Studio H launches pioneering culinary industry resource, including digital hub and downloadable reports.
Following extensive research into the cross-cultural cuisines that make up South Africa’s immense and diverse culinary landscape, Studio H is excited to launch 100+ Flavours as its first report on the new platform.
As a culinary-minded design agency, Studio H is known for curating and publishing annual food trend reports and is now set to expand its reach and repertoire with the launch of this first-of-its-kind digital hub.
“Through our ongoing consultation work and curation of projects over the years – mostly for food brands – we have identified an urgent need for comprehensive, accurate archiving of South African food knowledge,” says Hannerie Visser, Founder and Creative Director of Studio H.
100+ Flavours is the first report in a series of reports that will be published on the platform. Created in collaboration with food anthropologist, Dr Anna Trapido, the South African flavour archive follows on from Studio H’s 100 Flavours installation, that ran at the V&A Waterfront in 2021.
In an authentic and engaging way, 100+ Flavours showcases the overlapping influences – ancient and modern, urban and rural – that have created regional and cultural variations on shared themes – vetkoek meets magwinya, tšhotlo fuses with fynvleis, and bunny chows become kota and spathlos.
The report highlights – in a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand way – the major impact that the ravages of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and dispossession have had on who consumes what, where and how often in South Africa. It also draws attention to the insightful social, economic, political, and psychological local stories that are infused into every spoon of soured sorghum ting and each bite of biltong.
There is a tale to be told through every mouthful of mebos and each crunch of madzhulu termites. And there are ancestral acknowledgements in every sip of amasi, boegoebrandewyn and umqombothi.
“The aim of the report is not to draw up a definitive list of all foods for all times and all peoples, but rather to stimulate debate and whet appetites for further epicurean investigation,” says Dr Anna Trapido.
The 100+ Flavours report can be purchased and downloaded from Studio H’s website and costs from R950 per copy. In-person or digital presentations, as well as immersive ingredient deep-dives for groups can be arranged on request.
To celebrate the launch of the report, the studio teamed up with designers, Hoick, to turn their street-facing office window into an interactive culinary library – to give passers-by a sneak peek into our shared culinary heritage. The window also acts as a showcase of the studio’s expertise as food futurists and installation designers.
The interactive installation can be visited at Tiny Empire, 37 Buitenkant Street, District Six, all hours of the day.
ALSO SEE: Chef Ryan Cole shares his insight into 2023 restaurant, food and drink trends
Chef Ryan Cole shares his insight into 2023 restaurant, food and drink trends
Issued by Studio H.
Feature image supplied by Studio H.
