Photos by Elizabeth Bernhardt
THE "FLAVOR" OF SOUTH AFRICA HOLLIE KAZSYNKSI Twenty years ago, in the summer of 1999, I came home after a month-long stay in South Africa with an inspired sense of courageous creativity. I couldn’t wait to attempt to recreate some of the unique cuisine I had experienced while I was there. The food had been so vibrant and bright, so full of unexpected flavors I would not have thought to blend together. I had always been adventurous when it came to trying different kinds of foods, but now, I had a desire to create them myself. Foods that could take a person by surprise. Foods that might even captivate a person’s thoughts long after they’ve tasted them. My trip to South Africa had a tremendous impact on me. I wasn’t expecting it to create a bank of such rich memories. I had traveled with a dear friend and his parents, and, to this day, when we see each other, we reminisce about our journey the whole time we are together.
LOVE OF DIXIE MAGAZINE
Perhaps the reason it affected me so much is that it was such a pivotal time for South Africa as a country. Nelson Mandela’s term as president was coming to an end while we were there. I barely knew who he was before my trip, but during our stay and for years after, I would learn all about his dedication to his country and his determination and willingness to die for what he believed in. I would read about his massive influence in bringing apartheid to an end just a few years before my trip, and I would become enthralled by the story of his “Long Walk to Freedom,” especially since I had stood at the entrance to his prison cell at Robbin Island where he had served part of his 27-year sentence. While not without its problems, South Africa has an undeniable beauty and almost palpable sense of hope that lingers in the air. I came back from my trip with opened eyes and awakened senses. For so long, I mostly attributed this to the unique and amazing foods I had experienced. But I have come to know the hope, courage, and creativity inspired in me came more from a nation of people blending together when they had been forbidden to blend before. The “flavor” of South Africa took me by surprise and has captivated my thoughts ever since.
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FALL 2019
