What happens when South Africans step out of their usual kitchens and try cooking food from a culture they didn’t grow up with? Food is one of the easiest ways to connect with South Africa’s many cultures. We all have those dishes that remind us of home, family gatherings and somebody’s auntie who refuses to give you the recipe because apparently, it is a state secret. This Heritage Month, Sunlight Ultra Power is asking South Africans to switch things up with its #CookOutsideYourCulture challenge.
The idea is simple: choose a dish from a culture different from your own, learn where it comes from, try making it and then share the experience.
According to Caroline Blumrick, Senior Marketing Manager for Sunlight at Unilever, food offers an easy way for people to learn about cultures beyond their own.“Sometimes something as simple as learning to cook a dish you didn’t grow up with can start a conversation, teach you something new and bring people together,” she says.
From bunny chow to malva pudding
A number of South African creators have already got their hands dirty in the kitchen.
Onezwa Mbola took on tihove and spinach, without a family recipe or expert standing over her shoulder. Instead, she had to figure things out as she went.
Sive Mdluli tackled lamb bunny chow, while Uthika Naidu accepted Mdluli’s challenge and tried making Inyama Yangaphakathi.
For Naidu, the challenge became more than simply following a recipe. It gave her an opportunity to learn about another food tradition and think about how much South Africans can discover about each other through what we eat.
Danielle Steynvaardt and her family also stepped outside their own food traditions by preparing a traditional Xhosa dish before passing the challenge on.
Then there was Wendy Sigwadi, who had a few little helpers in the kitchen while exploring Afrikaans food heritage by making a classic malva pudding.
Different cultures. Different dishes. Different kitchens. Same country.
And yes, the dishes will get dirty
Let’s be honest. If you are cooking, there will probably be dishes. Lots of them.
That is where Sunlight’s #SunlightDirtyDishCount comes in.
The campaign celebrates the evidence left behind after trying something new — the greasy pots, sauce-covered plates and bowls that make you realise you may have got slightly too enthusiastic in the kitchen.
Sunlight Ultra Power’s 5X grease-cutting power is then brought in to handle the aftermath.
“We want people to feel free to get involved, experiment and enjoy the process rather than worry about the mess afterwards,” says Blumrick.
And honestly, nobody needs Heritage Month turning into a competition about who has the cleanest kitchen. Make the food. Make the mess. Then deal with the dishes.
So, what are you cooking?
This Heritage Month, Sunlight is encouraging South Africans to try a dish outside their own culture, learn the story behind it and share what they discover.
If you take on the challenge, tag @SunlightZA and use #CookOutsideYourCulture and #SunlightDirtyDishCount on social media.
Because in Mzansi, food has always been about more than what is on the plate. Sometimes the best way to learn about somebody else’s culture is to pull up a chair, ask questions and eat.
