Mealie pap – white maize meal porridge

By |2023-08-02T14:15:44+02:00September 11th, 2019|Africa, Featured Article, Food, Food & Travel, Food Culture, History, Published, recipe, Recipes, Reported Work, South Africa, Travel in Africa|

On cold mornings, I recall my mother bustling about in our suburban South African kitchen, ladling out bowls of creamy mealie meal papor porridge. Hot from the saucepan, she’d stir in a little more milk and sugar, and occasionally, a cube of cold, unsalted butter and a tablespoonful of tinned golden syrup.

The dark, Complicated History of Durban Curry

By |2023-08-02T14:22:44+02:00September 11th, 2019|Africa, Cities, Curries & Casseroles, Durban, Featured Articles, Food, Food Culture, History, India, Indian Food Easy Peasy, Nostalgia, Published, Reported Work, South Africa, Travel and Culture|

On South Africa’s palm tree-lined east coast, within the humid port city of Durban and its surrounds, a unique style of Indian cuisine has evolved over the course of 158 years. Locals say you can’t leave before you try one of the Durban curries: smouldering hot mutton curry studded with potato chunks called “gravy soakers,” fiery fish curry spiked with black tamarind and curry leaves; or bunny chow, a hollowed-out quarter-loaf of white bread filled with curry.

Tracing a Lineage Across Continents – Sour Porridge

By |2017-04-04T15:11:40+02:00August 15th, 2016|Africa, Featured Articles, Food, Food Culture, History, Published|

South Indian Sour Porridge in South Africa Sunlight streams in the early morning over the vessels on the wood fire outside; the drums with water heating for bathing, the pots with the day’s lunch. A version of this appears on Roads & Kingdoms, August 2016.    sour porridge with spring onions Sunlight streams in [...]

Bloemfontein Blues

By |2017-05-22T11:10:33+02:00July 28th, 2016|Africa, Creative Non-Fiction, Essay, Featured Articles, History, Road Trip, South Africa, Travel in Africa|

Bloemfontein Blues - A trip down memory lane Retracing my university days in the university town. For Mail & Guardian, July 2016. A decade can fall between the cracks, as effortless as an autumn leaf floating to its unremarkable end in the backyard. Those are the more than 10 years between Bloemfontein and I. I [...]

Poland – More Than Pierogi & Vodka

By |2017-05-05T15:48:46+02:00March 9th, 2016|Europe, Featured Articles, Food & Travel, History, Poland, Portfolio, Published, Travel, Travel in Europe|

Poland - More Than Pierogi & Vodka - Nouveau Eats The Baltic regions are on the rise. We explore the splendour of nearby Poland, still shedding the cloak of communism and forging a new identity. Poland - More Than Pierogi & Vodka for Food and Home Entertaining Magazine, March 2016. Fall of the Iron Curtain [...]

One Day in Istanbul

By |2017-05-05T15:58:45+02:00December 5th, 2015|Adventure, Cities, Destination Meals, Europe, Featured Articles, Food, Food & Travel, History, Holidays, Istanbul, Portfolio, Published, Tourism, Travel, Travel in Europe|

One Day in Istanbul: Three Times a City  For ancient history and culture enthusiasts, adventurous eaters and bargain hunters, Istanbul is the ideal destination for a vibrant vacation. Immerse yourself in old traditions juxtaposed with new trends. Ishay Govender-Ypma explores. For Sure Travel Journey Magazine. For one night only On my most recent visit to [...]

Cape Town Corner Stores

By |2017-05-05T16:00:06+02:00December 1st, 2015|Adventure, Africa, Cape Town, Cities, Featured Articles, History, People, Portfolio, Published, Review, South Africa, South African Tourism, Tourism, Travel, Travel in Africa|

Show Me the Way to the Next Corner Store - Cape Town, South Africa The small, independently run Cape Town Corner Stores are a dying breed, and those that still exist, do so valiantly and against the odds. Ishay Govender-Ypma shares the stories of seven local old stores, institutions to their loyal customers. For High Life, [...]

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