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Middle School
South Africa, Part II

 

 
South African Cuisine
at Sophiatown Restaurant

Newtown, Johannesburg. One of my favorite things about travelling internationally is getting to sample local cuisine. Today, this was definitely not the case! I am grateful to have a team member that is so adventurous; Ilana is willing to sample almost any food.

Let me begin by stating that I am a vegetarian. So, the thought of Ilana trying something called mopani worms made my stomach a little queasy.

Before we got to the worms, we invaded the tiny kitchen at Sophiatown restaurant with our cameras, watching some traditional dishes being prepared, cooked, and assembled for hungry customers. This included Ilana putting together and tasting an ostrich burger - a popular South African meat.

Now, back to the worms...The name of the dish is called ‘Masonja.’ It is a dish from the Limpopo province, which is in the north of South Africa. Here, these worms are an important source of protein in people’s diets.

While Ilana was excited to taste Masonja, it was impossible for me to film her eating the dish of fat worms, which were covered in tomato sauce. Let me explain...it’s not that I was disgusted by the dish. I was afraid of what her reaction would be when she tasted them. I was not sure my stomach could handle it if Ilana could not keep the food down. Thankfully, we had another crew member on hand who was more than happy to capture the experience. When the time came for me to review and edit the film footage, it was far less difficult to watch than I imaged. Bravo to Ilana for her courage - I’m glad she captured this on film to share with you.

Eat up!

P.S. MORE OF PART II IS COMING SOON
Each month, I will add new photos, films, and update my blog. In the meantime, there is plenty to explore in South Africa, Part I and Shakespeare’s England.