Article & photos by Andrea Durrheim
M
ost of us don’t think
of going into the
flower garden for
flavour, but lots of
our indigenous plants can be used
to impart something with a touch
of difference to our cooking. When
it comes to herbal flavours, our indigenous plants are certainly not
lacking. Try using the wild rosemary
(Eriochepalus africanus) in much
the same way as you would use
normal rosemary. It makes a great
companion for meat dishes. Our
wild sage plants (Salvia africana) are
as good as exotic sage when used
to flavour chicken dishes or to impart a herby flavour to savoury
snacks.
Did you know that there are many
varieties of Buchu? These range
from garlic scented to lemon with a
range of delicious aromas in between. Use Buchu in moderation
because its flavour is very strong
and too much could cause an upset
tummy. At the same time, it’s a
Wild rosemary (Eriochepalus africanus)
great way of adding some indigenous flavour to sauces and the buchus make the perfect accompaniment to game dishes.
Are you fond of garlic? You might
like to try chopping a few leaves of
wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) into
your salads or try it as a flavouring
for cooked food. A word of caution:
wild garlic has a very, very strong
flavour, so don’t overdo it! Have
you ever tried eating the flowers of
wild garlic? They make a great gar-
Wild sage plants (Salvia africana)