I was reading an article listing all the foods you’re not supposed to eat after a certain age. It’s a very long list. I agree with most of it—there’s enough evidence now about things like vegetable oil, sodas (or what we call cool drinks here in South Africa), even the sugar-free ones, savouries like chips and peanuts, processed meats like pork, fries, pastries, and white chocolate—though I don’t eat white chocolate. The list goes on and on. Even some cereals don’t make the cut anymore. Butter gets a mixed reception: some say it’s good in moderation because it’s a natural fat; others say it should be avoided altogether.
Anyway, I was chatting to a woman recently who was shopping for a guesthouse in Noordhoek. She noticed the jam I was buying and asked about it. It’s a French cherry jam—no need to name it here—but she was curious about the difference between a preserve and a jam. Honestly, I don’t know the technical difference. All I know is the taste. And this French jam? The taste is delicious. Especially on a baguette, with cheese and butter. It’s not an everyday thing. It’s a now-and-then indulgence. But it’s hard to find a jam this good.
The only problem is the price—it’s hellishly expensive. That’s the issue with imported goods in most countries: excise duties, VAT, and of course the middle-person who takes a big cut, often doubling the price. I bet this jam costs next to nothing in France, but here in South Africa it’s one of the most expensive on the shelf.
Still, in winter, it’s lovely to have a bit of jam now and then. Sometimes I crave marmalade, though I haven’t had any in a while. A good marmalade is so hard to find. Yes, there are plenty of homemade ones around, but every recipe is different, and most of them aren’t quite the marmalade I grew up with.
Speaking of French baguettes, there’s a French café in Blairgowrie, Randburg. Patisserie de Paris (http://patisseriedeparis.co.za/) is a French patisserie and boulangerie – pastry shop and bakery – using traditional French baking techniques and continental style, all produced by a French-trained pastry chef and baker. The owner is South African—he used to work in television—but he went to France to study baking and pastry-making (I forget the fancy term… pâtisserie, or something like that). He told me his baguette recipe actually came from Algeria, from an Algerian baker. So it’s not strictly French-style—it’s an Algerian baguette. And it’s incredible. You can’t find anything like it except at his place.
I remember when I worked at Standard Bank Centre (also known as the Hanging Building, or 78 Fox Street), a skyscraper in Johannesburg’s Central Business District. It’s at the corner of 27 Simmonds Street and 78 Fox Street. Across the road was a café that had a sign that said something like, “A little bit of what you fancy does you good.”
Yes, a little bit of something good makes life better. More enjoyable. If you cut out every single luxury—what’s the point, really?
