20/07/2026
Of all the challenges that we have faced so far in the The Taste Master SA kitchen, this has been one of the hardest. How do you sum up your life, your heritage and upbringing into one plate of food? How do you put yourself on a plate?
For me, a white, Jewish woman born in South Africa to South African parents, but with grandparents from Germany and East Europe, how, you may ask does South East Asian cuisine represent me and my family? It may seem like a strange choice at first, but let me explain.
My paternal grandfather was a refugee who escaped Germany during the Holocaust. His family came here on a boat with nothing but the clothes on their back. My great-grandfather started a business importing fine china and crockery from the far East. Eventually when my grandfather took over the company, he would travel for weeks and sometimes months at a time on sourcing trips to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, China and Japan. This is well before the days of the internet. He taught himself to speak rudimentary Cantonese. Upon his return we would be regaled with fantastical stories of his travels, and of course treated to the many exotic sweets, fruits and flavours that he was able to smuggle back for us in his luggage.
Later in life, when I was old enough to travel with my parents, while other families were enjoying the beaches of Plett or Mauritius, we were in some stinky fish market in the middle of Vietnam, eating things none of us could pronounce. And so, when I was old enough to travel alone, of course The East is where I found myself, over and over again.
Because of all these experiences, dinner in our household was often inspired by our travels. Lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, 7 spice and mirin were pantry staples for us.
I’m forever grateful for the upbringing that I had and the immense perspective it gave me both of the world and my place in it. And I think often that my entrepreneurial streak came from my crazy grandfather who lived a life of exploration and experiences that many people would never have had the courage to pursue.
This is a part of my story. I’m so humbled that it seems to have touched so many of you. Thank you for being part of my journey.🤍
