A household name in South African traditional music, Ihashi's foot-tapping repertoire could be a revelation for the connoisseur. And his dancing has to seen to be believed.

Musically as well as gastronomically, South Africa's multi-ethnic melting pot of vastly different cultures has yielded a rich and diverse offering. Two master chefs from South Africa, Claude Du Toit and Notty Mothasedi of the famous Mabula Game Lodge, are dishing out authentic delicacies like the traditional Kingklip with ginger and sun-dried tomato sauce, maize and pap dishes, sosaties, boboties and Boerboontjie stew, to name a few.

The festival also offers a variety of savories--called `shebu' in South Africa--to accompany the obiquitous pap, all made from greenvegetables, all flavoured with chilli and sometimes peanuts. You could have the heady `Two Ocean' South African wine to wash down the boboties and pap dishes.For the uninitiated, South African food tastes a lot like continental fare with strong, and sometimes, unfamiliar seasonings. Taken with the heart-racing Zulu music, however, it acquires a unique rainbow flavour.

Bobotie of lamb with lemon leaves

Mince lamb 1 kg

Onion 1

Oil 25 ml

Bread 1 slice

Milk 250 ml

Apricot Jam 1/3 cup

Brinjals sliced thin 3

Lemon juice 50 ml

Raisins 75 g

Dried apricots 10

Curry powder 20 g

Almonds 12

Salt

Lemon leaves 6

Eggs 2

Saute onions and soak the bread in half the milk. Mix all the other ingredients and braise on medium heat until ready. Put mixture, layered with brinjal slices in container. Beat eggs and milk and pour over mixture. Bake in hot oven.

--Soumya Sarkar