Editor’s Note

The Met Gala, which finally took place at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night after months of postponements, is the most coveted ticket on the international celebrity red carpet parade (and this year only a third of the usual guest list was invited to participate in fashion’s biggest night). It garners a lot of attention, so you probably know the theme was “American Independence”, which gave the exhibitionists among the famous and fabulous attendees (and, let’s face it, most of them are) plenty of room for interpretation, from founding fathers in powdered wigs, rhinestone cowboys and star-spangled gowns, to Lady Liberty cosplay and lime sequined takes on American football gear — all saying something about America’s varied heritage.

A$AP Rocky wore a memory quilt made with fabric and antique quilts sewn together, including a few personal effects such as his dad’s bathrobe, to represent his take on America. Spanish singer Rosalia wore a tasseled red leather number to represent her Spanish roots. Who knows what Germany-born singer Kim Petras was trying to say about America with the giant horse head she wore on her chest. Perhaps a reference to America’s Mafia history, if you know your Godfather movies, or maybe she was just giving Megan Thee Stallion a run for her money.

It would be interesting to see what local celebrities would came up with if they had to wear an outfit that represented SA. I’d love to see Somizi in a sequinned rainbow jumpsuit. We also have great traditional outfits to draw on, which we usually see on our streets across the country on Heritage Day (Friday, September 24).

For this Heritage Day issue, we asked a range of chefs, who all draw on their various cultures to create their menus, to tell us their favourite traditional dish and why it connects them to the place they come from. They also weigh in on why it’s important to honour and preserve the recipes of our elders for posterity.

“If you really want to make a friend,” said Spanish civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, “go to someone’s house and eat with him ... the people who give you their food will give you their heart.”

We hope we get to your heart through your stomach this Sunday. For comments, criticism or praise, write to nagela@sundaytimes.co.za