Food blogger and stylist, private chef, recipe developer and content creator are all the skills that culinary queen, Luyanda Mafanya possesses. We sat down with her to chat about everything from her career journey to good food and recipes, and right down to the Heineken® 0.0 National Take a Beer to Work Day campaign.
Q: Tell us more about your journey. Where did your love affair with food start and how did it lead you to where you are now?
A: My journey started in 2015, I was still in varsity studying towards a BCom degree, but I knew that food is what I really loved and I had been creating extravagant meals since my varsity days. I put my studies on hold and pursued my food blog. Yes, I was THAT passionate about it. Food was something I really enjoyed; it was therapeutic for me. So, what you see today is six years of learning and growing into this space.
Q: What made you gravitate towards food? What are some of the factors that influenced you?
A: It was definitely my family. Everyone in my family LOVES food and cooking but the biggest reason was when I lost my grandmother. She loved to cook and food was a great escape for her, and she was creative about the food she made. I started cooking so that I could feel closer to her, and that’s where my gravitation developed from. It became therapy to me after losing her.
Q: That’s amazing and a wonderful way of remembering her. Let’s talk about getting into the industry; the space you are in has grown rapidly, globally. How did you find the industry’s reception of you? Did you find any challenges?
A: Looking back, I think it was far easier for me to enter back then than it would be today particularly on how the social media world has transformed. When I got into it, food wasn’t a popular blogging choice, beauty and fashion bloggers were popular. Food was unique at the time and I was quite young (21). People were curious about food and I saw an opportunity to create content and blog around it, as well as sharing my recipes with people.
Q: How adventurous is your palate?
A: I believe I am very adventurous but there are some shows I watch and I would see them using scary looking ingredients (laughs), but I love to play around with my food as well as use local ingredients.
Q: You were a contestant on My Kitchen Rules, tell us more about that experience.
A: That is actually one of the craziest things I have ever done. The truth is, a friend of mine was the one that entered My Kitchen Rules and not me, however, their partner was unable to do the shoot and they needed a replacement. She asked me if I wanted to be her partner on the reality show and convinced me that we just have to cook. So, I decided that I have nothing to lose. It was the craziest and most amazing journey and I learned so much on that show. The pressure of making good food in a short space of time, having your food reviewed by renowned chefs and judges complimenting my work – was definitely a career highlight for me.
Q: What was your biggest mistake on the show?
A: The day we left the show! We were so close because we had made it to the semi-finals and were one show away from potentially winning R1 million. We got off the show because we failed at malva pudding; the baking gods were not with us that day. The simplest sponge cake thing to make, we failed at it. I was so hurt that day, I cried. However, I made sure that from that day my malva pudding is the best!
Q: You were part of the Olive’s Pride Chefs Tour, tell us about that.
A: It took place in July and was another incredible career experience. I was there with internationally-renowned chefs such as Reuben Riffel and Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen. Having been chosen to be part of a tour with such world-class chefs was amazing. We travelled to different parts of South Africa that we are originally from. My location was Limpopo because that was where my grandmother was born, and it was nostalgic and reminded me of home.
We explored different cuisines from various regions, and being in a place which I regard as home was a nostalgic but also unforgettable experience.
Q: Let’s talk about ingredients when it comes to cooking, what are your top three?
A: What a tough question! I have so many. But first of all, there must be onion involved. No dish is complete without onions. The second would be garlic and the third would be fresh herbs. If I have those three, I can create anything. However, definitely, more than those three ingredients are needed.
Q: Lockdown gave everyone an opportunity to fine-tune their skills in the kitchen and incorporate different things. When it comes to adding other things like wine and beer, do you have a preference for what you prefer between the two?
A: It is all dependent on what I am trying to achieve with that dish – the kind of texture, flavour and etc. in the final product. The nice thing about food, you can be creative and use anything to make it work.
Q: Let’s talk about incorporating beer into your cuisines. How would you incorporate the likes of a Heineken® 0.0 into your meals, where would you use it?
A: The yeastiness of the beer lends a lot to dishes. Also, marinating with beer is great to enhance the taste. But my favourite moments are having it with my meal for lunch on the most challenging days, while I work.
Q: Let’s talk National Take a Beer to Work Day with Heineken® 0.0. How would you unpack that as a content creator?
A: It would be a day when you’re breaking the rules, but not really breaking the rules. You can have Heineken® 0.0 while at work during your lunch break. I cannot wait to have a cold one while I shoot my content and make my good food.
Q: When is your favourite time to enjoy a Heineken® 0.0?
A: When I have been on the run for pretty much the whole day getting things done, you know, getting the chance to wind down a bit while I wind up with work.