Ever pondered the vintage of your beloved Basmati rice?

A visit to the legendary Atlas Trading Company in the Bo-Kaap exposes my previously blissful ignorance.

My foodie friend and I waltz into the shop each nibbling on a hot, fragrant samoosa from the café next door. (In retrospect, not cool, as it was late afternoon during Ramadan and everybody else would have been fasting… sorry!)

We spend a few minutes gaping at the fresh curry leaves, veggies, countless packets of spices, religious books and natural beauty products before the staff suggest that I speak to the owner to find out more about the shop. After apologising to the kind gentleman whom I’d wrongly cornered and started questioning, we meet Wahab Ahmed, the second generation owner who gives us an educational tour of his spice paradise.

There are numerous wooden storage units filled with colourful, freshly ground spices, all kinds of beans and lentils, different types of flour and an assortment of rice varieties. He invites us to taste their special 12-spice Masala mix, which is wonderfully aromatic. It is a bit of a “hoes & proes” tasting though, as they import most of their spices whole and then ground it at the premises to ensure authenticity and PUNGENCY.

Wahab’s knowledge of his products is obvious and he takes his cue when the term ‘young rice’ makes us lift our brows. “You shouldn’t cook with young rice” he explains, “it is mushy”. He proceeds to take out a bag of the 2008 crop Basmati rice which they stock in the shop. The older, the better, it would seem – and you definitely won’t find rice younger than two years in his pantry.

We spend about half an hour smelling, tasting, touching while the soft-spoken Wahab patiently answers all our questions. We’re hooked!

Suggestion: For all things spice head off to Atlas Trading, but set aside enough time to pop in at the café next door for fresh samoosas, home-made rotis and Malay koesisters, take a stroll around the brightly-coloured rows of houses and visit the Bo-Kaap Museum right across the road.

Food for thought: Rice from a supermarket shelf is not necessarily all it’s cooked up to be …

Contact details: Atlas Trading, 94 Wale Street, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
Tel: +27 (0) 21 423 4361

The inspiration behind Bites & Sites

On my travels I’ve discovered to my delight that food is a delicious expression of culture. For me, no visit to a town is complete without doing at least one of the following:
• exploring its food market (if there is one)
• having a meal at an eatery where the locals hang out
• learning to cook traditional dishes (first-prize is at the chef’s home!)
• I even find the local supermarkets fascinating and happily lose myself between the aisles of weird and wonderful fruit / veg / drinks / jars that locals take for granted.
The key to unlocking the true gems, though, is having an insider. Someone who can invite you into their culture and take you beneath the superficial surface. That is the philosophy at the heart of every Bites and Sites tour. I invite you to come along and savour the experiences with us.
After all, food is made for sharing.
Hanli Fourie, founder

INCLUDES: 

• Guided tour of the old town centre

  You’ll hear delightful stories about the origins of our Cape food and the historic places we visit.

• Tea and rusk tasting

  Enjoy ready-to-dunk rusks with indigenous Rooibos, honeybush, buchu and imported Ceylon tea – favourites for over 300 years now.

• Traditional snacks

  You can’t leave the country without trying biltong and droëwors! We visit the small, family-run Eikeboom Butchery to find out more.

• Wine tastings

  We taste a variety of white and red wines form award-winning estates on our walk.

• Lunch

  Savour classic Bobotie and chicken pie served with yellow rice, stewed fruit, chutney and vegetables.

• Dessert platter

  Legendary sweet treats – koeksister, milktart, baked  pudding and Amarula mousse – are perfectly paired with dessert wine or a coffee.

• Nostalgic sweets

  Tuck into your brown paper bag at the oldest shop in town, Oom Samie se Winkel.

See Tour Details below

• CLASSIC CAPE CUISINE WALK from 10:00 till 13:30. INCLUDES:

• Guided tour of the old town centre

  You’ll hear delightful stories about the origins of our Cape food and the historic places we visit.

• Tea and rusk tasting

  Enjoy ready-to-dunk rusks with indigenous Rooibos, honeybush, buchu and imported Ceylon tea – favourites for over 300 years now.

• Traditional snacks

  You can’t leave the country without trying biltong and droëwors! We visit the small, family-run Eikeboom Butchery to find out more.

• Wine tastings

  During our tour we taste a variety of white and red wines form award-winning estates.

• Lunch

  Savour classic Bobotie and chicken pie served with yellow rice, stewed fruit, chutney and vegetables

• Dessert platter

  Legendary sweet treats – koeksister, milktart, baked pudding and Amarula mousse – are perfectly paired with dessert wine or a coffee.

• Nostalgic sweets

  Tuck into your brown paper bag at the oldest shop in town, Oom Samie se Winkel.

• STELLENBOSCH WINELANDS TOUR from 13:30 till about 17:00.

• Transport in a luxury, air-conditioned vehicle.

  Pick-up at the last stop of our walking tour.

• Tasting fees at two acclaimed wine estates included.

  Your driver will supply you with vouchers and you will have the opportunity to visit the two beautiful estates at your leisure.

• Drop-off in central Stellenbosch.

See Tour Details below

INCLUDES:

• Transport from Stellenbosch to Kayamandi township

• Walking tour of approximately 1h30

  Your guide, who was born and bred in Kayamandi, will take you on a leisurely stroll to meet local entrepreneurs, learn about exciting community development in the township, visit a spaza shop and, if time allows, a tavern (shebeen).

• Inter-active cooking demonstration at a Xhosa home

• A delicious 3-Course Menu

  - Freshly made ginger beer
  - Steam bread / vetkoek / stokbrood
  - Morogo (spinach and potato dish)
  - Oven-baked chicken dish
  - Mielie pap with home-made chakalaka
  - Umxhaxha (a pumpkin and sweetcorn dish)
  - Dessert

See Tour Details below

INCLUDES:

• Inter-active cooking class

  You’ll be in safe hands with your experienced chef who has built up a keen following in her local community as house-wife-turned-entrepeneur.

• 3-Course menu

  - Upon arrival you’ll be treated to flavoursome samoosas, pies, and daltjies.
  - Then you’ll make light, fluffy rotis from scratch.
  - You’ll master the spice combination for authentic Cape Malay curry (chicken or lamb or vegetarian).
  - Your chef will show you how to prepare delicious tomato and onion sambal.
  - Before sitting down to enjoy the feast, you can ‘stroop’ your own Malay koesisters like a pro.

• Non-alcoholic beverages

  Fruit juice and tea / coffee are always on offer.

• Recipes are provided

  So that you can impress friends and family with your newly-learnt repertoire…

• Small gift

  You’ll take home a souvenir in the true Malay tradition.

See Tour Details below

INCLUDES:

• Guided tour of the old town centre

  Your experienced guide leads you along the oak-lined streets from one charming eatery to another.

• Nostalgic cake and tea experience

  Make your choice from the chef’s exquisite hand-made cupcakes served old-school style: with tea.

• Chocolate and coffee experience

  A trilogy of artisan chocolate treats rounded off by hand-roasted African coffee.

• Bubbly lunch

  Enjoy a light lunch with a glass of sparkling wine. (Menu varies seasonally)

• Surprise packet of nostalgic sweets

  While we browse Oom Samie se Winkel – the oldest shop in town.

See Tour Details below

INCLUDES:

• A guided tour of the old town centre

  Your experienced guide will entertain you with stories about the historic town as you stroll from one tasting venue to another.

• We visit a quaint confectionary shop for hand-crafted sparkling wine

  accompanied by some of the best home-made sweet treats in town.

• We sample excellent white and red wines from Stellenbosch and the greater Cape Winelands area

  with delicious olives, cheese, artisan chocolate and cured, air-dried beef strips (biltong).

• The grand finale is award-winning dessert wine and port

  individually paired with a mystery fresh fruit sorbet (you’ll have to guess!) and dark chocolate truffles at the oldest hotel in South Africa.