Local food charms American celebrity

UNITED States celebrity, chef, and television personality, Ms Carla Hall, who visited the country last week has expressed excitement over Zimbabwe’s traditional meals and is convinced that enhanced destination marketing could propel the country’s tourism higher.

The published cookbooks author arrived on Monday last week at the invitation of Los Angeles-based Zimbabwean make-up artist and entrepreneur, Ms Jacque Mgido, who hosted her in Harare before going to Victoria Falls on Tuesday.

She was charmed by local foods such as amacimbi/madora (mopane worms), baobab fruit, greens, and other indigenous foods such as isitshwala/sadza that she believes if promoted, can sell the Zimbabwe tourism brand.

Ms Hall said there is no need for the local tourism industry to serve Western spicy dishes to international clients who are used to these foods in their countries.

During her visit, she had a special traditional lunch at the iconic Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls by Mantis hosted by its founder Dr Mati Martha Nyazema. Various tourism executives including Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Ms Winne Muchanyuka, Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe representative Ms Barbara Murasiranwa, and others shared lunch with her amid traditional music and dance.

The lunch comprised small grains isitshwala/sadza, different kinds of dried vegetables, peanut butter mixed foods like rice and samp, inkobe, amacimbi, umpholokoqo, umxhanxa, inopi and many others.

Chef Carla, as she is known in the hospitality catering sector, first linked up with Dr Nyazema 18 months ago and got charmed by her tourism journey as the first black female five-star hotel owner in Victoria Falls.

She immediately committed to come and visit the hotel. Ms Hall said Zimbabwe can tell the local story by promoting traditional foods through mainstreaming local dishes in hotels and lodges rather than serving Westernised spicy and chilly foods.

“One of the things that I tend to do when I go places is taste the food. I think food has so much to do with culture and if you don’t know the culture you don’t know the food,” she said.

“Coming here was all about cultural culinary experience and we had to actually work with the chefs to cook the food.

“Some foods are spicy but here in Zimbabwe that’s not the case, yes you may have chilly on the side. I tried amacimbi, baobab fruit, and juice and I was mesmerised by greens, gango, and sweet potatoes.

“That helps me understand the culture and what I am hoping to do to inspire the chefs here is not to leave those dishes in the bush or villages but bring them out and showcase them,” she said.

Ms Hall’s first time to eat isitshwala/sadza was in Los Angeles when Ms Mgido prepared it for her and others and she loved it hence the trip to come and have a full package of traditional meal.

She commended the friendliness of Zimbabweans saying she loved how people share and enjoy a meal together.

“I love the greens and vegetables. The traditional food is amazing, beautifully presented, and unique, which makes me want to come back. Food has become a part of entertainment and I think Mbano is a perfect place for people to come and have unique foods,” said Ms Hall.

She was given local names ‘Tafara’ in Harare and ‘Zanele Ndlovu’ in Victoria Falls.

She said she came because she also learnt about national cookout competitions being implemented by the First Lady Dr Auxilia Mnangagwa to capacitate women and felt she has to complement such efforts and empower women. In her remarks, Dr Nyazema said the luncheon was about showcasing and sharing great expertise.

“Soon after arriving she went to the kitchen with chefs and said why don’t we take these foods and showcase them internationally?

“The world now is about taking what you have to the whole world but with a local taste and touch of Africa. From a tourism point of view, Victoria Falls is opening up to the world and this is what the journey of Mbano is about,” said Dr Nyazema.

“We are actually opening up new doors and saying to the world here we are, we are proudly African and can do five-star products with local resources.”

ZTA chief executive, Ms Muchanyuka, said food and culture were crucial drawcards in tourism.

“Gastronomy has become a huge thing in what destinations have to offer with food becoming a great part of destinations. So, Ms Carla Hall is here at Mbano interacting with some chefs and talking about how they can internationalize the food that we have so that it can come to the table and be appreciated by people coming to the destination,” she said.

“The event this afternoon is about Mbano showcasing the local traditions and some of the food being saved was made by women from local communities and people like Carla are very important for our destination because they tell a story through their networks.

“So, Carla has been saying why is it that people are coming from across the continent and are being given the same food they have been eating in their countries. It is time that our chefs look at their dishes and recipes and how they can present them so that they are acceptable,” said Ms Muchanyuka.

She said when people travel around the world they are served dishes unique to the destination hence local recipes should also penetrate the international market.

TBCZ representative Ms Murasiranwa said the local industry can come up with a niche market using the herbal gardens they are growing.

“I believe by having some top chefs from America coming into our destination we are going to be boosted in terms of numbers wanting to come where chef Carla was and our chefs wanting to cook like her. People will want to come and eat traditional foods,” she said.

Head chef at Victoria Falls Hotel Mr Paul Muranda challenged local chefs to desire to promote local dishes.

Ms Mgigo said food and culture can bring celebrities closer to the people other than them hiding from the public eye when they visit. — @ncubeleon