Roots of Flavour brings global communities together through food

Food has a unique way of bringing people together. Beyond simply filling our plates, it can introduce us to different cultures, traditions and ways of life, sometimes inspiring us to travel and experience those places for ourselves.

This was the idea behind the Roots of Flavour initiative by Marble Hospitality, in partnership with Air France-KLM which brings different flavours from around the world to South Africa to connect communities through food.

The first event took place last week. 

On Wednesday night, Mexican chef Alberto Preciado Navarro, joined Marble Hospitality and Air France-KLM for a special culinary experience at Zioux Restaurant in Sandton, giving diners an opportunity to experience the flavours of Mexico without having to travel thousands of kilometres. 

Wilson Tauro, Country Manager Southern Africa at Air France-KLM, says food is a powerful expression of culture, history and connection.

“We're proud to partner with Marble Hospitality on Roots of Flavour, creating an opportunity for South Africans to experience the creativity and traditions of some of South America's most celebrated chefs.

"While our network connects travellers to extraordinary culinarydestinations around the world, partnerships like these allow us to celebrate those same global flavours here in South Africa through meaningful cultural exchange.”

Time Out Johannesburg was amongst the guests who experienced the delicious meals prepared by the international chef. 

The event featured a five-course dinner prepared by the chef alongside the Marble team. 

The evening began with opening drinks, followed by introductions from those involved in bringing the experience to South Africa. Chef Navarro also brought his personality to the room, joking about how much South African wine he had enjoyed the previous day as he explored some of the country’s offerings. He went on to explain his passion of exposing South Africans to some of his signature dishes. 

We were first treated to a delicious roasted esquites with wood-fired corn with herb butter, citrus aioli, aged cheese and toasted chapulin seasoning. 

The star of the night was the salmon aguachile which was a citrus-cured salmon with cucumber, fresh chilli, avocado crema and charred onion seasoning.

Soup lovers also got to enjoy the black bean and roasted chicken soup which had grilled chicken, fresh cheese, crispy chilli and avocado.

The beef tenderloin with green pipían was a special treat. It featured premium beef fillet served with a traditional pumpkin-seed and green herb mole, accompanied by a seasonal bean salad.

Another favourite for me was the dessert. We were served the delicious sweet corn cake with cajeta. This was a moist Mexican corn cake drizzled with goat’s-milk caramel and served with Mexican vanilla cream.

The experience was part of a three-part international culinary collaboration with the next one happening later in the year in Cape Town.

At its heart, Roots of Flavour is about more than food. It is about creating spaces where people from different communities can gather around a table, share an experience and learn more about cultures beyond their own.

While travelling to another country allows people to experience its culture first-hand, initiatives such as Roots of Flavour offer a glimpse into those cultures from one's home country.

A dish can inspire someone to add that destination to their travel list, or perhaps, that is the beauty of bringing international cuisine into local communities: the reality that you do not always have to travel far to discover somewhere new. Sometimes, all it takes is a seat at the table.