Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
A SEASONED chef from Victoria Falls and fourth-year student at a local university is bottling the very essence of the African wilderness, transforming a forgotten indigenous fruit into an exquisite artisanal wine that promises to tantalise palates and empower communities.
Chef Robert Gororo (51), a culinary expert with over 26 years of international experience, who is also a final-year Bachelor of Technology and Tourism student, is pursuing an inspiring blend of practical expertise and academic pursuit.
Chef Gororo has handcrafted a pioneering Monkey Orange wine (Matamba/Umkhemeswane), offering a delicious sip of local innovation.
The star of this venture is the Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa), a hardy, exotic fruit known for its hard shell and vibrant, tangy-sweet pulp. For generations, it has been a foraged snack, but Chef Gororo saw untapped potential.
His creation is a vibrant, golden-hued wine that captures the fruit’s unique character, a unique blend of tropical sweetness and subtle citrus notes.
Carefully fermented and aged to perfection, it delivers a smooth, wine taste with a crisp and clean finish that is as refreshing as it is novel.
“As part of my research project, I have done a project that looks at opportunities to harness a natural fruit, and in this case, I chose the monkey orange fruit,” said Chef Gororo.
“We are making a wine out of the monkey orange fruit, and already have proceeded to the final stages, where we have actually bottled and are now going towards sampling the wine.
“But as it appears, it is actually a very highly potentiated wine. It is a very promising product that can sell worldwide,” he said. Chef Gororo’s inspiration draws from a successful African precedent.
“I did a study and came out with the Amarula beverage. So, in that same sense, that is what inspired me to look into other indigenous fruits that had not yet been looked into and picked the monkey orange fruit,” he said.
The initiative is a perfect embodiment of the Second Republic’s policy of unlocking the potential of the country’s natural resources.
It moves beyond mere consumption to intelligent value-addition, creating a premium product from a readily available, wild-harvested fruit.
This model not only promotes sustainable use of biodiversity but also paves the way for community empowerment, offering new avenues for income generation through the harvesting and processing of indigenous crops.
With a distinguished career that includes managing large-scale culinary operations in remote and challenging environments, Chef Gororo brings a rigorous standard of quality and hygiene to this passion project.
His academic journey in hotel, catering, and tourism further fuels his vision to position this Zimbabwean-born beverage on the global tourism and hospitality map.
So, the next time you seek a taste of authentic Africa, look beyond the ordinary, he says.
Chef Gororo’s Monkey Orange wine is more than a drink; it is a story of innovation, a celebration of local flavour, and a testament to the delicious potential waiting to be uncorked in our own backyard.
