Our heritage [by Sandy Grant]
Sandy Grant | Wednesday July 16, 2014 11:25
Sometime last week, I was in touch with a collector of antiquarian materials, lesser books, leaflets, posters and similar material in Johannesburg who regretted that ephemera of this kind only rarely survives.
His lament came to mind when paging through a remarkable 143 page book, Recipes from (not for) Bechuanaland which had recently come to hand. The book is of that same kind, something which is seen as having little lasting value and will usually end up being dumped. And more is the pity because in its own way this particular book is a gem.
It was produced by the Women’s Institute of P. O. Box 26, Francistown, and printed by Rhodesian Printers Ltd, Bulawayo. Some idea of the year it was published can be gained from its foreword which was contributed by the Patroness of the Francistown Women’s Institute, Joy Wray, who was, presumably, the wife of Martin Wray, the British Resident Commissioner between 1955 and 1959. Many of the recipes are straight forward and use materials that are locally available.
On the other hand, the section, Menus with a Difference, suggests either that those expatriate ladies in Francistown enjoyed a remarkably exotic lifestyle or that they had identified a surprising niche market. For whose benefit might they have included items such as Croûtes à l ‘Ecosse (not the same, please, as Scotch Egg) which, believe it or not, turns out to be Scotch woodcock (a game bird) on toast which is spread with anchovy paste and topped with scrambled egg.
Maybe such items explain the ‘from’ rather than the ‘for’. Maybe too this explains Joy Wray’s comment that there is everything in the book from ‘Madila’ of the Kalahari to the most civilised kind of dishes’. In the body of the book, Madila is described as ‘sour milk that is very popular with the Africans in the Protectorate’.
Unsurprisingly phane gets no mention which is probably just as well. On the other hand, some of us may be grateful, next time on safari, for the suggestions for dealing with the neck end of ribs of buck or for the instruction, ‘cut guinea fowl into small pieces’.
Others may take note of the warning that ‘meat in Bechuanaland is often tough – soaking for 12 hours in oil and vinegar’ does the trick. But old adverts are always a joy and this small book has many. Take the Tati Butchery which claims that it offers the best results for all meat dishes or the Francistown Butchery which describes itself as being a high class meat purveyor.
Had those ladies these two firms in mind when commenting on their tough meat? B. Basher seeks to persuade that a visit to its new modern premises will help to solve all shopping problems. There is too Feitelberg Bros, General Merchants, which will satisfy all your kitchen requirements.
Unsurprisingly, however, the cream is provided by J. Haskins & Sons Ltd of P.O. Box 6 and telephone #2 which states that they are dealers in cattle, small stock, grain and hides, are transport contractors, distributors of Shell products, agents for African Guarantee & Indemnity Col Ltd, British Aviation Insurance Co. Ltd, ‘Little Wonder’ Brick making Machines and Defy Gas Ranges.
But they are also agents for Genuine Frigidaires, Bedford Trucks, Pontiac Cars, Chevrolet Cars and Trucks, and Vauxhall and Opel Cars. In other words, you want it, we have got it! But Francistown apart, what happened to the Women’s Institute which was alive in Gaborone in 1965 but thereafter seems to have died. And did Lobatse ever have one. Does anyone know? leitho_grant@botsnet.bw