Travel blog: Local cuisine with the tribes of South Africa

Richard Aylen is swapping the daily routine of an 8-5 London lifestyle for a 24-7 cross continent trip taking in Africa, south-east Asia and Australasia. From Cape Town to the Cook Islands via Chiang Mai and Christchurch, his trip will take him from the capital of the UK and deep into backpacker territory.

As bowls of corn pap and cabbage were handed round, it was as if I was caught in the scene of the latest television documentary on Africa. 'Mama Joseph', the mother of our guide, watched with eager anticipation to see the reaction on the faces of her latest guests.

The traditional meal consisted of pap – essentially a mixture of corn and water - with boiled cabbage, spinach, tomatoes and onion. Eaten by the villagers of Rini in the Transkei region of South Africa, it was a far cry from the well known meat-eaters heaven that is the South African Braai.

Nods of appreciation from those enjoying the taste of Africa were greeted with smiles by Mama Joseph, as others chose to shower her culinary skills in compliments while only savouring a few mouthfuls. What we had in common was our delight to be sheltered from the rain and resting our legs on the wooden benches set on the floor of a hand-built mud hut.

Springing up across the Transkei, the mud huts form the homes of the tribal communities of the region. Constructed from mud bricks, a limestone seal, a thatched roof and cow dung, they are a far cry from the relative comfort of a six-bed dorm in the local youth hostel. The mud bricks, which form the round walls of the hut, are made by the villagers. Joseph tells us that a mixture of mud and water makes the bricks, which are slightly bigger than a shoe box, before they are moulded by hand. After they are dried, they are constructed in a circular shape and spread with more mud to create a smooth surface.

Onto this smooth surface the builders then place a thatched roof. Able to keep out the rain and wind, the mud and thatching provide a durable and cheap way of housing the tribes. According to Joseph, a new hut would cost about R1,200 (£80) and would last for 100 years if it is kept well, only needing new thatching every seven years, as well as its coating.

The coating is the most noticeable part of the hut. A limestone mix that shines bright turquoise, it is made by grinding the stone and adding a cheap paint tint. This gives it the bright appearance and also ensures the mud bricks underneath do not crack in the sun and rain. Costing about R500 (£35) for a wall and R600 (£40) for a roof, the accommodation is the most affordable way for the villagers to live. Depending on thatching suppliers, the huts can also be built in a matter of weeks, rather than years.

Our lunch with Joseph, his Mama, his sister and two of his nephews was the culmination of a rain soaked trek through the hills of the region as he proudly displayed his village.

The local healer, whose personal medicines included a large dose of the local weed, was the first stop on the tour. Nestled in the corner of his hut, the old man, who claimed to be 65, burnt herbs collected from the local hills that gave of a spicy perfume not dissimilar to that of incense. I took off my shoes and accepted his traditional greeting of a double handed shake before Joseph translated the healer’s words.

Wishing us safety on our travels, he also offered to create a potion guaranteed to attract the opposite sex while rolling a cigarette out of an old newspaper. After politely refusing the potion, we bid farewell and made our way onto the slippery hills of the village.

As Joseph skipped along the winding paths, I just about kept pace, slipping and sliding through the trail and past the Transkei big five. Donkeys, cows, goats, sheep and mules make up the big five and they roam seemingly freely across the land. However, each animal has a special mark, labeling them as the property of a particular family. It is the job of the young boys (a typical tribe has a total of about 40 families with five children) to ensure the livestock does not drift onto the wrong land where it could eat another families crops causing a confrontation.

Having negotiated our way across the streams, past the animals and along the paths we ended our tribal experience with Mama Joseph. Eating the local dish inside the home of a real African tribal family was certainly an experience not uncommon in South Africa. Few might expect a trip to the Rainbow Nation to be the ideal place for such an activity because of its popular tourist association with surfing, safari and sunshine, but for a cheap and relatively easy journey it was accessible to all.

While not a fine dining experience, eating from the table of a real African family utterly content in their own lifestyle was an eye opener. As travelling memories tend to fade with some likely to be forgotten in the same way that a time-filling documentary on Africa can easily be avoided. Whatever the taste of corn pap and vegetables, Mama Joseph can be safe in the knowledge that her meal will forever be etched in my memory as a traditional experience of real Africa and its most hospitable people.

Richard Alyen