Unqamula amazwe ngokupheka
UBEPHEKELWA nguyise esakhula owesifazane osengumpheki omenywa nakwamanye amazwe aphesheya, wahlonishwa nangezindondo ngencwadi yakhe yezibiliboco.
UNksz Nompumelelo Mqwebu (42), usezakhele igama ngokupheka ukudla kwesintu okuthakaselwa nakwamanye amazwe. Lo mpheki okhulele eMlaza kodwa osezinze eGoli, ngonyaka odlule wethule incwadi ethi Through The Eye Of An African Chef’, edayiswa ezitolo zakuleli nakwamanye amazwe.
UNksz Mqwebu ozalelwe eGroutville, uthe uthando lokupheka lwaqala esemncane ngenxa yokuthi wakhuliswa abantu ababelikhonzile ibhodwe. Uninakhulu wayenesitolo esidayisa ukudla kanti uyise wayezibambela emabhodweni.
“Ngakhula ngidla ukudla okuphekwe ubaba futhi ungeke usho ukuthi kuphekwe yindoda. Lokhu kwangenza nami ngasondelana nebhodwe, ngakuthanda ukupheka. Ngaqala ngiphekela abangani uma kunemicimbi nasesontweni. Bengivele ngipheka kahle zisuka nje, okwenza ngabona kufanele ngikufundele.”
Uthe wabhalisa esikoleni sokupheka eThekwini ngo-2005, wafunda unyaka. Kwamshiya nemibuzo ukuthi zonke izikole ezifundisa ukupheka zigxile kokwasentshonalanga. Lokhu kwenze ukuthi azimisele ukugxila ekuphekeni ukudla kwesintu.
Ukuvuleka kwamathuba okuya phesheya kwaqala ethunywa uMasipala weTheku eChicago lapho kwakufuneka khona umpheki onohlonze. Emuva kwalokho zangena zilandelana izimemo njengoba eseke wapheka nasesitolo sokudla eParis ngesikhathi elakuleli linomgubho wokufundisana ngamasiko eFrance.
Ukumenywa kwakhe kwamanye amazwe akuzange kumshintshe ekutheni agxile ekudleni kwesintu. Akwenzayo ukubuka ezinye izidlo zakwamanye amazwe zesintu, bese ehlanganisa nesitayela sakhe sokupheka. Ngo-2012 uNksz Mqwebu wayofundela ukupheka eBallymaloe Cookery School, e-Ireland ukuze afunde ezinye izindlela. Ubuye wasungula nohlelo lokuhlomisa abapheki abasebencane olubizwa nge-Africa Meets Europe Cuisine. Ngaphansi kwalolu hlelo usemenywe emicimbini yokupheka, wabhalela namaphephandaba ahlukene engosini yezokudla.
“Namanje kusangidumaza ukuthi azikho izikole ezifundisa ngokupheka ngesintu. Yingakho ngigxile kukona futhi angincintisani namuntu. Ngifunde nokusebenzisana nabalimi ukuze ngisebenzise izitshalo zabo ukupheka ukudla kwesintu. Bangaba baningi abapheki kuleli kodwa angincintisani namuntu futhi ngeke ngishintshe isitayela sami.”
Mayelana nencwadi yakhe ayethule eThekwini ngoDisemba, uthe inezindlela zokupheka ukudla kwesintu kodwa okungangena nasezitolo ezinkulu zokudla. Le ncwadi iwine indondo emkhakheni weSelf Publishing noweFirst Publisher kuma-International Gourmand Awards kuleli. NgoMeyi uyomela elakuleli kuwona lo mcimbi eChina. UNksz Mqwebu uke waba yiHead Chef eZimbali Lodge kanti uke waba yijaji kwi-50 World’s Best Restaurants nakweminye imincintiswano yokupheka.