When you want something bad enough, you go after it.
And that’s exactly what Lorna Maseko did.
Aching to get back to doing what she loves, she approached Rapid Blue and pitched an idea for a cooking show.
They took it to BBC, and several months later, the green light was given for “Homegrown Tastes South Africa” on BBC Lifestyle.
As far as concepts go, this one stands out for how it explores the distinctly South African flavours and ingredients, while at the same time, celebrating the chefs who come in with out-of-the-box ideas on traditional dishes.
Maseko, who, following the release of “Celebrate with Lorna Maseko” in September 2019, ended up bagging the best celebrity chef cookbook and best international cookbook at the 2020 Gourmand Awards, is no stranger to whetting the palate on TV.
Aside from being a contestant on the celebrity edition of M-Net’s “MasterChef SA”, she also bagged her own TV show, “The Hostess with Lorna Maseko”, on SABC3.
And she hosted “Top Chef SA” while also serving up useful tips on her YouTube channel, “Lorna with a Pinch of Salt”.
Expanding on the pull of the show, she revealed that it focused on some really indigenous ingredients in the country.
She added: “It’s produce that is hardly celebrated alone. Some of it, of course, you know.
“For me, what just stands out is the fact that this is the only show in the country that features the 360-degree view of the culinary circle of food, so we start off with farmers and the soil, which is such an important fact.
“Farmers are never celebrated enough, to be honest, and so the show does that.
“And then we celebrate amazing chefs and how they interpret cooking and how they use the produce that we have in the country to make great food in the different regions that they are from.
"We bring it back to the home cook, which is me, on how you take this deliciousness and make it simple and accessible to someone who is watching the show.
“And that excites me because I don’t think I’ve seen one show that taps into all those things.”
On the 10-part series, Maseko travels to a different part of the country, stopping at spots that offer a unique experience or insight into how something is made, farmed or foraged.
The host is joined by a celebrity guest on her travels, where she engages with chefs who brilliantly marry traditional dishes they grew up on with modern technique and innovation.
The results are mind-blowing, of course.
Maseko admitted: “I learned so much. There are so many ingredients that I’ve never cooked with, probably eaten without knowing, which, for me, is quite phenomenal.
“For example, we went to the sister restaurant of Wolfgat, which is Oep ve Koep, and it’s like this little dorpie type setup and the lady - can’t remember her name now - created this incredible sea of soil dish and she used kelp from the sea.
“It was just incredible things that I never thought I would put in my mouth. And so things like that: Nguni meat to mebos to bokkoms.
“I never knew what bokkoms were. And so I think it really does open up the viewers' eyes to go, ‘Wow, we have some incredible produce that needs to be celebrated, needs to be highlighted and enjoyed’.
“For me, the entire show, and I was saying this to someone, was a whole learning experience. I’ve been eating atchar since I was little, but I've never thought that it was made the way it was made.”
After visiting Jabu’s Atchar Farm, she was inspired to make her own version.
She added: “That is the beauty of this, you are discovering as I’m discovering as well and, hopefully, I’ve translated that well.”
Karabo Poppy, a creative illustrator, street artist and graphic designer; Katlego Malatji, an entrepreneur, CEO of HomeComing Events and the head of legal and business affairs at Sony Music Africa; Pearl Modiadie, TV and radio presenter, actor and producer; Kamohelo Bombe, a TV presenter and poultry farmer; Dineo Maduna, a travel blogger and entrepreneur; Jason Fortuin, executive chef at the Drostdy Hotel; Lungiswa Joe, a ceramicist from Cape Town and the founder of the Inxwala Slow Market; Tracey-Lee Oliver, a singer, actor and comedian; Khaya Mthethwa, a gospel singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist; and, last but not least, Jo-Anne Strauss, an international master of ceremonies, speaker and entrepreneur, join Maseko on her foodie adventure across South Africa’s beautiful cities.
Maseko admitted: “The celebs were just excited to be on the show and eat. I think if you give anyone food, they generally will be quite happy. Each person had a different personality that added to the show.”
In the kick off episode, she unpacks urban street food with Poppy and was blown away by Chef Siya.
After sampling one of the best Kota's at Chilli Pepper restaurant in Soweto, she headed to Maboneng to sample a few burgers before joining Chef Siya on his food truck to sample his signature skopo (sheep's head)and pap recipe. It was art on a plate.
Highlights for her include meeting Chef Charne Sampson from La Colombo.
Maseko praised: “This chef is going to be the biggest thing in South Africa. God, I hope she doesn’t leave. That girl is insane. She understands flavour. She pushes boundaries when it comes to flavour. Just amazing, amazing, amazing for me, and she’s a girl, so girl power.”
She also raved about Chef Gordan Wright’s finger-licking Karoo dish.
Think of this show as a local version of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”, “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted”, and Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”, rolled into one.
It’s an exploration of beautiful landscapes and a sampling of delicious dishes, unique to the region. That should definitely get those tastebuds going.
“Homegrown Tastes South Africa” airs on BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174) on Wednesday, March 23, at 8pm.