On Friday evenings I like to relax and have a quiet night with a few lamb chops on the braai. A very typical South African thing to do. Also typical is for us to be particular about where our lamb comes from. Luckily, karoo lamb nowadays enjoy protection and according to the mastermind behind this certification, Professor Johann Kirsten: “The Karoo Meat of Origin certification mark … provides consumers with a certification they can trust and enables retailers, restaurateurs or chefs to identify the unique quality and taste of meat of distinction from the Karoo.”
Passionate about protecting our heritage – also when it comes to all things culinary – I have had a behind the scenes involvement with the Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant team’s research and compilation of a cookbook on traditional recipes from the Cape Winelands. Although recipes had to be modernised for today’s palate and kitchen, the stories of how they originated and especially the reference to availability, regionality and sustainability, are very strong. These concepts were the order of the day when we grew up. Karoo children often had lamb on their plates, west coast families had fish as a staple…
But what happens when we go to restaurants. Who does not enjoy Parmesan on their pasta even when they are miles away from Parma? And if the menu says Kobe beef, we are expecting the quality and taste of this Japanese delicacy. But are there any guarantee that we are getting the real thing? Even though we have developed a much stronger food consciousness, when in a restaurant, the responsibility of originality lies with the chef or restaurateur. When we ask for some extra Parmigiano-Reggiano, we trust that the Restaurant has a supplier that imports the cheese from Italy and yes, when it says Kobe we expect the succulent steak to be from Wagyu cattle massaged with sake!
So, it is quite shocking to hear that the same delicious Parmesan with its intense umami flavours that you have sprinkled over a quite expensive pasta in a top-end restaurant, might have been wood pulp… Read the vice.com article here.
While foods such as Parmesan, Prosciutto and Cornish pasty enjoy protection with reference to their designation of origin (also read: Protecting food heritage and origin), in a restaurant we might not ask to see the seal of origin. When we go to an reputable establishment, we trust that Parmigiano-Reggiano will be from Parma and, at the very least, that it will be cheese…
We need to be conscious about what we put in our bodies. We have many more options than in the past and sometimes what looks good and wholesome is filled with all things artificial. As individuals it might be the best to stay as natural as we can, perhaps to plant tomatoes in the backyard… But more than that, those of us who are involved in the food industry have to stand up and lead the way for excellence, for reliability and for best practice – and authenticity!