I was so inspired by the experience at Wolfgat and I starting doing a bit of research to learn more about the West Coast plants and herbs. The West Coast of South Africa is one of the most unique places in the world to learn food by experience. It’s less about formal culinary schools and more about foraging, fire cooking, seafood, and indigenous ingredients ‘veldkos’ and we had great fun ‘learning’!
Foraging & Strandveld cuisine (the real signature)
The West Coast food identity is built on wild, local ingredients: Seaweed, mussels, limpets Coastal herbs like soutslaai (dune spinach) Edible flowers and veld plants.
- Soutslaai (dune spinach)
- Sour Fig
- Sea Purslane
Oh, and we tried Abalone (called perlemoen in South Africa), a marine snail — the same animal that produces those beautiful iridescent shells.
It worked really well with mushroom because of its texture: firm, slightly chewy (like a cross between squid and scallop). It is considered a luxury ingredient worldwide (yummy!), it’s delicate, oceanic, slightly sweet in flavour.
You know it aaall! 