spice girl
“I have my grandmother to thank for passing down her knowledge of spices to me, and my Malay, Indonesian and Javanese forebears for sharing so many uses of spices, decades of cooking techniques and cookery experience that gave rise to our unique Cape Malay cuisine.
“I CANNOT IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT COLOUR . SIMILARLY, I CANNOT FATHOM A MEAL WITHOUT SPICES!” CARIEMA ISAACS
“My love for spices comes from my reverence for the spice trade and the value it’s brought to our world,” explains Cariema.
“I don’t think there is anything more powerful than travelling and coming to terms with everything that is foreign to you. I felt like that on my (first) trip to Mumbai. I felt humbled by my surroundings and so giddy, eager to get to the markets. I remember going to the local spice market and plonking myself down on a small wooden stool and all I did was watch everyone around me. An entire day passed by; I didn’t move. I watched as bags of spices, dried chilli, cumin and coriander were being received from suppliers in large hessian sacks – I was in awe. I felt like I had arrived at the source.”
But it all really began for her at her family’s Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, table. “My grandmother maintained that our senses
