Cape Town’s Table Bay hotel is introducing a new
guest experience to allow food connoisseurs to discover authentic South Africa
experiences and explore Cape Town’s flora and fauna with the hotel’s Executive
Chef – Jocelyn Myers-Adam. The Table Bay
hotel guests will be able to join Jocelyn as she hosts customised ‘foraging’
expeditions on Table Mountain to be followed by her own cooking workshop to
utilise the fruits of the expedition.
“The Cape’s
exquisite ecosystem boats a diverse array of native plants that can be used
creatively to enhance the flavours of food and even define dishes,” says
Jocelyn who is recognised for putting
The Table Bay hotel’s new restaurant Camissa firmly on the Cape Town fine-dining map. “It is great to be able to highlight South African cuisine by sourcing beautiful local products and creating dishes that will showcase them in their full glory.”
The Table Bay hotel’s new restaurant Camissa firmly on the Cape Town fine-dining map. “It is great to be able to highlight South African cuisine by sourcing beautiful local products and creating dishes that will showcase them in their full glory.”
The foraging experiences are guided by recognized
local urban hunter-gatherer Charles Standing, who has developed an intricate
knowledge of the Cape’s landscape and its opportunities to harvest wild plants
for culinary use.
Sherwin Banda, General Manager at the Table Bay
Hotel comments: “Foragers, depending on
the season, are taken on informative and scenic tours of some of Cape Town’s
beautiful areas, from Rondebosh and Tamboerskloof, to Sea Point and Cape Point.
Each experience is unique and will leave lasting memories.”
Jocelyn regularly forages for herbs and plants for
use in Camissa’s kitchen, incorporating seasonal plants into her cooking to add
unique flavours to dishes. For instance, edible flowers like hibiscus blooms,
with their cranberry-like flavour and citrus overtones, are used as a colourful
and delightful addition to salads, while Nasturtium blossom with their sweet
yet spicy flavour, are an ideal ingredient for open sandwiches and savoury
appetisers. Num Nums foraged from the nearby V&A Waterfront are
innovatively used on a compote for her signature
pork belly dish, while Dune Spinach, with its interesting meaty texture and sea
flavour, foraged in Sea Point, can be used to draw out flavours in a variety of
meat and fish dishes.
Jocelyn says: “In
November I love to add buchu to dishes. Its leaves release an amazing aroma
similar to the blackcurrant which add a unique flavour to savoury and sweet
dishes.”
The Table Bay hotel foraging expeditions will
appeal to the innate hunter-gatherers who are keen to participate in
interactive experiences to learn more about reaping the fruits of our natural
environment to be creative in the kitchen.
The
foraging expeditions are run for groups of about four people and available for
all Table Bay Hotel guests subject to availability. Price on request.
