- Title: Sampling food from all over Africa - in central Johannesburg
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHEF SANZA SANDILE WALKING THROUGH THE YEOVILLE MARKET SANDILE EXCHANGING GREETINGS WITH OTHER MARKET TRADERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANZA SANDILE, CHEF, SAYING: "This is the idea for an African basket. The cassava, the sweet potato, a cup of beans. I'll roast these, I'll cook cassava leaves and cassava root, mix this, it's like a dumpling when it's pounded like this, it is cooked, steamed, then it's wrapped so all you need to do is put it in the microwave or steam it again then it becomes like a steamed potato dumpling, even sticky, it's stronger, amazing. These are kind of aubergines that we add in the stews. SANDILE WALKING DOWN MARKET PASSAGEWAY TRADER TOSSING A CABBAGE UP AND DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANZA SANDILE, CHEF, SAYING: "All in water, all types, all types, there is a pantry here." STREETS OF YEOVILLE / PEOPLE WALKING AROUND TAXIS DRIVING THROUGH THE STREETS AT NIGHT VARIOUS OF SANDILE WELCOMING PATRONS OF HIS YEOVILLE DINNER CLUB / PATRONS WALKING IN SANDILE SHOWING THE FOOD HE HAS COOKED FOR HIS GUESTS VARIOUS OF SANDILE ADDING FINAL TOUCHES TO HIS FISH SANDILE WALKING WITH THE FISH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANZA SANDILE, CHEF, SAYING: "I do this for the love of people who are coming to Yeoville, the people who are pulled into Yeoville because I am here. But I stay in Yeoville because something pulls me into Yeoville which is the culture - the pan-African migrant culture which I am also happy to have joined. I missed the exile days so somewhow I'm in exile from Soweto into a place called Yeoville." VARIOUS DISHES ON THE TABLE SANDILE DISHING OUT EGUSI (NIGERIAN SAUCE MADE FROM MELON SEEDS) PATRON'S LISTENING TO SANZA TALKING ABOUT JOLLOF RICE (WEST AFRICAN FLAVOURED RICE) / MORE FOOD ON THE TABLE VARIOUS OF PATRONS DISHING UP TWO MEN EATING WOMAN CUTTING A PIECE OF FISH SANDILE CUTTING MORE FISH SANDILE TELLING STORIES TO THE PATRONS WHILE THEY EAT PATRONS EATING AND CHATTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANZA SANDILE, CHEF, SAYING: "This is the only place where you see this mix of people and now I'm happy to add these kind of people who found me through this social media because of the food and the stories. And what I know, what I've earned living here - I'm putting together these dinners and they're amazing! It's love for people, it's love for my neighbourhood and I'm just enjoying these times!" SANZA DISHING UP HIS PEAR DESSERT NEWSPAPER PLACARD WRITTEN (English): "Up Close with Sanza" MORE OF SANZA DISHING UP DESSERT (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDGAR SEMENYA, DINER, SAYING: "Sanza's cooking made me feel good, really amazing food, it tastes wholesome and it feels good to actually have African cuisine that's representative of who we are, where we come from and the way Sanza explained it and it tastes amazing, so I really feel really good about it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHEILA GIFFEN, DINER, SAYING: "The food is incredible because you feel or I feel connected to people and that's what makes food taste good is when you're with good company and learning something and feeling just happy to be around other people." PATRONS DRINKING WINE, BEER AND SANZA'S AFRICAN COCKTAIL
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 14:14
- Keywords: cuisine African food cooking foodies gastronomy Yeoville Sanza's Dinner Club
- Location: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
- City: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26IZX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Former radio personality Sanza Sandile has spent over a decade immersing himself in African cuisine. Every Sunday he visits the local market to pick up fresh indigenous produce that he will use to cook dishes from all over the continent.
Sandile's hosts his popular 'Yeoville Dinner Club' in the heart of Yeoville, Johannesburg's inner-city suburb. Yeoville is commonly known to have the highest concentration of African diaspora in the city.
Sandile says he started the Dinner Club to embrace and promote Yeoville's pan-African culture which has influences from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to name a few.
"I do this for the love of people who are coming to Yeoville, the people who are pulled into Yeoville because I am here. But I stay in Yeoville because something pulls me into Yeoville which is the culture - the pan-African migrant culture which I am also happy to have joined," he says.
The Dinner Club, which started as a casual space where people could pop in informally for a quick bite, is now an exclusive dining experience where Sanza hosts and serves his guests, who are often international tourists, a variety of African cuisine such as egusi (Nigerian melon seed and spinach sauce), jollof rice (West African flavoured rice), okra from West Africa, tomato stew and Vetkoek (South African fried dough bread).
Each guest pays about 400 South African Rand.
"This is the only place where you see this mix of people and now I'm happy to add these kind of people who found me through this social media because of the food and the stories. And what I know, what I've earned living here - I'm putting together these dinners and they're amazing! It's love for people, it's love for my neighbourhood and I'm just enjoying these times!" Sanza says.
The food is decked out on a long wooden table and everyone dines together. According to Sanza, this is to create an open social space where people can talk and laugh together - resembling the true African home dining experience.
Edgar Semenya - the only South African at the table - said the food made him nostalgic.
"Sanza's cooking made me feel good, really amazing food, it tastes wholesome and it feels good to actually have African cuisine that's representative of who we are, where we come from and the way Sanza explained it and it tastes amazing, so I really feel really good about it," he said.
Sheila Giffen who is visiting from the United States adds that the quality of the atmosphere and company make the food even better.
The Dinner Club is most popular on Fridays, where guests can stay for even longer sampling Sanza's favourite beers and wine after the meal.
(Production: Shafiek Tassiem, Sisipho Skweyiya) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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