WHAT HERITAGE DAY MEANS TO DAVID HIGGS (CHEF, ‘MY KITCHEN RULES’ SA JUDGE)

What’s your favourite traditional food?

I grew up in Namibia and I have fond memories of cooking freshly caught fish on a beach fire.

Fish is one of my favourite ingredients, and I love to cook it.

If you were to have a party at your place, would you serve it?

If I were to have a party at my place – I would probably braai (even though I spend my life braaiing) or, I would serve a classic casserole and stew such as lamb curry or a beautiful vegetable stew.

Having people around the table and serving them food you’ve cooked from the heart is probably the perfect recipe for any dinner party.

What are your thoughts on maas with phuthu – do you eat it with or without sugar?

When I started to work in the kitchen, a chef by the name of Joe, who was also a taxi operator, took me under his wing and I worked closely with him for the first year of my career.

He always used to eat krummelpap (“crumbly porridge”) in the morning with maas, but I could never stomach it. So, I ate mine with cream and sugar.

What does Heritage Day mean to you as a South African?

When I think about Heritage Day, I think about cooking on the fire and celebrating quintessential South African fare and what makes it so special – fire. It’s a quality that makes our food culture different from the rest of the world.

I’ve long been fascinated by what makes our fare unique, and believes it’s down to us being meat and flame enthusiasts – the timeworn ritual of cooking on wood fires, and gathering with friends.