Umpheki odabuka KwaZulu-Natali uNksz Nompumelelo Mqwebu oneminyaka ewu-43 ukholwa wukuthi kufanele abapheki baseNingizimu Afrika baziqhenye ngokudla kwakuleli zwe ngokukuthuthukisa, bebhala ngakho futhi babelane nomhlaba ngawo. Incwadi yakhe azishicilele yona esihloko sithi Through the eyes of an African chef, yenza kanye lokho njengoba ebhale ngezindaba ezichaza ngezinhlobo ezihlukene zokudla.
“Uma udla ukudla kwesintu, kusuke kuthi tata emzimbeni wakho,” kusho uNks Mqwebu. Inhloso yencwadi yakhe esike yahlomula nomklomelo, wukuqeda inkoleloze ethi, ukudla kwesintu akufanele kusetshenziswe uma kuphekwa izibiliboco abapheki abatayela ngazo bephekela izindawo zokudlela.
“Abantu bacabanga ukuthi ukudla kwesintu inyama kuphela kanti akunjalo. Inyama yayivelakancane ngoba abantu kwakufanele bayozingela ukuze bayithole,” usho kanje.
UNks Mqwebu ugqugquzela ukuthi kuqhakanjiswe ukudla kwesintu uma kukhulunywa ngokupheka okuseqophelweni eliphezulu. Uthe kuyamangalisa ukuthi siphila ezwenikazi elinezinhlobo ezihlukene zokudla kodwa akuqhakanjiswa ezikoleni eziqeqesha abapheki.
“Singabapheki siqeqeshwa ngokupheka ukudla kwaseFrance, ngakho njengabanye abapheki, nami ngaqala ukufunda ukupheka ngokwenza ama-sauce, ama-stock nokudla okuphekwa ngenhlama,” usho kanje.
Ngaphambi kokuhamba phambili ekugqugquzeleni ukudla kwesintu, uNks Mqwebu uqhamuka ekhaya labantu abebengenakho okutheni njengoba uyise wayenesitolo kanti unina ewumpheki. Uyise ubenesitolo eMargate ayemsiza kusona ukudayisela abadobi izinto abazidingayo.
“Ngafunda okuningi endleleni ubaba ayesebenzisana ngayo nomphakathi ayewusebenzela. Wayewusomabhizinisi kodwa wayengabheki imali kuphela, wayenikela, okuyinto engayiqaphela nengiyilandelayo endleleni engenza ngayo izinto,” kusho uNks Mqwebu.
UNks Mqwebu uqeqeshwe eChristina Martin School of Food and Wine eMorningside, eThekwini, lapho ephothule khona iCity Guilds of London cookery diploma ngo-2004. Uthi kwamthusa ukuthi njengompheki owumuntu omnyama ukuthi wayengakwazi ukutayela ngokudla kwesintu. Kunalokho kwakulindeleke ukuthi “ahambisane nezindlela zokupheka zase-Europe.”
UNks Mqwebu ukukhathalele ukuthi kugcinwe izindlela zokupheka ukudla kwesintu. Ukholwa wukuthi akufakwa ngoba kunenkolelo yokuthi ukudla kwesintu “akukho ezingeni”. Uyavuma ukuthi naye uke whalala iminyaka ekholwa wukuthi ukudla kwesintu akufanele kuqhakanjiswe ngoba eqeqeshwe ukupheka ukudla kwaseNtshonalanga.
“Ngabona ukuthi kubukelwa phansi. Ngazitshela ukuthi sengiwumpheki (oqeqeshiwe) ngakho angidingi ukuzihlupha ngokupheka ‘leya nhlobo’ yokudla kodwa ngizopheka ‘okusemgangathweni’ kuphela.”
UNks Mqwebu ukhumbula lapho avuleka khona amehlo ngesikhathi esafunda. Kwathi kuvalwe izikole egodukile ekubo eMlazi, waqala wazama ukupheka ezinye zezinto ayesezifundile, wazama ukupheka i-pasta eyenziwa ngamazambane i-gnocchi. Esikhundleni sokusebenzisa amazambane ajwayelekile, wasebenzisa amadumbe.
IRESIPHI: I-gnocchi yamadumbe efakwe inyama yentshe
Ngo-2005 waqala wahlanganisa izinto ezazimfikela azenze ebhizinisini lakhe i-Africa meets Europe. “Ngazitshela ukuthi nanoma ngabe yini esifundiswa yona esikoleni kufanele ukuthi singayenza sisebenzisa izithako eziwukudla kwesintu ukwenza okungcono.”
Kanti akabuzanga elangeni ukuthi inkulu lento ayiqalayo. Loku kudla kumcabele indlela emyisa empumelelweni waduma nakwamanye amazwe. Ukuxuba nokusebenzisa kwakhe ukudla kwesintu kwamfikisa kwiTaste of Chicago, idili lokudla elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni.
“Uma udla ukudla kwesintu kuthi tata emzimbeni wakho.” – Umpheki uNompumelelo Mqwebu.
“Ngacelwa ukuthi ngithumele amaresiphi okudla kwesintu kwaseNingizimu Afrika. Ngicabanga ukuthi lokho kwagcwalisa kimina ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi ngigxile ekwenzeni ukudla kwami, ngendlela engicabanga ngayo, kube nendlela okubonakala ngayo.”
Namhlanje uNks Mqwebu ungomunye wabasunguli beMzansi International Culinary Festival (MICF), idili lokudla eliba khona minyaka yonke, liqhakambisa ukudla kwesintu okusezingeni okuqhamuka emazweni ahlukene e-Afrika.
UNks Nompumelelo Mqwebu.
Phakathi kwemiklomelo eminingi aseke wayiwina embonini yokudla eNingizimu Afrika, kukhona iGourmand World Cookbook Award ayiwina ngo-2018 eYantai, eChina.
UNks Mqwebu weluleka abafisa ukuba abapheki ukuthi bafunde. “Ayikho into engicasula njengomuntu ozibiza ngompheki ozifundise yena ukupheka,” usho kanje.
“Kunomehluko phakathi komuntu okhonze ukudla nompheki oqeqeshiwe futhi ayikho into embi ngalokho. Kuningi engikufundile. Ukudla kuyisayensi. Uma usuyazi isayensi yalokho kudla, uyaqala ukwazi ukuyisebenzisa.”
