ATP Travels

Frankschhoek – meaning ‘French corner’ in Afrikaans is known as the ‘gourmet capital of South Africa’ and uncannily resembles the Provençale landscapes of its namesake. Settled by French refugees in 1688 who brought their venerable gastronomic culture with them, this charming winelands town is a veritable melange of cape Dutch architecture and French-style eateries. It’s often hard to believe you’re in Africa at all. Preparations for our anticipated evening meal began. We had to work up an appetite and work off any potential calorie guilt. To the mountains with us! We chose an overgrown footpath and kept our eyes down – this was puff adder country, a dangerously thrilling thought. This time though, the only creatures to cross our path were a grass snake and several suspicious baboons. As the sun sank, we dressed and prepared for Le Quartier Français’ feast extravaganza. On entering, multi-striped vibrant décor leapt out of the walls, evocative of the rugged mountain range guarding the town outside. Drinking in the unusual artwork, our eyes prepped our stomachs for the unpredictable cuisine ahead. Two goldfish bowl glasses of local bubbles were thrust into our hands and a plate of extraordinary canapés placed before us. It became evident that here was a chef blending culinary elements from one of the most complex, diverse populations in the world. Each bite set tastebuds alight; typically-French foie gras, sliver of chutney and edible wrapping styled into a mini ‘chocolate’ bar; sweet crispy ‘chakalaka’ cigar (a spicy relish originating from Johannesburg townships) that burst into tingling stewy mouthfuls, a crispy Indian poppadum with cashew marshmallow. Over three hours we were plied with elegant portions of subcontinental flavour fusion. Unique, sometimes entirely bizarre, all delivered with incredible attention to detail. The ‘Summer walk through Frankschhoek’ was a scenic salad drawn from the native flowers and leaves of those sprawling fields, lakes and regimented vineyards we had gazed over earlier. A Zulu-esque corn bread recipe here, a curried Kingclip there, from Western Cape vines, to the Tsitsikamma mountains, through the semi-desert plains of the Klein Karoo, all the way to the wild East coast, we devoured the continent in tasty titbits, the food unifying all cultures in a way in which its turbulent history had often failed. Full and content, we ambled home under a starry canopy feeling like we had had a true taste of South Africa.