Reviving Forgotten Culinary Traditions: The Resurrection of ‘Lost’ Dishes

Johannesburg – Once upon a time, your grandmother’s recipe for vetkoek was simply her special creation.

The method she used to create those scrumptious, deep-fried bread rolls was something you eagerly anticipated, especially when enjoyed with syrup or her tasty mince.

However, it wasn’t quite what you’d find on a modern menu.

But those days are quickly changing.

Introducing the Culinary Roots movement, emerging as a key global food trend in 2025, where chefs and culinary experts are bringing back beloved dishes and techniques to reconnect with their gastronomic heritage.

This trend is highlighted as one of four megatrends in the Unilever Food Solutions Future Menus 2025 report, based on insights from over 250 chefs across 75 countries.

“The most exciting dishes aren’t necessarily those featuring the latest in molecular gastronomy or exotic superfoods – they’re about reviving nearly forgotten cuisines, and doing it with impressive creativity,” notes Yonela Motloung, Marketing Lead at Unilever Food Solutions South Africa.

So, what’s driving the return to traditional food?

• Desire for Authenticity: Instead of another pasta dish or poke bowl, many diners are looking for meals that reflect local identity and provide the depth offered by ancestral recipes.
• Rooted in Sustainability: Long before the concept of ‘sustainability’ gained popularity, ancestral cooking embodied it through the use of local, seasonal, and easily accessible ingredients – generating minimal waste.
• The Health Perspective: While modern processed foods often contain preservatives, traditional cooking emphasizes whole, fresh ingredients and simple preparation methods.

South Africa has a rich culinary heritage, marked by a fusion of indigenous traditions, colonial influences, and cultural blends, with recipes dating back centuries.

These are dishes that once defined our food culture, yet many have gradually disappeared in favor of convenience and global food trends.

Traditional foods like Isijingi (pumpkin and maize porridge), Mogodu (tripe), Umngqusho (samp and beans), as well as heritage dishes such as Skilpadjies (liver wrapped in caul fat) or Mosbolletjies (aniseed rusks made with fermented grapes) are slowly fading from our tables.

Ironically, we often get excited about ‘imported heritage foods’ while letting our own culinary treasures slip away.

But the Culinary Roots movement aims to change that.

“It’s about taking the ingredients and dishes we know – those integral to our culture – and modernizing them,” explains Chef Pinky Maruping from Unilever Food Solutions South Africa.

“We’re not just preserving tradition; we’re adapting it to fit today’s kitchens while respecting our roots.”

Imagine Umngqusho (famed for being Nelson Mandela’s favorite), enhanced with local herbs and truffle oil, served with smoked brisket – gourmet yet deeply connected to ancestral comfort.

Picture vetkoek reimagined as artisanal sliders filled with gourmet delights.

This “race to revive” is crucial for preserving traditional food practices, which often reside in the memories of older generations.

As these voices fade, we risk losing not just recipes but the cultural context tied to them.

As rural areas become more urbanized, younger chefs often miss opportunities to learn about the culinary traditions that came before them.

Thankfully, there are initiatives underway to preserve our culinary legacy beyond family teachings.

Food tours are now presenting ancestral methods to broader audiences, while workshops offer hands-on insights for learning.

Culinary schools are integrating local ingredients into their programs, modern restaurants are revitalizing heritage dishes, and food influencers are leveraging cookbooks and media to spark renewed interest among younger generations.

There’s significant potential as food tourism grows. Diners – both local and international – are actively searching for authentic, rooted experiences.

Social media provides a platform to reintroduce traditional culinary classics in fresh ways, while brands like Unilever Food Solutions equip the foodservice sector with resources, insights, and products to blend heritage with innovation.

The competition to resurrect forgotten culinary traditions is heating up, and the nation is fully equipped to flourish.

“The cuisine that tells unique South African stories is rediscovering its voice. Every preserved recipe is a piece of our history that endures,” concludes Motloung.

“And that’s a heritage worth protecting – one vetkoek at a time.”

FEATURED RECIPE

DEEP-FRIED SLICED FISH WITH PERI-PERI OIL

Ingredients

For the Fish Brine

• 200 g hake fillets
• 10 g spring onion
• 10 g sliced ginger
• 500 g water (with 2% salt)
• 10 g Knorr Professional Chicken Stock Granules

For the Fish Seasoning

• 3 g Knorr Professional Chicken Stock Granules
• 1 g Knorr Aromat Original
• 2 g sugar
• 512 g peri-peri oil

For the Sweet Potato

• 200 g sweet potato, sliced into 5 mm rounds
• 3 g honey
• 2 g roasted white sesame seeds

For the Spicy Seasoning

• 3 g roasted chili powder (with seasoning)
• 10 g Robertsons Peri-Peri Spice
• 3 g Knorr Professional Chicken Stock Granules
• 1 g Knorr Aromat Original

Method

1. Prepare the Fish

• Mix water and stock granules to create the brine.
• Add hake fillets, spring onion, and ginger. Allow to brine for 2 hours.
• Remove, rinse, pat dry, quick-freeze, and then slice into 5 mm pieces.
• Dehydrate the slices for 4 hours.

2. Deep-Fry & Season the Fish

• Heat peri-peri oil to 110 °C.
• Fry fish slices for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden and translucent.
• Remove and coat with fish seasoning.
• Soak in peri-peri oil until ready for use (the longer, the more translucent).

3. Cook the Sweet Potato

• Rinse and drain the sliced sweet potato.
• Heat oil to 175 °C.
• Fry until crispy and golden. Remove and set aside.

4. Finish & Assemble

• Combine the spicy seasoning ingredients.
• In a pan with a bit of spicy oil, stir-fry honey until it begins to bubble.
• Add the crispy sweet potato and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle with spicy seasoning and sesame seeds.
• Arrange the sweet potatoes on a plate and top with the soaked fish slices.
• Garnish with micro herbs.