Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube has praised Magriza Made Me Cook for documenting Zimbabwe’s traditional foods and cooking methods, saying the initiative will help preserve the country’s culinary heritage for future generations.
Ncube was speaking at the launch of the second season of Magriza Made Me Cook and the “A Taste of Zimbabwe” series at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo recently.
She said documenting indigenous foods through digital media was important as modernisation and technology change how traditional knowledge is passed from one generation to another.
“Food is not merely something we eat. Food tells a story. It tells us about our history, our environment, our traditions and our way of life,” Ncube said.
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She commended the initiative, led by Prince Sivalo Mahlangu, for using film and digital platforms to document traditional foods, cooking methods and personal stories.
“By documenting our traditional foods, cooking methods and personal stories through film and digital media, we are creating a living archive of Zimbabwean heritage,” she said.
“You are ensuring that knowledge which was traditionally passed on can now be preserved, asserted and appreciated by generations to come.”
Ncube said Zimbabwe should view culture not only as something to preserve but also as an economic resource that could create opportunities in tourism, entrepreneurship and the creative sector.
“Culture is an economic resource. This initiative showcases Ndebele cuisine and is an example of how traditional food can be used to promote the country’s cultural heritage and tourism,” she said.
“The wider Ndebele region possesses a rich cultural heritage that can contribute significantly to Zimbabwe’s tourism economy. Our traditional foods, cultural practices, music, dance, fashion, art, crafts and storytelling are all part of our tourism offering.”
She said initiatives such as Magriza Made Me Cook could connect farmers, chefs, filmmakers, artists, creatives and tour operators across the economic value chain.
“Through innovation, promotion and effective marketing, our heritage can create opportunities for young people, women, artists, filmmakers, chefs, farmers, tour operators and many other players across the value chain,” Ncube said.
“It brings together culture, food, storytelling, film, tourism and entrepreneurship. That intersection represents exactly the kind of innovation that can contribute to local economic development.”
Ncube urged Zimbabweans, particularly creatives, to use digital platforms to tell their own stories and showcase the country’s cultural heritage to international audiences.
“Stand up, tell your story. There are a lot of opportunities. Tell your story so that the world knows,” she said.
Participants at the launch called on the Magriza Made Me Cook team to expand the project to include more educational content on traditional foods and their uses.
They said traditional meals were sometimes associated with specific health and nutritional purposes, but that knowledge was not always explained or documented.
“Our traditional meals play medicinal roles. Our elders used to feed us specific foods for specific purposes. These helped us to stay healthy, we were not prone to falling sick willy nilly,” participants said.
“The challenge is they never really explained why we ate that particular food or how they prepared it. These are the things that we need to understand.
“Even for babies who would just have been weaned off, there were special concoctions that were done for them. They were fed special foods that nourished them. All that is important information that you can document for people to have access to.”
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