Eating and Learning African

May 1999

Eating foreign dishes and learning about their preparation can give us insights into different cultures.

At C.E.R.E.S. (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) there is the opportunity to learn a great deal more in the most pleasant of ways. Set on Merri Creek, East Brunswick, the centre with its cafe and continuing teaching about the environment and other cultures is a wonderful place to wander round, sit outside and enjoy with the family. Children can visit the animal farm, feed the chooks and guinea fowl, learn about collecting wood, making mud bricks and thatching and even discover the art of bartering at the trading store in the African Village. This village (one of four at CERES - the others are Aboriginal, Indonesian and Maori) is the setting for an African Festival next Saturday afternoon.

From 1-10pm there will be tastings of African dishes and of teas. The cooking will be done in the traditional way, over an open fire. As well there will be storytelling, tribal face painting, a fashion parade of African dress, roof thatching, mural painting and workshops in dance, drumming and song given by well known musicians Valanga Khoza (South Africa), and Isaac Paa Brown (Ghana); dance by Gifty Kuukwa Ayeribi Acquah (Ghana), the Wzuri Dance Company, Dominique’s Dances & Tribal Wave and performances by a host of others including the African Royal Drummers and Soukous Ba Congo. At the end of the day the teachers will lead an African jam session. Visitors welcome to bring along their own drums and other instruments.

During the day, the CERES cafe will be open serving its usual mix of dishes (Greek, Italian, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Spanish) which are priced between $6-9 and some African specialities such as Joloff Rice. The performers are all superb cooks, according to the Festival’s artistic director, Jacqui Dressens, and are giving the CERES cafe some of their recipes for the day. There will also be food stalls in the African Village with food on sale by Tribal Tastes, award winning caterers. Owner Kunle is from Nigeria and his West African dishes will include corn rolls, rice balls, cous cous, chicken and some fresh vegetable dishes according to what he can get at the market. At last year’s Royal Melbourne Show, Tribal Tastes won an award as ‘the most healthy catering outfit’. It provided food at last year’s inaugural African Festival which some thousand people attended and this year dishes (small and large) will cost between $2.50-7.50. Some of Melbourne’s African cafes may also be involved (this could not be confirmed at the time of writing) These are not numerous, in Mietta’s Eating & Drinking in Melbourne we have identified Blue Nile and cafe d’Afrique (Footscray) and Dhodaan(Flemington), others include Africa Bar Restaurant (Fitzroy), African Tukul Eating House (Sth Yarra) and African Mesob cafe Restaurant (Footscray).

One of the favourite gathering places for East Africans is Dhodaan run by Mohammed Ali and his wife Halima Mubarek. There are two small rooms, simply furnished and the food available consists of dishes such as Enjero and kibis (pancake and flat bread) and Suqar (Somali spiced meat) with somali chilli, babaganoush and tabouleh The meals are large, meaty and cheap, all you can eat of six dishes for $10 per head.

For information about the African Festival at CERES on Saturday May 15, call 9388 1707 or 0409 025 062.. There are ongoing activities in the Village with six African teachers employed there. As well, craft teachers give regular Saturday afternoon workshops in such activities as bead weaving and basket making classes. For information about those call 9486 2287. The CERES cafe and centre is at Lee Street, phone 9387 2609

The African cafes mentioned here will be part of the updated Mietta’s Eating & Drinking in Melbourne. For more information, visit Mietta's web site. www.miettas.com.au