To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the winery’s beloved red blend, Baronne, Nederburg has partnered with Chef Nti, the queen of Afrofusion cuisine who has created some amazing new flavor-popping kasi recipes.
Since its introduction in 1973, the Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend has consistently been a Mzansi favorite. A bottle of Baronne is opened somewhere in the nation every 15 seconds, according to yearly domestic sales figures.
The luscious, smooth spiciness and mouth-filling palate of the wine have inspired Chef Nti, or to use her full name, Nthabiseng Ramaboa, to create a collection of modern, street-style dishes. The well-known fashionista and culinary blogger has a large following thanks to her creative gastronomic TV and social media content, which reinvents old township favorites with modern techniques.
She is the host of Street Food in Africa, a program that introduces the globe to the flavors and culinary tradition of South Africa and is shown in more than 140 countries on the Food Network channel. The fact that there is a line to get into her custom dinners at her award-winning Taste Kitchen restaurant in Johannesburg should come as no surprise.She has created a variety of Baronne-friendly recipes for Nederburg that, like the wine itself, successfully combine tradition and contemporary.
Maize, for example, gets a huge shout-out from her. In her debut cookbook, Chef Nti – My Modern African Kitchen, she called it “not only as an essential part of South African culinary heritage but also as one of the few equalisers in our beautiful and diverse country. I want to instil a sense of pride in what we grew up eating.”
Now she’s turning to ditlwadi, lerotse, morogo and other indigenous heritage ingredients, encouraging us to honour our culinary past with fresh and original takes on old favourites. But, always mindful that the dishes and techniques should be fun and accessible, she’s identified substitutes for cooks who can’t yet find the originals.
Nederburg hopes that will soon change, though. It is participating in a multi-party project to protect and preserve indigenous vegetables, fruits, pulses and grains. The winery is working with the South African Chefs’ Association and two NGOs – Harvesting Heritage and SocioTech BBL – to support small-scale farmers in cultivating these ingredients and bringing them to market for professional and home cooks.
“Nederburg dates back to 1791 and has a long and proud South African provenance,” says senior brand spokesperson Jackie Olivier. “We value cultural and culinary heritage and invest in ideas and people who, like us, seek to conserve traditions while infusing them with contemporary technology, research and thinking.”
To find Chef Nti’s recipes paired with Baronne and other Nederburg wines, go to https://www.nederburg.com/Recipes-by-Chef-Nti.