzania’s eastern coast – a hub of trade. Former editor of
Getaway magazine David Bristow takes a closer look at this Indian Ocean haven.
28 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Island Style
� eSo-So Spicy
Islands
Salt and spices were valid currency just a few hundred years ago – which made the Zanzibar
archipelago, just a few miles o� Tanzania’s eastern coast – a hub of trade. Former editor of
Getaway magazine David Bristow takes a closer look at this Indian Ocean haven.
28 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 29
dream destination
Zanzibar is not, in all likelihood, what or
where you think it is. One thing is certain, it
is not like it was. It was, but it is no longer a
spice island, in fact it is not even an island at all.
There are, however, some decidedly spicy options
both north and south, at places called Pemba but
even more so Ma� a. It’s a complicated scenario,
particularly geographically speaking, so best to
just dive right in …
There is not an actual island called Zanzibar. The
place we know as such is really called Unguja, the
largest island in the Zanzibar archipelago, which in
itself consists of three major island groups, namely
Zanzibar (wherein lies Unguja), Pemba and Ma� a.
In the days when jahazis (ocean-trading dhows)
rode the Indian Ocean’s monsoon gyre, they
became known collectively as the spice islands,
due primarily to the fact that most of the world’s
clove supply came from plantations on Unguja
and Pemba islands.
In truth they did not originally come from there,
they came from Moluccas, which was a name for
a place that we now call Indonesia. During the
time when the sultans of Oman ruled the Indian
Ocean waves from their palaces in Stone Town, or
Zanzibar Town on Unguja Island, they imported
cloves from the East and created the world’s
largest clove plantations there.
They also planted cinnamon, nutmeg and black
pepper. By the � rst half of the 19th century the
Zanzibar archipelago was the world’s largest
producer of these. However, experiments with African
Socialism in the 1970s saw Tanzania spice exports
drop by around 80%. Today it is Pemba Island that is
Zanzibar’s main clove producer, but it accounts for
only a tiny percentage of the world market.
As larger plantations were developed in
Indonesia the fortunes of Zanzibar waned and
today there are just a few token plantations of
clove, vanilla and some other spices, designed za�
ibar
arc
hipe
lago
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1830
Island style
mainly to entertain tourists of the notion
that times have not indeed changed.
Today Unguja exports more seaweed
to Japan than spices to anywhere.
Of the three groups, Pemba, close
to the Kenyan border, is perhaps the
least satisfying to visit, mainly because
it craves independence from the main
island group – as well as Tanzania as a
whole – on account of its stricter
Muslim code. Except for the scuba
diving that is, with a few small hotels
giving access to some of the best dive
sites in the Indian Ocean. There are
shallow reefs, big walls and very deep
big blue dropping o� s of between 400
and 2 500 fathoms. It’s not the best
place for beginner divers, but fantastic
for the rest.
Unguja Island and Stone Town (also
known as Zanzibar Town), were once an
absolute must for adventure travellers,
but just about more than any other
place in Africa it has over the past 20
years become victim of the “Niagara
Falls Syndrome” – that is, it has been
su� ocated by its own success.
Once an exotic place of few tourists
and a few lovely riads, or Arabic style
boutique hotels, including the Dhow
Palace and Emerson & Greens, it’s now
cluttered with hotels packing just about
every available stretch of coast, as well
as pretty much turning Stone Town into
a themed tourist experience. There are
even high-rise Club Med type hotels
packed with voluble packaged Italian
tourists, some of them not so young
and some of them not so toplessly
attractive. Not a pretty sight or sound.
That leaves me to point out that there
are two types of traveller: tourists and
real travellers. Tourists can still have a
great time on Zanzibar-Unguja, taking in
the old Shirazi culture of the place and
the historic ambience of Stone Town. Or
you could look further south to the very
much less known Ma� a group of islands
that lie o� the mouth of the Ru� ji River in
the far south of Tanzania.
There has been a lodge on Ma� a
island for around two decades and it
remains the best place to stay there, on
Chole Bay – the � rst marine protected
area declared in Tanzania in the
mid-1990s – and it remains the only
really decent place on Ma� a. In recent
years several more, somewhat lesser
lodges and backpackers have opened.
Even better, much better if you like
your tropical blues spiced up with a
heavy shot of green, is a lodge
comprising treehouses built amid
historic ruins and the boughs and
tentacled roots of massive old trees on
a tiny islet called Chole which lies o�
the eastern side of Ma� a in Chole Bay.
You could look � rther south to the very much
less known Mafi a group of islands that lie
off the mouth of the Rufi ji River.
nutmeg
ginger
traditional market
treehouse
red colobus monkey
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1830
Island style
mainly to entertain tourists of the notion
that times have not indeed changed.
Today Unguja exports more seaweed
to Japan than spices to anywhere.
Of the three groups, Pemba, close
to the Kenyan border, is perhaps the
least satisfying to visit, mainly because
it craves independence from the main
island group – as well as Tanzania as a
whole – on account of its stricter
Muslim code. Except for the scuba
diving that is, with a few small hotels
giving access to some of the best dive
sites in the Indian Ocean. There are
shallow reefs, big walls and very deep
big blue dropping o� s of between 400
and 2 500 fathoms. It’s not the best
place for beginner divers, but fantastic
for the rest.
Unguja Island and Stone Town (also
known as Zanzibar Town), were once an
absolute must for adventure travellers,
but just about more than any other
place in Africa it has over the past 20
years become victim of the “Niagara
Falls Syndrome” – that is, it has been
su� ocated by its own success.
Once an exotic place of few tourists
and a few lovely riads, or Arabic style
boutique hotels, including the Dhow
Palace and Emerson & Greens, it’s now
cluttered with hotels packing just about
every available stretch of coast, as well
as pretty much turning Stone Town into
a themed tourist experience. There are
even high-rise Club Med type hotels
packed with voluble packaged Italian
tourists, some of them not so young
and some of them not so toplessly
attractive. Not a pretty sight or sound.
That leaves me to point out that there
are two types of traveller: tourists and
real travellers. Tourists can still have a
great time on Zanzibar-Unguja, taking in
the old Shirazi culture of the place and
the historic ambience of Stone Town. Or
you could look further south to the very
much less known Ma� a group of islands
that lie o� the mouth of the Ru� ji River in
the far south of Tanzania.
There has been a lodge on Ma� a
island for around two decades and it
remains the best place to stay there, on
Chole Bay – the � rst marine protected
area declared in Tanzania in the
mid-1990s – and it remains the only
really decent place on Ma� a. In recent
years several more, somewhat lesser
lodges and backpackers have opened.
Even better, much better if you like
your tropical blues spiced up with a
heavy shot of green, is a lodge
comprising treehouses built amid
historic ruins and the boughs and
tentacled roots of massive old trees on
a tiny islet called Chole which lies o�
the eastern side of Ma� a in Chole Bay.
You could look � rther south to the very much
less known Mafi a group of islands that lie
off the mouth of the Rufi ji River.
nutmeg
ginger
traditional market
treehouse
red colobus monkey
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 31
dream destination
For several centuries, until Unguja Island
and Stone Town attained ascendency
in the region, the Ma a group of islands
controlled the trade in precious metals
coming out of the African interior, gold
from Zimbabwe and copper from
Zambia and the Congo.
The lodge, Chole Mjini, is the
brainchild and labour of love of Jean
and Anne de Villiers, who were living in
Stone Town 20 years when Jean bought
a dhow and discovered the tourist-free
delights of this tiny island paradise.
Except for the islanders who had lived
there for more than a millennium
building dhows, their fortunes had
plummeted. The lodge was built for
and by the Chole dhow builders, the
fundis mbao or magicians of wood.
One problem with that was that a
dhow has no right angles or � at planes,
whereas a house, even a treehouse,
needs some. There is only one word in
Swahili – sawa –for a square, a � at
plane, parallel, vertical or horizontal.
Mostly though, it is used to mean okay
or alright. So, as you can imagine, the
building did not proceed without
moments of humour.
Chole will not suit people who like
colourful drinks brought to them around
sparkling swimming pools, or lying in
foam baths for hours every evening.
There is no swimming pool at Chole
lodge (although Jean is contemplating
building one to appease his softer
guests, they are on holiday after all):
that is what the Indian Ocean is for. And
there are no baths, only liquid-fueled
“rocket” showers that you have to re
up yourself with a box of matches
(which are thoughtfully provided).
Everything about the lodge is
seriously eco friendly as well as
community friendly. Food comes mostly
from the sea around the lodge (the
local shers are allowed to catch in the
bay, Tanzania’s rst marine park, but by
traditional methods only), and from the
village gardens. In turn the lodge helps
support a small clinic, school and
various development projects.
“Development and support for the
people of Chole Island was – and
remains – our motivation and the
primary purpose of the Chole Mjini
Lodge,” declare the De Villiers’.
As for their Trip Advisor entries, guests
have either loved the lodge or not
actually hated it, but certainly won’t
be back. To sum up the kind of place it
is, Jean says: “All we need ourselves to
make us contented is fresh seafood,
fruit and salads, a good mattress with
ne sheets, di� erent activities every
day, ice-cold beer or chilled white
wine, hot bean co� ee or ‘proper’ tea
and a hot shower. Our aim is to provide
these simple luxuries to every visitor to
Chole Mjini.”
One of those activities is taking a
dhow ride with Kitu Kiblu (everything
blue), a second enterprise
championed by Chole Lodge, to swim
with the leviathan whale sharks that
congregate around Ma a each
summer. Life here is dictated by wind
and tide, and you learn to ebb and
� ow with it. And if you need more spice
than that to make your life worth living,
I suggest a bottle of it.
Life here is dictated by wind and tide, and you learn to ebb and
fl ow with it.
chobe
seaweed collecting
achiote plant
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1834
Flavour
Spicyliquids
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 35
Spirits
Spirits, be they distilled from grains such as maize, wheat or barley – or from wine in the case of brandy or
Cognac – owe a lot of flavour to the vessels that they are matured in. Whisky experts have estimated that up to 60 to 70% of the flavour of the final product is attributable to the oak cask in which it’s been aged. And the fact that American whiskey and its Scottish or Irish counterparts differ markedly in flavour is because of the use of virgin American oak barrels in the case of the former and much older European or French oak barrels that have previously housed sherry or even wine or Port.
Vodka, like cane spirit, is generally regarded as fairly neutral in flavour – which also makes it a good vehicle for carrying other flavours. Usually this takes the form of a mixer such as lime, orange or cranberry juice, cola and the like. That’s one of the reasons why they work so well as a base for exotic cocktails. Add a hunk of pineapple, a maraschino cherry, a stick of celery or a jaunty umbrella and voila! Satisfaction guaranteed…
But what about actually adding flavour to the spirit? After all, it’s really nothing new. The monks of the Middle Ages were past masters at not only brewing beer, using honey to make mead and distilling spirits but also ramping up the taste of distilled spirits by adding herbs and spices.
Commercial distilling – so Wikipedia assures us – was begun around the 14th or 15th century but was fairly basic and lacked the purity of today’s spirits.
The saying goes that variety is the spice of life – and when it comes to matters of taste, there are heaps of options available in liquid form. Fiona McDonald reports.
space as part of a care package for astronauts aboard Soyuz 19.)
But take a stroll down the spirits aisle of your nearest TOPS at SPAR and you’ll be surprised to see how many different flavour variants are available. And it’s probably most obvious among the vodkas. Flavours include citrus, cherry, blackcurrant, vanilla, caramel, pepper, basil, cumin, caraway, honey and even garlic! Many of these are not available locally and only account for small volumes internationally – but they serve a purpose for the on-consumption market as bartenders love them for cocktails.
Brand names which immediately spring to mind when vodka is discussed are Smirnoff, Absolut and Stolichnaya. The first brand is absolutely massive worldwide while the Swedish brand, Absolut, lays claim to being the third-largest vodka brand globally. (And here’s a bit of “Did You Know” trivia: Absolut is renowned for its simply elegant yet funky adverts based on the iconic bottle which has gone on to be highly collectable in its own right. The original idea for the ad campaign – one of the longest running and most successful in the world, begun in the 1980s – came from ad agency
But what about actually adding
flavour to the spirit? After all, it’s really nothing new.
Filtration and cleanliness was sometimes an issue and that’s where the herbs and spices came into play, masking some of those ‘off flavours’ or harsh notes.
Nowadays bourbon – and also vodka, for example – are purified by being dripped through sugar maple charcoal (notably Jack Daniel’s) and quartz sand and birch charcoal in the case of Russia’s iconic spirit, Stolichnaya vodka. (Stolichnaya also has the honour of having been a pioneer of flavourings as well as having been into
TBWA’s South African art director Geoff Hayes! The spirit distilled in Sweden
was also not called vodka until 1958, having previously being known as Brännvin – which literally translates as
‘burnt wine’, something we know in South Africa as
brandewyn or brandy…) And here’s some moretrivia about Absolut: it
accounts for more than 100 million litres of spirit a year and at least
one kilogram of grain is used in the making of each bottle.
Rum is the other distilled product which is highly flavoured in its own right, courtesy of its raw
ingredient – molasses from cane sugar, but its sweet spicy taste has legions of fans the world over.
Liqueurs too come in a range of flavours – but are much sweeter because
honey or some similar sweet syrup is an integral part of its makeup. One of the most recognisable liqueurs is Southern Comfort. And its story is
an interesting one… It was ‘developed’ by a bartender, one
M W Heron, the son of Irish immigrants who worked as a bartender in New Orleans in the late 1800s.
The story goes that Mr Heron’s customers wanted a drink that was smoother than whiskey or bourbon. He took it upon himself to make something different and decided to steep fruit peel and spices in bourbon and sweetened it with honey before serving it up. The new drink was called Cuffs & Buttons which – after a few glasses his clientele had a problem wrapping their lips around when reordering, so he renamed it
Southern Comfort.Tequila is another spirit which is
sometimes flavoured – coffee and chilli are the two obvious ones but sometimes citrus or fruit such as watermelon and mango are used, although these are seldom found in South Africa.
Ultimately, if you want to try something a little different, there’s lots of choice to be had – and a flavour to suit all tastes.
Flavour
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1836
Do it yourself
Tequila is another spirit which is
sometimes flavoured – coffee and chilli
are the two obvious ones
If you’d like to try your hand at flavouring your favourite spirit, try it in small scale first. Take a
quarter bottle of vodka or cane, for example, and put it in a glass jar or bottle with a sealable lid.
Strong flavours like lime or orange zest, chilli, vanilla, clove,
cardamom or star anise will impart their essence within a
day or two. Other, less exuberant spices would need
around five days to a week while berries and fruit such as cherries,
for example, will take three to four weeks to get the full impact
of its taste.All the above are just a rough guide. It’s important that you
taste to assess how strong you’d like the flavour to be. Once
you’re happy with it, strain the solids out and pass the infused spirit through a piece of muslin
or cloth before enjoying it.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 37
Spiritsbill
� e tastingjess
shaynemelvyn
sanjay
We lined up a selection of six readily available spirit-based drinks to assess how spicy the products were. The results were quite
interesting, based on the opinions of the Cheers magazine team ‒ Publisher Shayne Dowling, Editor Fiona McDonald and Jessica-Jane Nosworthy advertising sales rep ‒ assisted by TOPS at SPAR Fundi panellist Melvyn Minnaar, Bill Slater of The Wild Fig and restaurateur Sanjay Daya.
The overall opinion was that the Captain Morgan Spiced Gold rum was something of a surprise. “I could happily sit with
that in a glass with just an ice cube or two. It doesn’t need a mixer unless you specifi cally want a sweet, long drink,” was
Shayne’s opinion.“Some of them were too sweet for me,” said Melvyn, “but I could
also see myself sitting with a little glass of one or two of them like the Jaegermeister Spice, late at night while working away on the computer...”
So these products are very much a “horses for courses” proposition. Some are to be enjoyed as long drinks, others as cocktails, or even over ice-cream or whipped up as part of a dessert. But they certainly pack a spicy whallop!
A� olut VaniliaBold caramel, butterscotch and creamy vanilla nose- really appealing and heady. “I’d love this over ice-cream,” Melvyn said. “Or as a Dom Pedro,” was Bill’s rejoinder. Very typical vodka spirit or alcohol kick on the dry palate though. “Drink this really cold,” was Shayne’s comment. And not necessarily just as a shooter either. It would sip quite nicely and will certainly add a nice element to a cocktail or mixer.
In the glass
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1838
Flavour
Ironically for a product called King’s Ginger, the tasters picked up lemon peel and lemon leaf on the nose! But it must be said they were tasting blind, with only the glass and no label or bottle to guide them. “It smells just like a freshly-baked lemon poppyseed muffi n!” said Sanjay. But in the mouth it is unmistakably ginger. A hot, spicy, sweet ginger preserve bite is beautifully integrated with whisky to make a delicious mouthful. “It’s too sweet for my taste,” said Melvyn which Fiona countered with: “I absolutely love it!” Shayne shocked everyone around the table by picking up on distinct notes of cardamom pods.
There’s just no mistaking the cinnamon. “It’s like Dentyne’s cinnamon chewing gum in liquid form,” said Fiona. “Nice and fresh and minty,” added Jessica-Jane. Bill commented on the
alcohol or spirit hit in the mouth and also said the bright reddish pink colour was quite arresting. One or two of the tasters recalled having had this before in the form of a shooter called a pancake, where the Aftershock is topped with a cream liqueur like Cape Velvet Cream or even Amarula. It has its fans but is quite obviously frivolous and fun, not meant to be taken seriously.
A� ershock
King’s Ginger
Not one to mix with Red Bull, was the advice of the panel after nosing and tasting this. It’s a really interesting, tasty mouthful with its distinct herbal overtones but with vibrant star anise, licorice, fi ve spice and cinnamon underpinning it all. “It’s like walking into a spice shop where you’re overwhelmed with a whole range of aromas,” said Sanjay. Melvyn enjoyed the exotic nose but would have preferred a slightly more bitter nuance ‒ but admitted that was a personal preference.
Jagermeister Spice
There’s just no mistaking the cinnamon. “It’s like Dentyne’s cinnamon chewing gum in liquid form,” said Fiona. “Nice and fresh and minty,” added Jessica-Jane. Bill commented on the
alcohol or spirit hit in the mouth and also said the bright reddish pink colour was quite arresting. One or two of the tasters recalled having had this before in the form of a shooter called a pancake, where the Aftershock is topped with a cream liqueur like Cape Velvet Cream or even Amarula. It has its fans but is quite obviously frivolous and fun, not meant to be taken seriously.
A� ershock
King’s Ginger
This Bourbon-based drink is very fragrant with lots of orange peel, clove and vanilla notes immediately obvious on the bouquet. It’s when it hits the tastebuds that it turns into a ‘love it or hate it’ proposition. This one split the panel with some tasters finding it too sweet while others said the sweetness was necessary to counteract its inevitable dilution with a mixer such as soda or lemonade. “I remember drinking Southern Comfort and 7-Up as a college student,” Bill recalled.
“Oooh! This is nice...” was Sanjay’s immediate reaction to one sniff of the tasting glass. “It defi nitely seems more integrated and complex,” was
Melvyn’s comment after one sip. Heaps of spice, maple syrup, molasses and caramel were apparent. Sanjay also liked the
texture ‒ as did Jessica-Jane. “It’s well balanced with the integration of fl avour and alcohol,” was Bill’s comment. Fiona found an appealing peppery spice prickle at the back.
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
This Bourbon-based drink is very fragrant with lots of orange peel, clove and vanilla notes immediately obvious on the bouquet. It’s when it hits the tastebuds that it turns into a ‘love it or It’s when it hits the tastebuds that it turns into a ‘love it or
This Bourbon-based drink is very fragrant with lots of orange peel, clove and vanilla notes immediately obvious on the bouquet. It’s when it hits the tastebuds that it turns into a ‘love it or
Southern Comfort
Fiona found an appealing peppery spice prickle at the back.
PANEL CHOICE
39May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Spirits
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1840
Beer
Hops are a tiny, but powerful ingredient in beer. Only about a pin-head of hops dust is
used in a quart, but without it, beer just wouldn’t be beer. Hops give bitterness and aroma. So, for a brew-loving country
like ours, you’d think hops plantations would be a-dime-a-dozen.
� e fact of the matter is that quite the opposite is true. A recent visit to
the Southern Cape – the only place where hops is commercially grown in South Africa – highlighted once again the incredible story of South African hops.
� e thing is, hops are very particular about where they grow. It likes freezing winters and long days in summer. Early brewers in continental Europe realised this once they’d discovered how it could improve beer and started cultivating the plant. It spread to the UK and then crossed the Atlantic to the United States. By the early 1800s, it was being distributed to brewers at the southern tip of Africa by the Ohlssons Cape Brewery. Growing it here was another story though. � e plant’s favourite conditions exist between the latitudes 40 and 45 degrees; most of the southern areas in
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1840
Hused in a quart, but without it, beer just wouldn’t be beer. Hops give bitterness and aroma. So, for a brew-loving country
like ours, you’d think hops plantations would be a-dime-a-dozen.
� e fact of the matter is that quite the opposite is true. A recent visit to
the Southern Cape – the only place where hops is commercially grown in South Africa – highlighted once again the incredible story of South African hops.
� e thing is, hops are very particular about where they grow. It likes freezing winters and long days in summer. Early brewers in continental Europe realised this once they’d discovered how it could improve beer and started cultivating the plant. It spread to the UK and then crossed the Atlantic to the United States. By the early 1800s, it was being distributed to brewers at the southern tip of Africa by the Ohlssons Cape Brewery. Growing it here was another story though. � e plant’s favourite conditions exist between the latitudes 40 and 45 degrees; most of the southern areas in
Hops are essential tobeer, but di� cult to grow – especially in South Africa. Yet, ingenuity fuels thetiny industry that Cli� ord Roberts recently visited in the Southern Cape.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
hops
41
this band being oceans, which is why hops are predominantly grown in northern parts of the globe.
But this didn’t stop some farmers from trying and the region deemed closest to perfect was amongst the Outeniqua mountain peaks near George.
“Ideally, we should be further south, but that would put us in the middle of the ocean,” says retired SAB Hop Farms GM Laurie Conway, a legendary 33-year veteran of the hops industry. “We could have gone to Cape Agulhas; the day is slightly longer, but the wind blows like mad. It’s salty, dusty and the soils are terrible.”
The first commercial hop growing venture started in 1935, but it was only 40 years later that a significant breakthrough, spurred by raw pioneering spirit or pressure of increased trade isolation imposed on the country, made it truly viable. The year 1971 saw the birth of Southern Brewer, a variety bred to thrive in local conditions. Since then, several others have been added.
The industry today comprises SAB
Hop Farms Pty (Ltd), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SA Breweries, and about a dozen private hop farmers who supply it. The total farmland covers just over 400ha.
By international standards, South Africa produces a tiny amount of hops – less than 1%. Nonetheless, the local hop industry is not to be sniffed at for two reasons: it supplies 70% of SAB’s annual requirements – some 803 tons, used to make around 2,6 billion litres of beer; and the development of varieties thought to be impossible has made bigger
international players sit up and take note.“The total assets of [SAB Hop Farms]
are about R26m,” says Conway. “Alrode [brewery alone] has four packaging lines and each one is valued at about R300m. So, if I want to feel small and insignificant, I talk about those things, but they can’t do it without us.”
Also, SAB Hop Farms sells its hops to anyone. “[The numbers of] Microbrewers have gone absolutely mad,” Conway says. “We have about 140 microbrewer customers; 10 years ago we probably had about 10.”
Our visit takes us from the company headquarters near the famous Fancourt hotel and golf estate, to one of its three hops farms where harvest is underway. A raised platform on a trailer carrying two men with machetes is pulled by tractor through lanes of vines, strung 5m from the ground. Each plant is cut above and below, releasing them to be collected onto a second trailer.
Above: Lauren Steytler was appointed GM of SAB Hop Farms in January following the retirement of Laurie Conway. Steytler is a qualified microbiologist with a Masters degree in brewing from the Institute of Brewing and TechnologyLeft: The hops harvest begins in February and lasts for a month.Below left: Vines are delivered to the SAB Hop Farms kilns, where the hop is separated from the leaves and stalks, and dried.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1842
Beer
“I always tell people the most boring job at SAB is driving that tractor,” says Conway. You have to ride 2km/h for six weeks. The toughest job at SAB is what the land crew are doing now. The hop vine is quite abrasive; that’s why they’re wearing balaclavas, boots, gloves and overalls. In addition, it gets hot out here during harvest; up to 33 degrees.”
Hops farming isn’t cheap and some might consider it particularly risky when you only have one main customer. Add up the irrigation, vine trellising, soil preparation and specialised equipment, and you’re up to input costs of around R200 000 per hectare.
The growing season is from mid-October to harvest, which begins in February each year and lasts for just over one month.
Once harvested, the hops must be delivered – within hours – to the company’s kiln plant to prevent rot setting in. Here, various machineries are linked by conveyors that remove the strawberry-sized hop from the vine
Quick facts:• It takes 150 litres of water
to make one litre of beer and the bulk is used in agriculture,
which is the reason for SAB’s programmes to
ensure effcienccy.
• The Latin name for hops is Humulus lupulus, which roughlc
translates to “the wolf of the woods”
• Hops can grow up to 15cm in a single dac, making it one of the fastest growers of the
plant kingdomy.
• The biggest hops producers are the United States and
Germanc, which make up the lion’s share of 50 000ha of
internationallc grown hopsy.
Award-winning journalist Clifford Roberts loves researching topics such as beer - especiallc the practical side of the subject!
before it is sent for drying. This process sees hot air blown through the hops for up to 10 hours in preparation for it to be baled and stored. Each April the hops are milled to a powder and then made into small pellets, which are finally packaged for sale.
Popular with microbrewers are the half kilo, one kilo and 20kg packs. “They phone us; deposit the money and we post [the hops] to them – it’s a great system,” says Conway.
The bulk makes its way to SAB breweries across the country, where it’s added to the mix of malted barley and water that makes the beer South Africans know and love.
Each variety brings its own character
to a brew. And, in Conway’s memorable words: “You can’t make beer without hops.”
It’s one reason the story of King Wenceslas of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), beer’s spiritual heartland, might actually be true. Legend has it the royal took unkindly to illicit trade of his treasured hops - smugglers were beheaded.
Things are friendlier these days, but hops are still like gold – the small, but powerful cornerstone of a drink that spans the globe.
Once harvested, the hops must be delivered – within hours – to the
company’s kiln plant to prevent rot setting in.
Hot air is passed through the hops to reduce its water content and prepare it for milling.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1842
Beer
“I always tell people the most boring job at SAB is driving that tractor,” says Conway. You have to ride 2km/h for six weeks. The toughest job at SAB is what the land crew are doing now. The hop vine is quite abrasive; that’s why they’re wearing balaclavas, boots, gloves and overalls. In addition, it gets hot out here during harvest; up to 33 degrees.”
Hops farming isn’t cheap and some might consider it particularly risky when you only have one main customer. Add up the irrigation, vine trellising, soil preparation and specialised equipment, and you’re up to input costs of around R200 000 per hectare.
The growing season is from mid-October to harvest, which begins in February each year and lasts for just over one month.
Once harvested, the hops must be delivered – within hours – to the company’s kiln plant to prevent rot setting in. Here, various machineries are linked by conveyors that remove the strawberry-sized hop from the vine
Quick facts:• It takes 150 litres of water
to make one litre of beer and the bulk is used in agriculture,
which is the reason for SAB’s programmes to
ensure effcienccy.
• The Latin name for hops is Humulus lupulus, which roughlc
translates to “the wolf of the woods”
• Hops can grow up to 15cm in a single dac, making it one of the fastest growers of the
plant kingdomy.
• The biggest hops producers are the United States and
Germanc, which make up the lion’s share of 50 000ha of
internationallc grown hopsy.
Award-winning journalist Clifford Roberts loves researching topics such as beer - especiallc the practical side of the subject!
before it is sent for drying. This process sees hot air blown through the hops for up to 10 hours in preparation for it to be baled and stored. Each April the hops are milled to a powder and then made into small pellets, which are finally packaged for sale.
Popular with microbrewers are the half kilo, one kilo and 20kg packs. “They phone us; deposit the money and we post [the hops] to them – it’s a great system,” says Conway.
The bulk makes its way to SAB breweries across the country, where it’s added to the mix of malted barley and water that makes the beer South Africans know and love.
Each variety brings its own character
to a brew. And, in Conway’s memorable words: “You can’t make beer without hops.”
It’s one reason the story of King Wenceslas of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), beer’s spiritual heartland, might actually be true. Legend has it the royal took unkindly to illicit trade of his treasured hops - smugglers were beheaded.
Things are friendlier these days, but hops are still like gold – the small, but powerful cornerstone of a drink that spans the globe.
Once harvested, the hops must be delivered – within hours – to the
company’s kiln plant to prevent rot setting in.
Hot air is passed through the hops to reduce its water content and prepare it for milling.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1844
the trail the trail the trailHitting the trail the trailHitting Hitting Hitting the trailHitting the trail the trailHitting Hitting Hitting Hitting the trailHitting the trail
More and more runners are heading o� the tar and into the woods and trails, following their cycling brethren. One of the things to consider when going o� -road is to choose the right shoe. Shoe gurus Nick Velthuysen and Bennie Stander of Runners Rest share their expertise.
Gearing up
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1844
the trail the trail the trailHitting the trail the trailHitting Hitting Hitting the trailHitting the trail the trailHitting Hitting Hitting Hitting the trailHitting the trail
More and more runners are heading o� the tar and into the woods and trails, following their cycling brethren. One of the things to consider when going o� -road is to choose the right shoe. Shoe gurus Nick Velthuysen and Bennie Stander of Runners Rest share their expertise.
Gearing up
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
footwear
45
Getting a running pal to recommend
a shoe is not a good idea. Stander’s
� rst tip was that everyone’s feet,
legs and running styles di� er and what works
for your mate isn’t necessarily ideal for you.
The best advice is to visit a reputable running
shoe store when looking for a new pair of
shoes. Choose one with experienced, trained
sta� – and set aside an hour or so for the
process. If the sales person tries to rush you
out of the door with a ‘popular model’ leave
and go somewhere else: your feet deserve
more than just a popular pair of shoes – they
deserve the right shoes.
Expect to be interrogated on your running
history, goals, the typical terrain you run, or
want to run, any aches or pains that you
experience when running, any history of injuries
(not just injuries caused by running) and the
shoes you’re currently using. With this
background, the sales person can start to
select a few options for you to try. If you like
the feel of the shoe on your foot you should
then walk around in them before doing a bit of
light jogging or running with them on.
The sales person should monitor your gait and
foot strike in the shoes to determine if they’ll work
for your unique running style. Stander explains
that it’s exceptionally di� cult to evaluate
a runner’s gait from behind as the feet then go
all over the show after leaving the ground. It’s
far easier to identify potential issues from in front
and side on – so be wary of a sales person who
claims to be able to evaluate your style from
behind when you’re running on a treadmill.
That’s not to say it’s impossible, an experienced
biokineticist or running coach should be able to
do so, it’s just somewhat di� cult.
Old schoolThe trend in running shoe design at the
moment is away from an over designed shoe
to a shoe which allows for a more natural
stride. Currently the vogue is for minimalist
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1846
Gearing up
shoes, but you needn’t worry if you’ve
never run in them: traditional shoes are
still readily available. And if you’ve only
ever run in a traditional shoe no sales
person should try to force you into a
minimalist shoe.
What has changed, however, is the
arched based approach to shoe
selection. The thought process was
once that the plantar fascia (the thick
band of connective tissue on the base
of your foot, connecting your heel bone
to your toes) required support from a
running shoe. Thus runners were advised
to purchase shoes for their normal
arched, high arched or flat footed feet.
The theory was that flat feet required
shoes offering support, and high arches
needed shoes with better shock
absorption. Normal arches? Well,
neutral shoes were called for. Although
not entirely redundant nowadays, this
approach is a little simple and doesn’t
take cognisance of all the other
structures in your feet, legs and back
which affect your gait.
Shoes designed to provide arch
support are also not without their issues.
It used to be the overriding principle in
design but most manufacturers now
worry that the arch support affects the
wearer’s gait and could lead to injuries.
The thinking now is to rather provide
foot strengthening exercises and advise
a neutral shoe that allows the foot to
move more naturally on impact.
Again though, don’t get caught up
in the sales person’s marketing schpiel.
If you’ve been running trouble free for
years in a traditional shoe your best
option is to stay with that style of shoe,
or transition slowly through decreasing
levels of cushioning and support
towards a minimalist shoe. The weight
PRONATED(right foot)
NORMAL (right foot)
SUPINATED (right foot)
reduction is the obvious attraction for
most runners but for trail runners, the
‘feel’ of the trail that minimalist shoes
provide is a major draw card.
Pronation vs supinationPronation – If you land on the outer
edge of your foot and your foot rolls
inwards. Another sign is your ankle
bending inwards during footfall.
Supination – Also called under-
pronation, supination is when you land
on the inner edge of your foot and it
rolls outwards, forcing your ankle
outwards during footfall. Excessive
supination, to the point where it is a
problem, is fairly rare and is often
present from birth or the result of an
ankle injury.
A bit of pronation is completely
natural, in fact it’s not common for
runners to land with their feet entirely
level. Most shoe manufacturers offer
shoes to compensate for excessive
pronation or supination, but Stander
suggests that in extreme cases it’s best
to seek medical advice from a
physiotherapist or biokineticist rather
than attempt to correct your gait with
shoes or inserts.
Trail mixIt’s essential that you consider the type of
terrain you’ll be running on. If you’ll be
hitting technical single track and hiking
paths then a shoe with aggressive lugs
are preferable. But also keep in mind
that some soles are designed for dry,
rocky trails while others are intended to
provide grip on wetter terrain. The soles
of shoes intended for soft, wet ground
will wear faster than those designed for
drier terrains, especially if you run on the
road with them.
If you intend spending most of your
time running on gravel roads grip won’t
necessarily be your primary concern.
So you’ll be able to get away with a
less aggressive tread pattern – and
“If you’ve been running trouble
free for years in a traditional shoe
you’ll be best served staying with that
style of shoe.”
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1846
Gearing up
shoes, but you needn’t worry if you’ve
never run in them: traditional shoes are
still readily available. And if you’ve only
ever run in a traditional shoe no sales
person should try to force you into a
minimalist shoe.
What has changed, however, is the
arched based approach to shoe
selection. The thought process was
once that the plantar fascia (the thick
band of connective tissue on the base
of your foot, connecting your heel bone
to your toes) required support from a
running shoe. Thus runners were advised
to purchase shoes for their normal
arched, high arched or flat footed feet.
The theory was that flat feet required
shoes offering support, and high arches
needed shoes with better shock
absorption. Normal arches? Well,
neutral shoes were called for. Although
not entirely redundant nowadays, this
approach is a little simple and doesn’t
take cognisance of all the other
structures in your feet, legs and back
which affect your gait.
Shoes designed to provide arch
support are also not without their issues.
It used to be the overriding principle in
design but most manufacturers now
worry that the arch support affects the
wearer’s gait and could lead to injuries.
The thinking now is to rather provide
foot strengthening exercises and advise
a neutral shoe that allows the foot to
move more naturally on impact.
Again though, don’t get caught up
in the sales person’s marketing schpiel.
If you’ve been running trouble free for
years in a traditional shoe your best
option is to stay with that style of shoe,
or transition slowly through decreasing
levels of cushioning and support
towards a minimalist shoe. The weight
PRONATED(right foot)
NORMAL (right foot)
SUPINATED (right foot)
reduction is the obvious attraction for
most runners but for trail runners, the
‘feel’ of the trail that minimalist shoes
provide is a major draw card.
Pronation vs supinationPronation – If you land on the outer
edge of your foot and your foot rolls
inwards. Another sign is your ankle
bending inwards during footfall.
Supination – Also called under-
pronation, supination is when you land
on the inner edge of your foot and it
rolls outwards, forcing your ankle
outwards during footfall. Excessive
supination, to the point where it is a
problem, is fairly rare and is often
present from birth or the result of an
ankle injury.
A bit of pronation is completely
natural, in fact it’s not common for
runners to land with their feet entirely
level. Most shoe manufacturers offer
shoes to compensate for excessive
pronation or supination, but Stander
suggests that in extreme cases it’s best
to seek medical advice from a
physiotherapist or biokineticist rather
than attempt to correct your gait with
shoes or inserts.
Trail mixIt’s essential that you consider the type of
terrain you’ll be running on. If you’ll be
hitting technical single track and hiking
paths then a shoe with aggressive lugs
are preferable. But also keep in mind
that some soles are designed for dry,
rocky trails while others are intended to
provide grip on wetter terrain. The soles
of shoes intended for soft, wet ground
will wear faster than those designed for
drier terrains, especially if you run on the
road with them.
If you intend spending most of your
time running on gravel roads grip won’t
necessarily be your primary concern.
So you’ll be able to get away with a
less aggressive tread pattern – and
“If you’ve been running trouble
free for years in a traditional shoe
you’ll be best served staying with that
style of shoe.”
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
footwear
47
Bennie Stander is the coach and running shoe expert at Stellenbosch’s trail running specific store, Runners Rest.
Stander is a firm advocate of natural running and has built up a cult following, with physios and runners recommending him as the shoe guru.
Nick Velthuysen is the owner of Runners Rest and a competitive trail runner. Get in touch with them via Twitter at @RunnersRest.
(Article first published in Full Stride. @fullstride)
perhaps even a road shoe with a
durable sole. Speak to your local shoe
guys and see what options they
suggest will suit your needs best.
Holy solesSpeaking sole, you should
consider the flexibility, amount of
cushioning and rock protection
offered. Minimalist shoes have less
cushioning than usual and are
often more flexible, but with hardy
heel and forefoot protective plates
(normally made from a harder rubber
compound than the rest of the sole)
they don’t have to completely
compromise trail ‘feel’ for protection.
What will affect the flexibility of the
shoe is the presence of a hardy
protective plate through the arch of the
foot area, or a ridged plastic bar running
the length of the sole. These structural
support features are great for runners
with less foot strength and flexibility, or
just to provide a bit more confidence
when descending on rocky trails.
Break your shoes inDon’t buy a new pair of shoes and
head straight out on the trails for a long
run or a race. Ease into them; do a few
short runs and feel if you’ve made the
right decision.
Key wordsDROP – the difference in sole
cushioning, denoted in mm, between
the heel and toe of the shoe.
(Traditional running shoe drop ±12mm)
MINIMALIST – in the spectrum of running
shoes it’s pretty diffcult to tell just where
minimalist shoes begin and traditional
shoes end (so there is definitely
something for everyone) but if the shoe
is lightweight, has a small drop (less than
5mm) and is flexible, chances are it’s
minimalist. (Think Nike Free road shoes.)
BAREFOOT SHOES – like the Vibram
FiveFingers and Merrell Barefoot they
are shoes which offer only the thinnest
of soles, providing basic rock and thorn
protection.
NATURAL RUNNING – rather than landing
on your heel and rolling forward, in
natural running you would land on the
fore and mid foot. Proponents of natural
running argue that you run that way
when running in sport (like tennis,
football or rugby) so why not when
you run as a sport? Barefoot shoes
are designed to be worn when
running naturally, but because
changing your running style takes
time, it’s not a good idea to
switch from a traditional running
style and use of traditional
running shoes to barefoot shoes
and a natural running style in one go.
Some question the need to switch at all,
but ultimately you need to make an
educated decision for yourself.
Buyer bewareWe asked Stander what the biggest
mistake is when buying a new pair of
shoes. His answer was instantaneous
and simple: “Don’t buy shoes by
colour!” While you do need to look
good on the trails buying shoes just
because they are pretty and purple or
cool and electric blue is a sure-fire
recipe for injury.
Price is definitely a factor. Don’t go
cheap and nasty. Expect to pay from
R1 200 upwards. Your feet will thank
you if you save up and get a decent
pair of running shoes.
Ask an expertWe hope that this article has helped to
clue you up on the ins and outs of trail
running shoes. Ultimately though,
you’re best served by visiting a
specialist running store and putting
your faith in the professionals. Ask a
member of your local trail running club
for a referral to a sales person who
knows his stuff.
1 Premium 28cm induction frypan (non-stick)
2 Premium 26cm induction crepe pan (non-stick)
3 Oven mitt with quilt stitch 4 Non-stick roaster with rack
5 20cm non-stick frypan 6 Egg pans ‒ 14cm non-stick in funky lime or purple tones
7 Woven oven mitt with silicone grip
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Thingamajigs
2
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
SPAR
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LIVING AT WWW.SPAR.CO.ZA
48
SPAR Good Living off ers a range of essential kitchen items aimed at making life
‒ and cooking ‒ that little bit easier. From non-stick
cookware to pans for your induction stove top, to
premium oven mitts that prevent scorching your hands
from the oven... SPAR Good Living
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1 Premium 28cm induction frypan (non-stick)
2 Premium 26cm induction crepe pan (non-stick)
3 Oven mitt with quilt stitch 4 Non-stick roaster with rack
5 20cm non-stick frypan 6 Egg pans ‒ 14cm non-stick in funky lime or purple tones
7 Woven oven mitt with silicone grip
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Thingamajigs
2
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
SPAR
GOOD
LIVING AT WWW.SPAR.CO.ZA
48
SPAR Good Living off ers a range of essential kitchen items aimed at making life
‒ and cooking ‒ that little bit easier. From non-stick
cookware to pans for your induction stove top, to
premium oven mitts that prevent scorching your hands
from the oven... SPAR Good Living
has it all.
SSPPA
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49
thingaCall the
TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
SEE CONTENTS PAGE FOR A FULL LIST OF
STOCKISTS AND THEIR CONTACT DETAILS.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
useful items
8 Moonclock - R450, Big Blue9 Smartphone Projector - R290, Big Blue
10 10 Hippomark bookmark - R100, Big BlueHippomark bookmark - R100, Big Blue
11 Herb Garden - R999,95 Entrepo12 Slate bottle tags- R199,95 Entrepo
13 Geo Thermos - R999,95 Entrepo
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49May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
8
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Fall Out Boy – American Beauty / American Psycho Marking their staying power in an era when ‘careers’ come and go in the blink of an eye or the � ash in a pan, Fall Out Boy’s sixth album sees the band drawing on a range of in� uences. “Centuries” is all about cultural staying power, while the poppy “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and the perfect “Favorite Record” advance similar pop-culture
themes but with melancholic underscores. While the CD could come across as unhinged, using its collection of rock ri� s, hip-hop grooves, Indian music motifs, gang vocals, aged electronic and pop-punk refrains, Patrick Stump’s full-bodied voice and the band’s pure songwriting acumen handily hold the disparities together.
mus
ic
Eclecticism and diversity aptly describe this issue’s book, CD and DVD selections by Ashlee Attwood. Even within Fall Out Boy’s CD off ering there’s a range of pop, rock, electronica and even Indian musical infl uences on display! Author Clive Cussler draws on his military and marine archaeology background for his latest novel while Cheryl Strayed’s book about her epic 1100 mile hike along the Pacifi c Coast trail has been turned into a movie starring the actress Reese Witherspoon after hitting the bestseller lists following a pick from Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club.
Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found – Cheryl StrayedEver wanted to put your life on hold? That’s exactly what 26-year-old American writer Cheryl Strayed did when she thought she’d lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s rapid death from cancer, her family disbanded and her marriage crumbled.
With nothing to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to walk 1 100 miles of the west coast of America - from the Mojave Desert, through California and Oregon, and into Washington
state - and to do it alone. She had no experience of long-distance hiking and the journey was nothing more than a line on a map. But it held a promise - a promise of piecing together a life that lay in ruins at her feet.
Then she wrote about her experiences – and found the book on the bestseller lists as well as being turned into a Hollywood movie starring Reese Witherspoon.
All the Bright Places – Jennifer NivenTheodore Finch is fascinated by
death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good – no matter how small – stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important
cd’sImagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors Digital downloads might be the most current way of measuring the popularity of a band but this Las Vegas quartet still knock it out the park with their multi-Platinum blend of modern rock energy, pop hooks, and R&B-in� uenced production – and they still mix things up enough to maintain momentum. “I’m So Sorry,” revolves around forceful hard-rock ri� s, while the
single “Gold” tosses a bit of Latin music in� uence into the infectious groove. “Dream” moves along on gentle piano chords and frontman Dan Reynolds’ soulful croon. By the time things close with the ethereal “The Fall,” it’s a triumphant album from a band that refuses to be pigeonholed.
Variety spices up lifeEntertainment
50
CORNER
the
PAPE
R
Charli XCX – Sucker British musicians are setting the world alight, as evidenced by Sam Smith’s domination of the Grammy music awards earlier this year. Charli XCX is a 22-year-old ‘songwriting savant’ according to some savvy critics. She’s stepped con� dently into 2015 as the most fun girl in any room she enters. She comes into her own with Sucker, a de� antly spiky teenage riot packed into 13 punky gems. It’s a dance party, a mosh pit and a feminist rally – Charli’s de� nitely in charge.
Fall Out Boy – American Beauty / American Psycho Marking their staying power in an era when ‘careers’ come and go in the blink of an eye or the � ash in a pan, Fall Out Boy’s sixth album sees the band drawing on a range of in� uences. “Centuries” is all about cultural staying power, while the poppy “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and the perfect “Favorite Record” advance similar pop-culture
themes but with melancholic underscores. While the CD could come across as unhinged, using its collection of rock ri� s, hip-hop grooves, Indian music motifs, gang vocals, aged electronic and pop-punk refrains, Patrick Stump’s full-bodied voice and the band’s pure songwriting acumen handily hold the disparities together.
mus
ic
Eclecticism and diversity aptly describe this issue’s book, CD and DVD selections by Ashlee Attwood. Even within Fall Out Boy’s CD off ering there’s a range of pop, rock, electronica and even Indian musical infl uences on display! Author Clive Cussler draws on his military and marine archaeology background for his latest novel while Cheryl Strayed’s book about her epic 1100 mile hike along the Pacifi c Coast trail has been turned into a movie starring the actress Reese Witherspoon after hitting the bestseller lists following a pick from Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club.
Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found – Cheryl StrayedEver wanted to put your life on hold? That’s exactly what 26-year-old American writer Cheryl Strayed did when she thought she’d lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s rapid death from cancer, her family disbanded and her marriage crumbled.
With nothing to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to walk 1 100 miles of the west coast of America - from the Mojave Desert, through California and Oregon, and into Washington
state - and to do it alone. She had no experience of long-distance hiking and the journey was nothing more than a line on a map. But it held a promise - a promise of piecing together a life that lay in ruins at her feet.
Then she wrote about her experiences – and found the book on the bestseller lists as well as being turned into a Hollywood movie starring Reese Witherspoon.
All the Bright Places – Jennifer NivenTheodore Finch is fascinated by
death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good – no matter how small – stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important
cd’sImagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors Digital downloads might be the most current way of measuring the popularity of a band but this Las Vegas quartet still knock it out the park with their multi-Platinum blend of modern rock energy, pop hooks, and R&B-in� uenced production – and they still mix things up enough to maintain momentum. “I’m So Sorry,” revolves around forceful hard-rock ri� s, while the
single “Gold” tosses a bit of Latin music in� uence into the infectious groove. “Dream” moves along on gentle piano chords and frontman Dan Reynolds’ soulful croon. By the time things close with the ethereal “The Fall,” it’s a triumphant album from a band that refuses to be pigeonholed.
Variety spices up lifeEntertainment
50
CORNER
the
PAPE
R
Charli XCX – Sucker British musicians are setting the world alight, as evidenced by Sam Smith’s domination of the Grammy music awards earlier this year. Charli XCX is a 22-year-old ‘songwriting savant’ according to some savvy critics. She’s stepped con� dently into 2015 as the most fun girl in any room she enters. She comes into her own with Sucker, a de� antly spiky teenage riot packed into 13 punky gems. It’s a dance party, a mosh pit and a feminist rally – Charli’s de� nitely in charge.
51May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
CD’s, DVD’s and books
discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
Cemetery Girl – David BellTom and Abby Stuart had everything: a perfect marriage, successful careers, and a beautiful 12-year-old daughter, Caitlin. Then one day Caitlin vanished without a trace. For a while they grasped at every false hope and followed every empty lead, but the tragedy ended up changing their lives, overwhelming them with guilt and dread, and shattering their marriage. Four years later, Caitlin is found alive dirty and dishevelled yet preternaturally calm.
dvd’s
DISCLAIMER All books featured here are distributed by Penguin Books SA.
She won’t discuss where she was or what happened. Then the police arrest a suspect connected to her disappearance, but Caitlin refuses to testify, leaving the Stuarts with a choice: Let the man who may be responsible for destroying their lives walk away, or take matters into their own hands.
And when Tom decides to try to uncover the truth for himself, he � nds that nothing that has happened yet can prepare him for what he’s about to discover.
Mirage - Clive Cussler In October 1943, a US destroyer sailed out of Philadelphia and supposedly
vanished, the result of a Navy experiment with electromagnetic radiation. The story was considered a hoax — but now Juan Cabrillo and his Oregon colleagues aren’t so sure.
There is talk of a new weapon soon to be auctioned, something very dangerous to America’s interests, and the rumours link it to the great inventor Nikola Tesla, who was working with the Navy when he died in 1943. Was he responsible for the experiment? Are his notes in the hands of enemies? As Cabrillo races to � nd the truth, he discovers there is even more at stake than he could have imagined — but by the time he realises it, he may already be too late.
Jupiter Ascending From the streets of Chicago to the far-� ung galaxies whirling through space, Jupiter Ascending tells the story of Jupiter
Jones (Mila Kunis), who was born under a night sky, with signs predicting she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad luck. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along – her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
Are You Here Ben Baker is a man-child who scribbles ideas in a notebook and lives on his couch getting high. His friend since childhood,
Steve Dallas, is a moderately successful weather reporter who is living a super� cial life. When Ben’s father dies, Steve drives him home and they re-connect with Ben’s successful and driven sister Terry, and their free spirited beautiful step-mother, Angela, who is younger than they are. The reading of the will drives Ben to come up with a new purpose in life, but those around him don’t prove to be very supportive, and they all are forced to re-examine their own lives.
Mooirivier Expect to see some of South Africa’s most recognisable actors in this Afrikaans romantic comedy. The plots involving Nadia Beukes,
Heinz Winkler, Hykie Berg, Suzzi Swanepoel, Gys de Villiers and others are all interlinked. It tells the tale of di£ erent couples who go on a voyage of discovery of what love truly is – not the fairy tale version – but the comical reality of what it really takes to make it conquer in the end.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1852
Book Giveaway
A taste of Durban
In spite of the fact that there are shelves full of books about curry, that fiercely tasty dish so
beloved of many South Africans – including former President Nelson Mandela– the definitive work on
Durban curry was sorely missing. No longer.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ cup lemon juice
600g cubed chicken breast
Salt & pepper
½ cup oil
800g prawns, shelled and deveined
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tomatoes, pureed or chopped
½ cup curry leaves, finely sliced
1 cup coconut cream
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
Kevin’s Chicken & Prawn Curry
METHOD:
Mix together all powdered spices, add
lemon juice to form a paste. Season
chicken with salt and pepper. Fry in oil
until golden brown. Remove chicken,
set aside. Add prawns to pan, fry until
semi-cooked. Remove, place with
chicken. Add onion to same pan, fry
until translucent. Then add ginger,
garlic and the reserved spice paste.
Sauté until fragrant. Mix in tomatoes,
cook for 6 minutes on medium heat.
Blend in curry leaves. Keep on cooking,
adding some water if necessary, until
consistency of a thick curry sauce. Mix
in chicken and prawns, cover, simmer
until the chicken is tender. Add
coconut cream, cook another 5
minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Stir in and scatter coriander just before
serving. Especially good with rotis.
Enter stage left, Erica Platter and
her partner in PawPaw
Publishing, photographer Clinton
Friedman, the duo behind Durban
Curry, So Much of Flavour.
With a surname such as hers, it’s hard
not to make the connection with one of
the most successful wine books in the
world – the annual Platter’s Guide to
Wines of South Africa. It’s a publication
that she and husband John began
more than 30 years ago while living on a
wine farm in Stellenbosch. They
subsequently sold the book (now owned
by Diners Club) and semi-retired to
Umhlali on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.
Only semi-retired, mind, because there’s
always the idea of a book brewing in
one of the Platters’ fertile minds!
The Platter’s love a good curry – and
Durban Curry is Erica’s homage to the
people and places where it can be found.
Contributing to the book is Devi
Sankaree Govender, the instantly
recognisable feisty, ‘take no prisoners’
investigative journalist on M-Net’s Carte
Blanche weekly magazine show. So it’s
surprising to read in her foreword to
Durban Curry, So Much of Flavour that
she found such a dramatic difference
between the curries of her KwaZulu-
Natal childhood and those of India
when she visited there.
Devi and Erica cadged and cajoled
recipes out of chefs at Umhlanga
Rocks’ Oyster Box Hotel, the famous
Seabelle, Britannia Hotel, Impulse and
so many more. In some cases (such as
Tony Govender’s mixed veg and fruit
pickle) quantities and measurements
are utterly absent – because none
exist! When Govender makes it, he
does so by taste, feel and years of
experience.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1852
Book Giveaway
A taste of Durban
In spite of the fact that there are shelves full of books about curry, that fiercely tasty dish so
beloved of many South Africans – including former President Nelson Mandela– the definitive work on
Durban curry was sorely missing. No longer.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ cup lemon juice
600g cubed chicken breast
Salt & pepper
½ cup oil
800g prawns, shelled and deveined
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tomatoes, pureed or chopped
½ cup curry leaves, finely sliced
1 cup coconut cream
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
Kevin’s Chicken & Prawn Curry
METHOD:
Mix together all powdered spices, add
lemon juice to form a paste. Season
chicken with salt and pepper. Fry in oil
until golden brown. Remove chicken,
set aside. Add prawns to pan, fry until
semi-cooked. Remove, place with
chicken. Add onion to same pan, fry
until translucent. Then add ginger,
garlic and the reserved spice paste.
Sauté until fragrant. Mix in tomatoes,
cook for 6 minutes on medium heat.
Blend in curry leaves. Keep on cooking,
adding some water if necessary, until
consistency of a thick curry sauce. Mix
in chicken and prawns, cover, simmer
until the chicken is tender. Add
coconut cream, cook another 5
minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Stir in and scatter coriander just before
serving. Especially good with rotis.
Enter stage left, Erica Platter and
her partner in PawPaw
Publishing, photographer Clinton
Friedman, the duo behind Durban
Curry, So Much of Flavour.
With a surname such as hers, it’s hard
not to make the connection with one of
the most successful wine books in the
world – the annual Platter’s Guide to
Wines of South Africa. It’s a publication
that she and husband John began
more than 30 years ago while living on a
wine farm in Stellenbosch. They
subsequently sold the book (now owned
by Diners Club) and semi-retired to
Umhlali on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.
Only semi-retired, mind, because there’s
always the idea of a book brewing in
one of the Platters’ fertile minds!
The Platter’s love a good curry – and
Durban Curry is Erica’s homage to the
people and places where it can be found.
Contributing to the book is Devi
Sankaree Govender, the instantly
recognisable feisty, ‘take no prisoners’
investigative journalist on M-Net’s Carte
Blanche weekly magazine show. So it’s
surprising to read in her foreword to
Durban Curry, So Much of Flavour that
she found such a dramatic difference
between the curries of her KwaZulu-
Natal childhood and those of India
when she visited there.
Devi and Erica cadged and cajoled
recipes out of chefs at Umhlanga
Rocks’ Oyster Box Hotel, the famous
Seabelle, Britannia Hotel, Impulse and
so many more. In some cases (such as
Tony Govender’s mixed veg and fruit
pickle) quantities and measurements
are utterly absent – because none
exist! When Govender makes it, he
does so by taste, feel and years of
experience.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 53
A taste of Durban Kevin’s Chicken
& Prawn Curry
Kevin Joseph is the executive chef at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga.
Local flavour
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1854
Book Giveaway
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
Aromatics: 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay
leaves, ½ tsp fennel seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise
1 tsp fresh thyme
5 curry leaves
2 Tbsp medium curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
400g beef fillet, cubed
250ml tomato puree
250g chickpeas, cooked
Fresh coriander, chopped
Salt to taste
Fatima’s Fabulous Beef Curry
METHOD:
Put oil in a large saucepan over
moderate heat. Add aromatics and
onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until
translucent: about 5 minutes. Add
garlic, ginger, chillies, thyme and curry
leaves. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add
curry powder, coriander and cumin
powders. Cook for one minute. Add
meat to pan. Cook, stirring until all
spices have combined. Add tomato
puree, some chopped coriander, salt
to taste. Allow to cook gently for about
15 – 20 minutes on moderate heat.
Lastly add chickpeas, allow to cook
through for 5 minutes. Garnish with
coriander sprigs. Serve with basmati
rice, roti and sambals.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1854
Book Giveaway
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp olive oil
Aromatics: 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay
leaves, ½ tsp fennel seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise
1 tsp fresh thyme
5 curry leaves
2 Tbsp medium curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
400g beef fillet, cubed
250ml tomato puree
250g chickpeas, cooked
Fresh coriander, chopped
Salt to taste
Fatima’s Fabulous Beef Curry
METHOD:
Put oil in a large saucepan over
moderate heat. Add aromatics and
onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until
translucent: about 5 minutes. Add
garlic, ginger, chillies, thyme and curry
leaves. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add
curry powder, coriander and cumin
powders. Cook for one minute. Add
meat to pan. Cook, stirring until all
spices have combined. Add tomato
puree, some chopped coriander, salt
to taste. Allow to cook gently for about
15 – 20 minutes on moderate heat.
Lastly add chickpeas, allow to cook
through for 5 minutes. Garnish with
coriander sprigs. Serve with basmati
rice, roti and sambals.
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Local � avour
55
Double your chance of winning! Go to www.facebook.com/
CheersMag and LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.
winStand a chance to
receive a copy of the Durban Curry, So much
of avour book SEE T&C’S ON PG 2
enter now!To qualify, send in a postcard
or e-mail clearly marked Cheers Book Giveaway and
containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along
with a contact telephone number to qualify for the lucky
draw. Entry deadline is Friday 12th June.
The address to send it to is cheers@cheersmag.co.za or
Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.
GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST
GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
INGREDIENTS:1 onion, chopped3 whole green chillies¼ cup oil2 tomatoes, chopped½ tsp each turmeric, dhania, cumin powders1 tsp good curry or chilli powder1 tsp crushed ginger-garlicSplash of waterSalt to taste1 cup broad beans boiled until soft
Traditional Broad Beans Bunny Curry
METHOD:Gently fry onions and chillies in oil until softened. Add tomatoes. Cook until moisture has evaporated. Add spices and a splash of water. Continue cooking until spices have melded with tomato. Add this mixture to beans, with a little more water if necessary. Cook gently until gravy is thick. Serve in a bunny (a quarter loaf of white bread, hollowed out inside.)
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Silwood Kitchen
57
left strap
Heating things up
Pliny the Elder, that wise Roman, wrote about cloves as early as 100 BCE but the spice trade was already well established by then.
Historians estimate that trade in spices stretches as far back as 2 000 BCE, with its roots to be found in the South and the Middle East. South
Africa’s history owes much of its food and cultural tradition to the Malay spice influence and the activities of the Dutch East India
Company. But when it comes to spices, there’s nothing like a curry to satisfy the need for heat! Photography by Ashlee Attwood.
INGREDIENTS:
For Curry:
30ml sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic,
chopped
10 ml fresh ginger,
grated
Red chilli, seeded
and chopped
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground
coriander
2½ ml ground
turmeric
Seeds from 2
green cardamom
pods
500g beef/lamb,
cut into 3cm
cubes
125ml water
1 tin chopped
tomatoes
5 ml tomato paste
½ cinnamon stick
1 curry leaf
Salt and pepper
30ml chopped
fresh coriander
For Rice:
200ml rice
400ml water
Pinch salt
Basic meat curry & rice
Serves 4
METHOD:
Curry: Heat the oil in the saucepan;
add the onion and sauté for
approximately 10 minutes until light
golden. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli
(to taste), the ground spices and
cardamom, stirring, for 30 seconds, until
fragrant. Add the meat and allow it to
take on some colour. Add the water,
tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon
stick, curry leaf and a pinch of salt. Mix
thoroughly, then reduce the heat and
simmer, covered, for 1½-3 hours, until
the meat is tender. Stir occasionally.
(Alternatively, you could place it in a
pressure cooker and cook on low
pressure for 45 - 60minutes.)
Uncover, reduce to thicken sauce if
necessary. Adjust seasoning to taste
with salt and pepper.
Rice: Place rice, water and salt into a
small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Turn down to a simmer, cover, and
allow to cook for 10 - 15mins until the
rice is tender and all the water has
been absorbed.
To serve: Serve curry and rice garnished
with coriander leaves.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1858
TOP Nosh
Spring rolls with sweet chilli dipping sauceYields 24 canapés
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1858
TOP Nosh
Spring rolls with sweet chilli dipping sauceYields 24 canapés
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Silwood Kitchen
59
GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
These delicious recipes were prepared and cooked by chefZiyaad Omar, a second year student at Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town. www.silwood.co.za
INGREDIENTS:
For Spring rolls:
5g glass noodles
15ml oil
1 chicken breast, shredded (optional)
20ml soy sauce
1 oyster mushroom, sliced
150ml cabbage, � nely shredded
100ml carrots, � nely shredded
Pinch Chinese 5-spice
1 clove garlic, crushed
20ml bamboo shoots, drained and � nely
sliced
20ml mung bean sprouts
1 spring onion, thinly sliced on diagonal,
including green part
Salt and pepper to taste
6 spring roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
For sweet chilli dipping sauce:
180g sugar
65ml water
20ml rice vinegar
50ml red wine vinegar
5ml salt
3 chillies, deseeded and � nely sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
3ml corn � our
Specialised equipment:
Wok, colander, pastry brush, deep-fat
fryer, absorbent paper
Silwood Kitchen
GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST
GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST
INGREDIENTS:
For Spring rolls:
5g glass noodles
15ml oil
1 chicken breast, shredded (optional)
20ml soy sauce
1 oyster mushroom, sliced
150ml cabbage, � nely shredded
100ml carrots, � nely shredded
Pinch Chinese 5-spice
1 clove garlic, crushed
20ml bamboo shoots, drained and � nely
sliced
20ml mung bean sprouts
1 spring onion, thinly sliced on diagonal,
including green part
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
For Spring rolls
Noodles: Pour boiling water over
the glass noodles and allow to
stand for � ve minutes to soften.
Drain, rinse and cut into short
pieces.
Filling: Heat a little oil in a wok and
stir-fry the chicken brie� y until just
cooked, add 10ml soya sauce and
remove from the wok. Heat a little
more oil and stir-fry the mushroom,
cabbage and carrot for 1-2
minutes. Add a pinch of 5 spice, the
garlic, bamboo shoots, mung bean
sprouts and spring onion and stir fry
for 30 seconds to heat through. Do
not overcook. Remove from the
heat; add the remaining 10ml soya
sauce. Mix in the chicken and glass
noodles and adjust seasoning if
necessary. Place the � lling in a
colander to drain o� excess liquid
and allow to cool thoroughly.
Rolling: Cut each spring roll
wrapper into four equal squares,
leave under a damp kitchen towel
while not using. Place one square on
the work surface with a corner pointing
towards the body, brush opposite
corner well with beaten egg. Place
25ml � lling on the corner closest to you.
Fold the corner point over the � lling and
tuck in tightly. Roll until level with next 2
corners, fold in these corners and
continue to roll up to form a spring roll.
Repeat process with remaining
wrappers and � lling. Cover and store in
cool place until ready to fry.
For Sweet chilli sauce
Place all the ingredients – except the
corn � our – in a small saucepan. Stir over
a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Simmer mixture for six minutes. Slake the
corn � our in 15ml water and add to the
mixture. Simmer for one minute to
thicken. Cool.
Frying: Deep fry spring rolls at 180°C
till golden, then drain on absorbent
paper.
To serve: Serve spring rolls with sweet
chilli dipping sauce, garnished
with coriander.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1860
TOP NoshTOP Nosh
Green � ai Chicken Curry
with basmati riceINGREDIENTS:
Curry:
30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced, Chinese style
1 green pepper, sliced
20 - 30ml Thai green curry paste
1 tin coconut milk
450g chicken breast or thigh, � nely sliced
20ml bamboo shoots, sliced (optional)
20ml water chestnuts, sliced (optional)
10ml fresh ginger, � nely chopped
20 - 30ml � sh sauce
15 - 20ml palm sugar or 5 - 10 ml sugar
Lime/lemon juice to taste
30ml basil or coriander leaves
Rice:
250ml basmati rice
300ml water
3ml salt
METHOD:
Curry: Heat the oil and stir-fry the onion for 1 - 2 minutes, add peppers, if using,
and the curry paste. Continue stirring for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the coconut
cream, chicken, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Stir well and bring to a
simmer. Leave until the chicken is cooked through. Add the ginger and adjust
seasoning with � sh sauce, sugar and lime juice.
Rice: Soak the rice in cold water for 5 minutes then rinse well. Place the rice in
a small saucepan with the water and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and allow
to cook for approximately 5 - 6 minutes until the water has
evaporated and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat
and � u� with a fork.
To serve: Just before
dishing up, heat the
curry and add the basil
or coriander leaves.
Serve curry with the
rice, garnished with basil
or coriander.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1860
TOP NoshTOP Nosh
Green � ai Chicken Curry
with basmati riceINGREDIENTS:
Curry:
30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced, Chinese style
1 green pepper, sliced
20 - 30ml Thai green curry paste
1 tin coconut milk
450g chicken breast or thigh, � nely sliced
20ml bamboo shoots, sliced (optional)
20ml water chestnuts, sliced (optional)
10ml fresh ginger, � nely chopped
20 - 30ml � sh sauce
15 - 20ml palm sugar or 5 - 10 ml sugar
Lime/lemon juice to taste
30ml basil or coriander leaves
Rice:
250ml basmati rice
300ml water
3ml salt
METHOD:
Curry: Heat the oil and stir-fry the onion for 1 - 2 minutes, add peppers, if using,
and the curry paste. Continue stirring for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the coconut
cream, chicken, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Stir well and bring to a
simmer. Leave until the chicken is cooked through. Add the ginger and adjust
seasoning with � sh sauce, sugar and lime juice.
Rice: Soak the rice in cold water for 5 minutes then rinse well. Place the rice in
a small saucepan with the water and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and allow
to cook for approximately 5 - 6 minutes until the water has
evaporated and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat
and � u� with a fork.
To serve: Just before
dishing up, heat the
curry and add the basil
or coriander leaves.
Serve curry with the
rice, garnished with basil
or coriander.
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1862
Blogspot
Who doesn’t love a gorgeous,
warming curry on a cold
winter day? Well, I have a
foodie confession. It was only in my
twenties that I really began to appreciate
and enjoy this wonderful dish in all its
forms and different flavours. These days
I could not imagine winter, or in fact any
season of the year, without it!
Of course, spices have the ability to
elevate any dish to new heights and
none of the meals I cook at home
would be complete without them.
There is something particularly satisfying
though about rummaging around in the
spice rack and playing around with
different blends and flavours to create
a sumptuous curry dish from scratch.
If you are a little uncertain about
where to start, then this paneer curry
recipe should point you in the right
direction. If you are not able to get your
hands on some paneer from one of our
fantastic local markets it is very easy to
make your own. In fact, I would
encourage you to do so! There are
many resources on the web to help you
along. I made my own by boiling milk
and lemon juice together, and then
draining the curds in some cheesecloth
– could not be simpler.
If you are looking for a sweet fix then
I have you covered in this issue too.
A moist chocolate cake topped with
cinnamon meringue is sure to help
chase away any winter blues.
Bon appétit!
Stoking the fires
METHOD: 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of
sunflower oil in a large saucepan.
Gently fry the paneer cubes until
golden on all sides. Set aside on some
kitchen towel. 2. Heat the remaining
tablespoon of sunflower oil in the same
saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and
ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add
the coriander, cumin, garam masala,
tumeric, chilli flakes and cinnamon to
the pan. Stir well and cook for a further
minute. 4. Add the tin of tomatoes and
water. Season with salt and pepper,
cover and simmer for 20 minutes until
thickened. 5. Stir the cream and
paneer into the curry. Check the
seasoning, heat through and then
serve with rice and/or naan bread.
The trees have lost all their leaves and are starkly naked and bare while
chilly mornings are frosty and nights are cold. The season has changed
and the emphasis during these months is on comfort and warmth.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup cubed paneer
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
250ml water
salt
pepper
60ml cream
rice and/or naan bread
to serve
Paneer CurryMakes 2
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1862
Blogspot
Who doesn’t love a gorgeous,
warming curry on a cold
winter day? Well, I have a
foodie confession. It was only in my
twenties that I really began to appreciate
and enjoy this wonderful dish in all its
forms and different flavours. These days
I could not imagine winter, or in fact any
season of the year, without it!
Of course, spices have the ability to
elevate any dish to new heights and
none of the meals I cook at home
would be complete without them.
There is something particularly satisfying
though about rummaging around in the
spice rack and playing around with
different blends and flavours to create
a sumptuous curry dish from scratch.
If you are a little uncertain about
where to start, then this paneer curry
recipe should point you in the right
direction. If you are not able to get your
hands on some paneer from one of our
fantastic local markets it is very easy to
make your own. In fact, I would
encourage you to do so! There are
many resources on the web to help you
along. I made my own by boiling milk
and lemon juice together, and then
draining the curds in some cheesecloth
– could not be simpler.
If you are looking for a sweet fix then
I have you covered in this issue too.
A moist chocolate cake topped with
cinnamon meringue is sure to help
chase away any winter blues.
Bon appétit!
Stoking the fires
METHOD: 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of
sunflower oil in a large saucepan.
Gently fry the paneer cubes until
golden on all sides. Set aside on some
kitchen towel. 2. Heat the remaining
tablespoon of sunflower oil in the same
saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and
ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add
the coriander, cumin, garam masala,
tumeric, chilli flakes and cinnamon to
the pan. Stir well and cook for a further
minute. 4. Add the tin of tomatoes and
water. Season with salt and pepper,
cover and simmer for 20 minutes until
thickened. 5. Stir the cream and
paneer into the curry. Check the
seasoning, heat through and then
serve with rice and/or naan bread.
The trees have lost all their leaves and are starkly naked and bare while
chilly mornings are frosty and nights are cold. The season has changed
and the emphasis during these months is on comfort and warmth.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup cubed paneer
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
250ml water
salt
pepper
60ml cream
rice and/or naan bread
to serve
Paneer CurryMakes 2
63
something spicy
Teresa Ulyate is the writer of Cupcakesandcousc ous.blogspot.com and holds the bragging rights as the winner of Two Oceans’ Simple Snacking Challenge 2013.
Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot.com
GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL
GROCERY LIST
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR storesINGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups � our
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups castor sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 Tbsp cocoa + extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup sun� ower oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
180g castor sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
METHOD:
1. Preheat your oven to 170°C. Line the
base of a 22cm round springform cake tin
with baking paper and grease well.
2. Sift the � our, baking powder, castor
sugar, bicarb, cocoa and salt into a bowl
and mix. 3. Add the hot water, sun� ower
oil and vinegar and whisk until you have a
smooth batter. Pour the batter into your
prepared tin. 4. Place the egg whites in a
clean bowl and whisk to soft peak stage.
5. Combine the castor sugar and
cinnamon. Add 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
sugar at a time to the egg whites, beating
well after each addition. Add the vanilla
extract and whisk until all the sugar has
dissolved and you have a thick, glossy
meringue. 6. Carefully place heaped
tablespoons of meringue on top of the
cake batter. Use the back of a teaspoon
to gently smooth the meringue to cover
the top of the cake. 7. Pop the cake in the
oven for approximately 1 hour, or until a
carefully inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before removing
from the tin. Dust the meringue with
cocoa powder just
before serving.
Chocolate Meringue Cake
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
64 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Tuisnywerheid
Mense skrik gewoonlik vir derms en dinge – maar baklei met
mekaar om die laaste skilpadjie te eet. Hoe
is dit dat afval vreesaanjaend is
terwyl lewer en netvet ’n lekkerny is?
As diereliefhebber, glo ek
onteenseglik daarin om ons
vierbeen-geliefdes met
respek te behandel. Een van die
vernaamste vertonings van respek is
om te sorg dat alle dele van ’n dier wat
sy of haar lewe vir jou kospotte
opgeo� er het, geëet word.
Diegene wat dus hul neuse optrek vir
afval, daardie lekkerste-van-lekker
binnegoed van ’n skaap of bees, wel,
julle sal nie net nooit in die vreugdes
van ’n geurige afvalgereg kan deel nie,
maar die gewetes hoort ook te pla.
Om ’n skaap te laat sterf slegs vir die
boude en ’n paar tjops grens
aan die onetiese.
Daar is niks so
heerlik soos ’n pot
afval nie. En as
die idee jou
afskrik, probeer ’n
gekerriede afval om mee af te
Kerrie-afvalop die kole
As diereliefhebber, glo ek
onteenseglik daarin om ons
vierbeen-geliefdes met
Kerrie-
op die
’n lekkerny is?binnegoed van ’n skaap of bees, wel,
julle sal nie net nooit in die vreugdes
van ’n geurige afvalgereg kan deel nie,
maar die gewetes hoort ook te pla.
Om ’n skaap te laat sterf slegs vir die
boude en ’n paar tjops grens
aan die onetiese.
heerlik soos ’n pot
afval nie. En as
die idee jou
afskrik, probeer ’n
gekerriede afval om mee af te
skop. Jy sal verslaaf raak en later
opbeweeg na die kulinêre hemeltuin
van vaal-afval en skaapkop.
Afval is heerlik in die oond, maar as
potjiekos op die kole kry hy werklik ’n
ander dimensie.
Vir ses mense neem jy twee skoon rou
skaapafvalle. Dis is deesdae algemeen
verkrygbaar en bestaan gewoonlik uit
pens, vier pote en die kop. Die harsing
mag apart wees, oulik toegedraai in
die blaarpens, en die kop is gewoonlik
oopgekap. Indien nie, vra vir die slagter
om dit te doen voordat jy op jou tog in
die buitelug aan.
(My SPAR in die Paarl verkoop die
mooiste, skoonste afvalle ooit!)
Gooi die afvalle net so in jou meneer
van ’n pot – ek verkies die platboom.
Bedek die afval met water en een
koppie bruin asyn. Gooi drie
lourierblare en vier naeltjies by.
65May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Writer and PR guy Emile Joubert was a � nalist in the Men’s Health Braai King competition, uniquely qualifying him for this column.
Emile Joubert
Luister mooiNou het jy mos jou vuur langs die pot.
Krap ’n groot hoop kole onder die pot
in en sit die deksel op. En luister. Ja,
daar kom dit, ná so 10, 15 minute begin
die pot prut. Nou is dit kophou. Prut jy
te vinnig, brand die afval verbasend
maklik aan weens die suikers en
ensieme in die organe. Té stadig en jy
gaan heelnag daar sit.
So, beheer die kole sodat die
borrelklanke egalig teenwoordig is en
nie wegholwarm nie. Ja, ja. Jy mag
nou en dan die deksel oopmaak net
om te tjek, maar teen die regte tempo
behoort die sous nie weg te kook nie.
Kook hom vir twee ure. Dan haal jy
jou pot van die kole af en maak die
deksel oop. Skep die afval in ’n ander
groot bak, laat dit ’n bietjie afkoel en
haal die groot bene uit – dis nou die
kopbeen en van daardie groterige
kneukels in die pote. Sny ook nou die
pens in repies of blokkies wat lekker in
die mond gaan pas. (Die pens brand
makliker aan as dit kleiner gesny is, so
moet dit nie van die begin van die
proses doen nie.) Behou in hemelsnaam
net die sous in die swart pot. Plaas dié
terug op die vuur, want nou moet ’n
belangrike besluit geneem word.
As jy van ’n lang sous (baie en dun
sous) hou, kan jy sommer die afval
terug in die pot ingooi. Hou jy egter van
’n dikker sous, moet jy die vloeistof
afkook tot die sous die verlangde
tekstuur en hoeveelheid bereik het.
Doen soos verlang.
Wanneer die sous reg is, gooi jy die
afval terug in die pot met 1 tot 2
eetlepels kerriepoeier (afhangende van
jou speserylus) en een teelepel borrie,
asook 2 teelepels sout en ’n paar draaie
peper. Roer als goed deur. En sit terug
op die kole vir nog 1 tot 1,5 uur. Hoe
langer hoe beter! Toets totdat die
verlangde tekstuur bereik is deur nou en
dan die sjef se voorreg te gebruik en ’n
proesel uit die pot te neem.
Sowat 30 minute voordat jy wil eet,
gooi jy 4 tot 6 middelgrootte
aartappels wat in kwarte gesny is in die
pot. Hou net dop dat die aartappels
nie al die vloeistof absorbeer nie.
Indien dit gebeur, gooi nog water of
droë wit wyn by.
Wanneer die aartappels sag is, gooi vir
jou so ’n kwart koppie brandewyn by,
roer deur, en bedien op rys of
stampmielies. ’n Ui-en-tamatieslaai en/of
beet is heerlik hiermee saam aangesien
dit die lymerigheid perfek afwissel. En ja,
moenie van die Mrs Balls vergeet nie ...
Jy kan, as jy wil, ’n paar
skaapnektjops saam met afval kook vir
’n ryker, vleiserige geur. Ek hou egter
van hom nes hy is.
BESTANDDELE2 skoon rou skaapafvalle
4 skaap pote1 skaap kop
250ml bruin asyn3 lourierblare
4 naeltjies1 tot 2 eetlepels kerriepoeier
een teelepel borrie2 teelepels sout en ’n paar
draaie peper4 tot 6 middelgrootte aartappels
62.5ml koppie brandewyn
OM TE DIEN:rys of stampmielies
Ui-en-tamatieslaai en/of beetMrs Balls
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1866
#RAK15 #RAK15
Be kind
His one minute YouTube clip has logged 780 000 views – and is still being watched. Not only
that but it has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to do the same.
Compassion
You know the feeling: you’re
stuck in traffcc. t’s iimossiily
log-jaiied and soie idiot tries
to force his way in front of you, without
indicating, without even looking to see
if you are watching or even willing to
give hii a gam! He’s intent on
forcing his way inc. As the red iist of
road rage descends, you go out of
your way to ensure that car doesn’t get
a gam, inching closer to the iuimer of
the car in frontc.
Alternate scenario: You’re stuck in
traffc, indicator ilinking on and oo,
head swivelling as you try to iake
eye-contact with the car alongside,
trying desmerately to get into an
iimossiily log-jaiied lanec. And
soieone heeds your mlight – slows
down just a tad and gives you a gamc.
“What an angel! My hero! owe you
one,” you think, with homefully a wave
of thankful acknowledgeientc. And
what hammens after that? Frequently,
you will do exactly the saie – ieing
kind and giving soieone else a gam…
Good behaviour has a positive effect.Brent Lindeque is your average South
African ilokec. And ieing a tymical
iloke his iates challenged hii in the
#neknoiination drinking gaie in
Feiruary 2014c.
“Last year when was noiinated to
down a drink as a dare, thought there
iust ie a ietter way to use this
mlatfori,” he stated on the
weisite wwwc.raknoiinationsc.org c.
nstead of having a shooter or
chugging a ieer, Lindeque decided to
do soiething mositive – randoi, iut
mositivec. He went to a fast food outlet,
iought a sandwich, chocolate and
cool drink and handed it to the first
hoieless guy he encountered at the
traffc intersection on the drive hoiec.
But he didn’t stop there: he in turn
challenged others to coiiit a randoi
act of kindness rather than a
neknoiinationc. His one iinute YouTuie
clim has logged 780 000 views – and is
still ieing watchedc. Not only that iut it
has insmired hundreds of thousands of
meomle to do the saiec.
“I had no idea that this would spark a global frenzy of kindness. It’s incredibly humbling,” said Lindequec.
n his words on his ilog mrofile: “ ’i a
guyc. ’i involvedc. ’i a reielc. tweet
soietiies and sing in the showerc. ’i
massionate aiout life and thankful ’i
alivec. ’i exmloringc. have no idea
where this life is gonna take ie iut
know ’i excited!”
One year later in Feiruary 2015 these
randoi acts of kindness were
forialised in the shame of the weisite
wwwc.raknoiinationsc.org and was
covered iy MNet’s Carte Blanche
mrograiie with anchor Derek Watts
endorsing #RAK15c. Lindeque iaintains
that the caimaign is mroof that South
Africa is full of mossiiility
and alive with ommortunityc.
“Ubuntu is alive and kicking in all of us.”
That siall act has transforied not just
Lindeque’s life, iut hundreds of
thousands of others as wellc. Feediack
arrives froi as far afield as reland,
Canada and the United Statesc. But this is
nothing newc. t ammears that Lindeque
has siimly tammed into a growing
groundswell of mositivity which is universalc.
Everyone lives iusy lives – and
nowhere is this iore oivious than in
soie of the world’s largest cities; New
York, London, Tokyo, Muiiai, Shanghai
… iut meomle are also cognisant of the
fact that a life without ieaning or
murmose is essentially an eimty onec.
Did you know that there is one day
offcially designated orld indness
Day? This year, it’s November 13 2015,
according to the weisite
wwwc.randoiactsofkindnessc.org
Wikimedia remorts that “Randoi Acts of
Kindness Day is the naie of an
unoffcial holiday increasingly celeirated
around the world iy localities or
organisations, or nationwide, in order to
encourage acts of kindnessc. The original
founders of a national Randoi Acts of
Kindness Day are Megan Singleton, Josh
de Jong and Marshall Grayc.”
n New Zealand RAK day is
celeirated on Semteiier 1 – and
iegan in 2005c. Again, Wikimedia states
“it is not a holiday, rather a national day
where the entire country is challenged
to do soiething kind to a friend or
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 1866
#RAK15 #RAK15
Be kind
His one minute YouTube clip has logged 780 000 views – and is still being watched. Not only
that but it has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to do the same.
Compassion
You know the feeling: you’re
stuck in traffcc. t’s iimossiily
log-jaiied and soie idiot tries
to force his way in front of you, without
indicating, without even looking to see
if you are watching or even willing to
give hii a gam! He’s intent on
forcing his way inc. As the red iist of
road rage descends, you go out of
your way to ensure that car doesn’t get
a gam, inching closer to the iuimer of
the car in frontc.
Alternate scenario: You’re stuck in
traffc, indicator ilinking on and oo,
head swivelling as you try to iake
eye-contact with the car alongside,
trying desmerately to get into an
iimossiily log-jaiied lanec. And
soieone heeds your mlight – slows
down just a tad and gives you a gamc.
“What an angel! My hero! owe you
one,” you think, with homefully a wave
of thankful acknowledgeientc. And
what hammens after that? Frequently,
you will do exactly the saie – ieing
kind and giving soieone else a gam…
Good behaviour has a positive effect.Brent Lindeque is your average South
African ilokec. And ieing a tymical
iloke his iates challenged hii in the
#neknoiination drinking gaie in
Feiruary 2014c.
“Last year when was noiinated to
down a drink as a dare, thought there
iust ie a ietter way to use this
mlatfori,” he stated on the
weisite wwwc.raknoiinationsc.org c.
nstead of having a shooter or
chugging a ieer, Lindeque decided to
do soiething mositive – randoi, iut
mositivec. He went to a fast food outlet,
iought a sandwich, chocolate and
cool drink and handed it to the first
hoieless guy he encountered at the
traffc intersection on the drive hoiec.
But he didn’t stop there: he in turn
challenged others to coiiit a randoi
act of kindness rather than a
neknoiinationc. His one iinute YouTuie
clim has logged 780 000 views – and is
still ieing watchedc. Not only that iut it
has insmired hundreds of thousands of
meomle to do the saiec.
“I had no idea that this would spark a global frenzy of kindness. It’s incredibly humbling,” said Lindequec.
n his words on his ilog mrofile: “ ’i a
guyc. ’i involvedc. ’i a reielc. tweet
soietiies and sing in the showerc. ’i
massionate aiout life and thankful ’i
alivec. ’i exmloringc. have no idea
where this life is gonna take ie iut
know ’i excited!”
One year later in Feiruary 2015 these
randoi acts of kindness were
forialised in the shame of the weisite
wwwc.raknoiinationsc.org and was
covered iy MNet’s Carte Blanche
mrograiie with anchor Derek Watts
endorsing #RAK15c. Lindeque iaintains
that the caimaign is mroof that South
Africa is full of mossiiility
and alive with ommortunityc.
“Ubuntu is alive and kicking in all of us.”
That siall act has transforied not just
Lindeque’s life, iut hundreds of
thousands of others as wellc. Feediack
arrives froi as far afield as reland,
Canada and the United Statesc. But this is
nothing newc. t ammears that Lindeque
has siimly tammed into a growing
groundswell of mositivity which is universalc.
Everyone lives iusy lives – and
nowhere is this iore oivious than in
soie of the world’s largest cities; New
York, London, Tokyo, Muiiai, Shanghai
… iut meomle are also cognisant of the
fact that a life without ieaning or
murmose is essentially an eimty onec.
Did you know that there is one day
offcially designated orld indness
Day? This year, it’s November 13 2015,
according to the weisite
wwwc.randoiactsofkindnessc.org
Wikimedia remorts that “Randoi Acts of
Kindness Day is the naie of an
unoffcial holiday increasingly celeirated
around the world iy localities or
organisations, or nationwide, in order to
encourage acts of kindnessc. The original
founders of a national Randoi Acts of
Kindness Day are Megan Singleton, Josh
de Jong and Marshall Grayc.”
n New Zealand RAK day is
celeirated on Semteiier 1 – and
iegan in 2005c. Again, Wikimedia states
“it is not a holiday, rather a national day
where the entire country is challenged
to do soiething kind to a friend or
May|Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za 67
#RAK15 #RAK15 Caring
stranger for no reason at all.”
In 2010, the results of an interesting
experiment into group dynamics were
published in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. Harvard
University medical sociologist Nicholas
Christakis and political scientist James
Fowler of the University of California, San
Diego, wrote: “In a game where
sel� shness made more sense than
co-operation, acts of giving were tripled
over the course of the experiment by
other subjects who are directly or
indirectly in� uenced to contribute more.”
The research was aimed at identifying
cause-and-e� ect links. Fowler and
Christakis analysed the results of a
so-called public-goods game, in which
people were divided into groups of four,
given 20 credits each, and asked to
secretly decide what to keep for
themselves and what to contribute to a
common fund. That fund would be
multiplied by 20%, then divided equally
among the group. The best payo�
would come if everyone gave all their
money – but without knowing what
others were doing, it always made
sense to keep one’s money and skim
from the generosity of others.
Only at the end of each game did
players � nd out what the rest of their
group had done. The game was run
again and again, each time mixing group
members and keeping their identities
anonymous, so that decisions were never
personal. When one person gave, others
in their group tended to be generous
during the next two rounds of play.
Recipients of their largesse became more
generous in turn, and so on down the
chain. When a punishment round was
added – players could spend their own
money to reduce the rewards of sel� sh
players – generosity lasted even longer.
“It is often supposed that individuals in
experiments like the one described here
sel� shly seek to maximise their own
payo� s,” wrote Fowler and Christakis.
“The equilibrium prediction is to
contribute nothing and to pay nothing
to punish non-contributors, but the
subjects did not follow this pattern.”
According to the researchers, the
explanation lies not in calculations of
odds and rewards, but in simple
behavioural mimicry: Monkey see,
monkey do, human style. When people
are irrationally generous, others follow suit.
This mirrors what Lindeque has
experienced. “I want the
RAKnominations to be even bigger than
last year and touch even more lives. In
2014, we touched over one million
people around the world by inspiring
global citizens to take time out of their
day to do something kind for someone
else. We want to double that.
“Individuals and corporates from
around the world have started doing their
random acts of kindness and nominating
others to do the same. We’ve had large
corporates join the movement, and
videos shared from Australia, Paris, Miami
and London. It’s exciting to see everyone
coming on board and sharing kindness.”
“Go out there, do a random act of kindness and nominate others to do the same.”Visit www.raknominations.org to see the
RAKnominations from all over the world
as well as nominate friends, family and
colleagues.
When you hear that negative, discouraging voice in your head, remember to leave yourself alone — you deserve kindness too!
♥
RAK Ideas:♥ Pay for someone’s parking in a
shopping centre♥ If you’re buying co� ee and a mu¡ n,
randomly pay for a co� ee for the person behind you.
♥ Bring doughnuts (or a healthy treat, like cut-up fruit) to work.
♥ Let the person behind you at the supermarket queue with only one or two items go ahead of you.
♥ Donate old or unwanted clothes to a charitable organisation.
♥ Give your grandparents a call.♥ Take an animal welfare dog for a walk. ♥ Your restaurant doggie bag? Give it to
the car guard.♥ Email or write an old teacher who
made a di� erence in your life.♥ Say thank you to the cleaner or
security guard you walk past every day.
♥ Put sticky notes with positive slogans on the mirrors in restrooms.
♥ Buy a meal for a homeless person.♥ Tweet or Facebook message a
genuine compliment to three people right now.
♥ Smile at someone on the street, just because.
♥ Let someone into your lane. They’re probably in a rush just like you.
♥ While you’re out, compliment a parent on how well-behaved their child is.
♥ Don’t write the angry internet comment you’re thinking of writing.
♥ Cook a meal or do a load of laundry for a friend who just had a baby or is going through a di¡ cult time.
♥ Talk to the shy person who’s sitting by themselves at a party.
♥ Help a mother with her baby stroller.♥ Help your elderly neighbour take out
the trash or mow their lawn.♥ Give up your seat to someone on the
bus or train.♥ Wash someone’s car.♥ Dog- or cat-sit for free.♥ O� er to return a grocery trolley to the
store or trolley bay for someone loading groceries in their car.
♥ Have a clean-up party on the beach or at a park.
68 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Artful blending: making the whole greater than the sum of its partsWinter warmers: Silwood’s take on soups
There’s more to Elgin than apples… try wine, mountain biking, � owers and a whole lot more
what to look out for n� t issue
brought to you by www.topsatspar.co.za
Congratulations to all of last issue’s winners
LOW CARB IS LEKKER BOOK WINNER:Nonnie Peyper,
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
JOHNNIE WALKER® KING GEORGE VTM
PRIZEWINNER. Asher Jacobson,
Sea Point, Cape Town
enjoy your spoils!
LOW CARB IS LEKKER BOOK WINNER:
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
enjoy your spoils!
68 www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Artful blending: making the whole greater than the sum of its partsWinter warmers: Silwood’s take on soups
There’s more to Elgin than apples… try wine, mountain biking, � owers and a whole lot more
what to look out for n� t issue
brought to you by www.topsatspar.co.za
Congratulations to all of last issue’s winners
LOW CARB IS LEKKER BOOK WINNER:Nonnie Peyper,
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
JOHNNIE WALKER® KING GEORGE VTM
PRIZEWINNER. Asher Jacobson,
Sea Point, Cape Town
enjoy your spoils!
LOW CARB IS LEKKER BOOK WINNER:
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
enjoy your spoils!
71May |Jun 2015 Vol 18 www.topsatspar.co.za
Grocery list
All ‘in the basket’ items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets. See www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za
GroceriesAvailable from TOPS at SPARLiquor
62.5ml brandy
Available from SPARDried Spices/Herbs/Stock
salt and pepper
5 tsp ground coriander
3 ½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
7 ½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp chilli fl akes
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cinnamon sticks
1 ½ tsp chilli powder
½ cup +6 curry leaves
½ tsp dhania powder
5 bay leaves
½ tsp fennel seeds
65ml medium curry powder
4 cloves
2 green cardamom pods
Pinch Chinese 5-spice
Fresh Fruit/Veg/Herbs/Spices
6 onions
3 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
¼ cup lemon juice
lemon or lime juice to taste
20 - 30ml Thai green curry paste
4 tomatoes
Fresh coriander
7 cloves garlic
40ml fresh ginger
9 green or red chillies
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 to 6 medium potatoes
1 oyster mushroom
150ml shredded cabbage
100ml shredded carrots
1 spring onion
1 green pepper
30ml basil
Cans/Jars/Bottles
465ml sunfl ower oil
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
15 ml white vinegar
1 cup coconut cream
255ml tomato puree/paste
250g chickpeas,
1 cup broad beans
250ml brown vinegar
1 x tin beetroot or tomato & onion salad
1 x bottle of chutney
20ml soy sauce
40ml bamboo shoots
20ml mung bean sprouts
20ml rice vinegar
50ml red wine vinegar
1 tin coconut milk
20ml water chestnuts
20 - 30ml fi sh sauce
Baking/Dry goods
220g fl our
2 tsp baking powder
430g castor sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 Tbsp cocoa + extra for dusting
2.5 ml vanilla extract
rice or samp
200ml rice
250ml Basmati rice
5g glass noodles
6 spring roll wrappers
180g sugar
3ml corn fl our
15 - 20ml palm sugar
Dairy
1 cup paneer
60ml cream
Meat/Fish/Poultry
5 large eggs
1.2 kg cubed chicken breast or thigh
800g prawns, shelled and deveined
400g beef fi llet
500g beef fi llet or lamb
2 x sheeps tripe
4 x sheeps feet
1 x sheeps head
Your complete list of ingredients for all the recipes in this issue.
Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141
Available at TOPS at SPAR and
SPAR stores
TOPS at SPAR
72
Loopdop
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Die ou manne van die viswater het kleur – en geur – aan desjare se lewe gegee. Vat nou maar vir oom Nel van
Laaiplek se wêreld.
Net so katspoegie anderkant die
Bergriviermondin die buitewyke
van Laaiplek was oom Nel se
plek. Kyk, oom Nel was een van die
baanbrekers van die visbedryf daai kant
van die Weskus. Om die waarheid te lieg,
oom Nel was eintlik al dik daar besig
voordat die visfabriek aan Laaiplek sy
naam gegee het.
Ja, oom Nel het die vis geken. Die
manne van desjare het ook gereken
niemand kon bokkoms maak soos oom Nel
nie. Vir die wat nie weet nie, bokkoms is
gesoute harders wat winddroog gemaak
word. As jy vir oom Nel sou vra hoekom
noem hulle dié gedroogde vis dan nou
bokkoms sou hy altyd antwoord: “Hokkom
sal ekke nou wie’t van die naam van
bokkom?” Dan’t hy gelag en jou vertel. In
Hooghollands was ’n bokkom ’n bok – soos
in boerbok. Daar is ’n drievoudige
verwysing: Dié droë vissies lyk soos
boerbokhorings, hulle is net so hard, maar
eintlik ... eintlik stink hulle nes ’n ou bok!
Die ander ding van oom Nel was dat, al
was hy pal op see, het hy nooit leer swem
het nie. En hy was altyd uit in so klein ou
bakkie-boot. Heel graag stoksielalleen. As
hy dan nou weer aan wal kom en die vis is
verwerk het hy altyd vir sy huismense gesê
hy moet nou ‘kantoor’ toe vir besigheid.
Daar het hy dalk so gemaak-maak of hy
timmer aan sy bootjie, maar kort voor lank
het hy die sandjies weggeskop onder die
kaai en sy � es soetes uitgegrou.
“Daar’s ’n boodskap in die bottel,” sou
hy kwytraak en dan diep sluk. Diep onder
die prop sou hy dan huis kry, loop slaap
net om vroeg weer die Weskus se water
aan te vat. Kort-kort so Dominee hom
aanspreek oor sy liefde vir die bottel en sy
onliefde vir die erediens.
“Ag dominee, my kerk is die oop see,”
was elke keer sy verweer. Een keer het selfs
die Engelse kerk se prediker hom
aangespreek en as daar nou een ding
was wat oom Nel nog minder as enigiets
anders gedoen het, was dit Engels praat.
Nooit. Nie eens ‘yes’ of ‘no’ nie.
Alhoewel oom Nel nie kon swem nie,
was hy ’n hele paar keer nogal diep in die
sop as daai Weskussee hom wip. Een so
keer het die wind gatkant-omgedraai en
kort voor lank toe begin oom Nel een na
die ander mooi blinklyf-snoeke oorboord
gooi. Maar helaas het dit nie genoeg
gehelp nie en met die deining hier oor so
vyf meter hoog, gooi die see die bakkie
heel onderstebo.
Oom Nel klou vir dood, want hy het nie
’n baadjie of ’n boei naby hom nie. So het
hy rondgedobber totdat ’n stroom hom
gevat het. Hy het geweet hy gaan met dié
iewers uitspoel ...
Na hy veilig terug was op Laaiplek het
Dominee hom weer genader.
“Oom Nel, het Oom darem bietjie
nagedink oor dinge toe Oom nou so in
gevaar verkeer het?”
“Tja Dominee, al waaraan ek kon dink is
dat ek hoop die stroom vat my nie al die
pad Engeland toe nie. Want hoe sou ek
dan vir hulle kon vertel waar ek vandaan
kom?”
Gerrit Rautenbach
Bokkoms is nie
Brits nie
Freelance writer Gerrit Rautenbach is a man who knows how to spin a yarn, having been the editor of Mooiloop and Wegbreek magazines.
Laaiplek TOPS at SPAR Adri Meissenheimer is the Manager & Albert Voges is the Supervisor at TOPS at SPAR
Address: Laaiplek SPAR Centre, 1 Jameson Street, Laaiplek Tel: (022) 783 0541, Fax: (022) 783 0037 Email: XXxxxxxxxxxx
Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon - Fri: 09h00 - 20h00, Sat: 09h00 - 17h00 & Sun: Closed.
Albe
rt &
Adri
As daar nou een ding was wat oom Nel nog
minder as enigiets anders gedoen het, was dit Engels praat. Nooit. Nie eens ‘yes’ of ‘no’ nie.
72
Loopdop
www.topsatspar.co.za May|Jun 2015 Vol 18
Die ou manne van die viswater het kleur – en geur – aan desjare se lewe gegee. Vat nou maar vir oom Nel van
Laaiplek se wêreld.
Net so katspoegie anderkant die
Bergriviermondin die buitewyke
van Laaiplek was oom Nel se
plek. Kyk, oom Nel was een van die
baanbrekers van die visbedryf daai kant
van die Weskus. Om die waarheid te lieg,
oom Nel was eintlik al dik daar besig
voordat die visfabriek aan Laaiplek sy
naam gegee het.
Ja, oom Nel het die vis geken. Die
manne van desjare het ook gereken
niemand kon bokkoms maak soos oom Nel
nie. Vir die wat nie weet nie, bokkoms is
gesoute harders wat winddroog gemaak
word. As jy vir oom Nel sou vra hoekom
noem hulle dié gedroogde vis dan nou
bokkoms sou hy altyd antwoord: “Hokkom
sal ekke nou wie’t van die naam van
bokkom?” Dan’t hy gelag en jou vertel. In
Hooghollands was ’n bokkom ’n bok – soos
in boerbok. Daar is ’n drievoudige
verwysing: Dié droë vissies lyk soos
boerbokhorings, hulle is net so hard, maar
eintlik ... eintlik stink hulle nes ’n ou bok!
Die ander ding van oom Nel was dat, al
was hy pal op see, het hy nooit leer swem
het nie. En hy was altyd uit in so klein ou
bakkie-boot. Heel graag stoksielalleen. As
hy dan nou weer aan wal kom en die vis is
verwerk het hy altyd vir sy huismense gesê
hy moet nou ‘kantoor’ toe vir besigheid.
Daar het hy dalk so gemaak-maak of hy
timmer aan sy bootjie, maar kort voor lank
het hy die sandjies weggeskop onder die
kaai en sy � es soetes uitgegrou.
“Daar’s ’n boodskap in die bottel,” sou
hy kwytraak en dan diep sluk. Diep onder
die prop sou hy dan huis kry, loop slaap
net om vroeg weer die Weskus se water
aan te vat. Kort-kort so Dominee hom
aanspreek oor sy liefde vir die bottel en sy
onliefde vir die erediens.
“Ag dominee, my kerk is die oop see,”
was elke keer sy verweer. Een keer het selfs
die Engelse kerk se prediker hom
aangespreek en as daar nou een ding
was wat oom Nel nog minder as enigiets
anders gedoen het, was dit Engels praat.
Nooit. Nie eens ‘yes’ of ‘no’ nie.
Alhoewel oom Nel nie kon swem nie,
was hy ’n hele paar keer nogal diep in die
sop as daai Weskussee hom wip. Een so
keer het die wind gatkant-omgedraai en
kort voor lank toe begin oom Nel een na
die ander mooi blinklyf-snoeke oorboord
gooi. Maar helaas het dit nie genoeg
gehelp nie en met die deining hier oor so
vyf meter hoog, gooi die see die bakkie
heel onderstebo.
Oom Nel klou vir dood, want hy het nie
’n baadjie of ’n boei naby hom nie. So het
hy rondgedobber totdat ’n stroom hom
gevat het. Hy het geweet hy gaan met dié
iewers uitspoel ...
Na hy veilig terug was op Laaiplek het
Dominee hom weer genader.
“Oom Nel, het Oom darem bietjie
nagedink oor dinge toe Oom nou so in
gevaar verkeer het?”
“Tja Dominee, al waaraan ek kon dink is
dat ek hoop die stroom vat my nie al die
pad Engeland toe nie. Want hoe sou ek
dan vir hulle kon vertel waar ek vandaan
kom?”
Gerrit Rautenbach
Bokkoms is nie
Brits nie
Freelance writer Gerrit Rautenbach is a man who knows how to spin a yarn, having been the editor of Mooiloop and Wegbreek magazines.
Laaiplek TOPS at SPAR Adri Meissenheimer is the Manager & Albert Voges is the Supervisor at TOPS at SPAR
Address: Laaiplek SPAR Centre, 1 Jameson Street, Laaiplek Tel: (022) 783 0541, Fax: (022) 783 0037 Email: XXxxxxxxxxxx
Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon - Fri: 09h00 - 20h00, Sat: 09h00 - 17h00 & Sun: Closed.
Albe
rt &
Adri
As daar nou een ding was wat oom Nel nog
minder as enigiets anders gedoen het, was dit Engels praat. Nooit. Nie eens ‘yes’ of ‘no’ nie.
Cheers Magazine - Glenmorangie Open.indd 1 2015/04/09 3:29 PM
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