The culinary legacy of late writer and cultural enthusiast Naison Tfwala will live on through Yikudla Lokhu, a 90-page recipe book documenting indigenous Ndebele foods, their preparation and cultural significance.
The book will be launched on September 26 under the theme The Legacy of Naison Tfwala Lives On. Tfwala’s daughter, Zinzile Tfwala, is completing the publishing process to fulfil her father’s dream of bringing his traditional cuisine knowledge to the public.
Tfwala began his creative journey in the early 1980s through writing, poetry and acting before turning to documenting African food and traditional culinary knowledge.
Zinzile said her father was motivated by the need to preserve traditional foods and the knowledge surrounding them.
“He wanted to preserve the nutritious traditional dishes that were eaten long ago, but are now hardly known by today’s generation,” she said.
“He wanted people to understand not only the food itself but also how it was prepared and served, the seasons in which certain foods were eaten, the time of day they were consumed and who could eat them.”
Written in isiNdebele, the book documents traditional foods and preparation methods while exploring their meanings, nutritional value and cultural significance.
Food scientist and African Food Revolution founder Makhosi Mahlangu said documenting traditional cuisine was important nutritionally and culturally.
- Tfwala’s Ndebele food legacy lives on
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“Many indigenous grains, vegetables, fruits and fermented foods provide essential nutrients, dietary fibre and beneficial bioactive compounds,” Mahlangu said.
“A lot has been lost due to loss of knowledge.”
He said the family’s decision to continue after Tfwala’s death transformed the book into more than a collection of recipes.
“It transforms the book into both a cultural resource and a living legacy,” he said.
Amagugu International Heritage Centre director Allington Ndlovu said the book documented not only food, but the wider stories and social practices surrounding traditional cuisine.
“With foodways, you also capture the story behind the dish, who prepares it, at what time of the year, the seasons, using which ingredients, produced where, by whom and all the gender dynamics,” he said.
Ndlovu said traditional African societies had structured food systems, with specific foods associated with royalty, ordinary people, rituals, ceremonies and different age groups.
“We see the launch of a book about food from an angle of documentation, education, preservation and promotion,” he said.
“So that these dishes don’t die. They live on for many centuries to come.”
Zinzile invited her father’s arts and culture colleagues to attend the memorable public launch on September 26.
