Having a taste for the unusual
FOR a country whose cultural heritage includes Dutch, French, German, Swiss, British, Indian, Malay, Greek and Portuguese, in addition to its indigenous peoples, it is not surprising that South Africa's cuisine is also a tremendous melting pot of styles.
The areas around the Cape offer one of the most intriguing culinary adventures.
When the Dutch East India Company installed Jan van Riebeeck there as first commander in the mid-17th century, with an initial brief to provision the ships which sailed into the harbour, an agricultural tradition quickly grew.
Cape cuisine is famous for its fish and shellfish, available in abundance, and for its game, poultry and fruit and vegetables.
To this endless supply of raw materials, the Germans introduced recipes, the French added their own unmistakable elegance, the British brought in casseroles and puddings, and the Malays and Indians brought a touch of the exotic East with their spices.
The Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers recently brought in two South African chefs for a promotion which featured Cape cuisine.
''We staged a South African promotion last year and it was so successful that we decided to do something similar this year,'' said the hotel's food and beverage manager Mr Stephen Ma.
The two chefs, Paul Lotter and Peter Monyeleote, have between them many years' experience.
The both said they were more than happy to act as roving ambassadors for their country's food.
They brought with them a substantial quantity of spices which are difficult to obtain in Hongkong, and also managed to ease the way for some of the more daring foodstuffs such as crocodile.
Crocodile tail tastes like a blend of fish and fowl, and the two chefs were serving it semi-smoked and with a spicy mango dressing.
Another distinctly exotic offering was oudtshoorn terrine, a creamy blend of ostrich and warthog.
Smoked ostrich fillet was slightly heavy, as the meat usually is - it tastes rather like venison - but had been sliced fine, and the ostrich consomme made a memorable soup.
From the main course listing came a purse of gembok, which was stuffed with marinated dried fruit and served with an apricot brandy game sauce.
Springbok also made an appearance, with a loin which had been topped with nuts and dried fruits, and crocodile was served in medallions.
In Cape cuisine, there really is something for everyone and, for those who do not fancy the ostrich or the crocodile, there was some superb South African abalone, outstanding lobster, and excellent salmon.
