Nothing beats enjoying the fruits of one’s labour in the kitchen. And what’s a more rewarding treat from your home kitchen than a tall, ice-cold glass of South African ginger beer? Cooking sensation and chef Nono Mtshali shares her recipe for this summer refresher.
Traditional ginger beer has been a favourite among South Africans for a long time – it just adds an element of freshness to long, lazy hot days.
A recipe passed through generations
Chef Nono, as she is affectionately known, was drawn to the kitchen from her early days in KwaZulu-Natal. One of her best childhood memories is preparing food for her elders and watching them enjoy it. It was the best encouragement to pursue her culinary career.
Throughout her cooking journey, she says her grandmother was the drive behind her passion.
“She has been a constant source of positive vibes for me. There’s been so many times in my life where I felt like giving up, but it’s always my grandmother that gives me hope and besides that, she invests so much in us (her grandchildren): her prayers, time, care, love and support.”
This entrepreneur trains aspiring chefs to cook via her social media show, In the Kitchen with Nono. “I host cooking classes which is a ‘one man show’, [where] I teach people to cook. But when doing private events, I work with two junior chefs that assist me with things like chopping and running errands while I take care of the cooking.”
Try out her recipe
Ulundi-born chef Nono Mtshali is here to hold your hand as you try out her recipe for the perfect ginger beer with a Mzansi twist. Mtshali has been making waves in the culinary industry, empowering many women and men to master mouth-watering recipes.
Her recipe is easy to make, has only six ingredients and will have your taste buds buzzing for more. Enjoy it with family since it’s non-alcoholic and filled with a ton of health benefits with every sip.
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Ingredients
- 8 cups of water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup fresh ginger peeled and grated
Instructions
1. In a large pot, bring to the boil: lemon juice, grated ginger, cream of tartar and 4 cups of cold water.
2. Turn heat down and add sugar. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add the rest of the cold water and yeast. Stir then cover with a cloth and place in a dark room for three hours.
4. Strain out ginger bits. Pour into clean 2 litre bottle.
5. Leave space at top for gas to build up.
6. Leave in a warm, dark place for 2 days. Loosen cap a couple of times a day to let gas out.
7. Refrigerate, chill and enjoy!
