Global warming is a real thing, it’s happening!  Right now!  This was my realization when I recently came across FifFis.  I’ve always known about global warming (I mean we have learned all about it when we were at school) and I know that we should all strive to reduce our carbon footprint to not contribute to global warming.  Recently everyone was bombarded with the “NO plastic is fantastic” campaigns and everywhere you turn you see people using alternatives to the single-use plastic items.

This is all good.  We are still working on changing our lifestyle to a greener more environmentally friendly lifestyle (we hope you are trying too), but it is difficult at times.  You need to buy new/different and sometimes more expensive products and in today’s economic situation in South Africa, it’s not always possible. 

Great was my excitement when I was introduced to FifFis!  It was at the Villa Tuscana by Mantis that I realized that 1/3 of food are wasted in the whole world.  That means that 1 out of every three apples that you buy, will not be eaten.  Not only does the food land up in Landfills, but all the water, energy, money and labour that went into producing your produce, is wasted.  When the wasted food ends up in landfills, it contributes to the rising temperature of our planet as it releases Greenhouse Gasses into the atmosphere.  It is a shocking realization and something that Romy Foods® have found a solution for.

I bet you are now thinking that we should probably eat more as to not waste food (well that was my first thought anyway), but it is nothing like that.  You also do not need to give the food that will go to waste to less fortunate people.

No.  Rickard Gillblad, CEO of Romy Food Corporation and Kenneth Wahlberg, Managing Director of Romy Foods South Africa has come up with a simple solution that has recently launched here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where you do not have to change any eating habits or buy more expensive produce.  A new range of ready-meals has now launched in Africa after successfully being introduced in Europe and Australia.  These ready-made meals are using Torus Pak® technology to serve restaurant quality meals created and plated by top chefs, to your table.  Believe me when I say that you will feel as if you are dining at a top hotel, when you enjoy any of the FifFis meals.  Not only does the meals look great, but they taste divine and best of all, they will make you look good when you plate them to your guests.

These ready meals can be frozen and then plated upon request, making it easy for restaurants and hospitals to reduce their food waste by not preparing food that will not be consumed.  We as travellers are super excited about this new concept as we often spend some time at guesthouses, lodges and hotels in Africa where it is hard to find fresh, well-prepared food.  We would love to receive a plate of FifFis designed food where we will know that the produce is fresh, it was sustainably sourced, it has the necessary nutrition to keep us going and to top it all, it is beautifully presented.

So by now you are wondering how you will be making a difference if you are not wasting any food that you used to give to the less fortunate.  Well, look no further!  Romy Food Corporation is giving children in Africa a meal a day to provide the necessary nutrition for them to go to school.  The Meal-for-a-Meal Programme provides one meal for children in Uganda, for every meal that FifFis sell.  How cool is that!

Malnutrition is one of the biggest problems on the African continent and if you decide to waste less food by supporting FifFis, you are guaranteed to make a difference in a child’s life!

So join us in making that decision.  Join us and Romy Foods in minimalizing your food waste by changing your meal plans to the FifFis ready-meals.  Let us reduce our footprint by eating more clever.  We will definitely take some ready-meals with us on our next trip and so should you!

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I prefer to travel as light as possible and keep the kitchen equipment/ utensils to the minimum.  Fancy cooking is something that I will attempt when I am at home with all the crockery and cutlery at hand.  After all, this is why we come to the bush – to get back to basics again and appreciate nature.  I can proudly say that I have had a braai in countries like Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and Zambia!

When camping there are basically two ways to cook – either with a gas cooker or over the open fire.  We make a fire every night when camping so that is the obvious choice for us when we travel in Africa.  You will find wood or charcoal almost everywhere in Africa as it is an integral part of rural living on the continent.

There are various ways and methods to braai as this is second nature for us South African.  Read more on this topic in my post a  “Braai – a way of life”.

When we come to potjiekos which is made in a cast iron pot (three-legged or flat bottomed) over flames and not coals like when you are braaiing.  I prefer the flat-bottomed pot as my dish normally burns in the three-legged one.  I do not know what I am doing wrong!

When making potjie your choices of meat are endless – venison, beef, lamb, chicken, etcetera.  I even make a kick-ass lasagne potjie.  The best thing about a potjie is that you can add what you can find on the local markets.  In our case this mainly determines what type of potjie we are having that night.  (I will post on how to buy food on the local markets in a separate post).  However, I prefer to make a potjie when we are making camp for more than two days at a place, especially if you arrive late, there is not always enough time to make the potjie as it requires simmering over the fire.

A potjie is a good alternative to a braai as quality meat can at times be hard to find in Africa.  I am pretty sure that we had donkey tails once (sold as ox tail) in Choma, Zambia, but we survived that too!  When you are hungry and there are not a lot of options available, you just give it and go ….

My flat bottomed potjie also serves as an oven in which I bake bread.

Buy food that will last in the African heat.  Refrigerator space is always limited.  Butternuts (hard to find in Africa), gems and potatoes, onions and cabbage can take you a long way and sometimes it is the only vegetables that you will source for a couple of days.  So you need to be innovative with your recipes.  Aluminum foil comes in handy when doing vegetables over the fire.

I also take some dry rations such as pasta and couscous for emergencies – you never know what can happen in the African bush.  Rusks and coffee is also a quick breakfast fix when you have limited options in the bush.  Eggs are always problematic to pack and keep them whole, so I only buy it when I am pretty sure that it will be used the same day – boiled for lunch later or scrambled for breakfast.

Share your cooking experience in the commentary section of the post.  It may be useful to some newbie camper that is unfamiliar with local customs and conditions.

–oOo–

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This gem can easily be passed by and before you know it, you end up missing the most delicious venison pie and you will have to settle for a garage pie at Storms River petrol station.  At Tsitsikamma Gardens Restaurant, you can park your car in the shade and take a stroll through the beautiful garden or relax on the ‘stoep’ while sipping on the homemade Ice Tea.

Or maybe you were adventurous and tired yourself out on one of the many activities the area has to offer.  The refreshing garden salad, all locally harvested from the farm, will freshen you up again.  The welcoming faces upon your arrival will make you feel at home and you get a sense of calmness when you take in the surroundings of the indigenous forest, farmlands and mountains.

What better way to celebrate your birthday or have a big function in such a beautiful setting, than by making a group booking where the owner will dish up some specialities and set the table to create the feeling of a 3 star restaurant.

Although this establishment is fairly new, it feels like this has been your regular stop for years.  The prices are good and the facilities are excellent.  This is truly an undiscovered gem.  With a well stablished garden with green grass, a VW Beatle and a kiddies bike among the other equipment in the kiddies playground, this is definitely a children friendly stop where parents can relax and let the kids tire themselves out for the road ahead.

Whether you are passing by or need a break to sit down and rest a while, whether it is for a coffee, a beer or a juice, savoury or sweet treats, you are sure to find something to your liking at this restaurant.  Make sure you browse through the selection of homemade biscuits and jams and take some with when you are heading to your final destination.

This stop sure makes the journey longer and the road shorter.  You are certain to leave here with a heavy heart as you are already planning your next trip and making sure that you stop here again.  This is a stop that every traveler along the route has to make.  You will not regret it.

Their trading hours are 08:00 until 17:00 daily.  Bookings for big groups for functions can be made by phoning the restaurant on +27 (0)72 809 7891

Find them at S 33° 58.981 E 024° 01.823

Note: Try their coffee/tea and cake special for R40, it is divine!

GUEST WRITER:  Inge

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