Africa Day Lunch - 2019

On Thursday, 13 June 2019, the transformation committee of the department of Chemistry hosted Africa lunch. This important celebration of UCT’s Africa Month in May (the lunch was postponed due to Ramadan) is in keeping with UCT’s core objectives to foster a more inclusive society. The Chemistry department has representation from 19 African countries (31 countries in total!) amongst its postgraduate student and staff bodies! Several dishes were contributed by participants with dishes on the day including, the warm, hearty comfort dish of Libyan Kusksu (couscous, with stewed beef, sweet potatoes, carrots and garbanzo beans in a spicy hararat tomato sauce); the succulent, slowly simmered balance of sweet and savoury flavours in the Moroccan vegetable tagine; the traditional South African spicy vegetable Chakalaka served with pap; the long, slow cooked, bubbling South African lamb potjie; the colourful and tasty Indian Dokra and South African mielie bread snacks; the Cape Malay chicken Akhni with its warm, comforting aroma and hearty taste; the flavoursome and beautifully prepared Indian Shahi Paneer curry; the wonderfully appetizing and first dish to be finished Gabonese beef stew. After the students and staff had scraped the last dish clean, there was time and space for the traditional South African staple desserts of deep fried Cape Malay koesisters, malva pudding (served with Ultra-Mel custard of course!), milk tart, and a big serving of warm apple tart.