Cape Town for culinaries

At Cape Town's weekly markets and food fairs, gourmet is serious business.

On Wale Street, a corporate area of Cape Town, a bustle of suits usually steps out for quick coffees or smokes but come Thursday afternoons, they're instead seen with a shopping bag.
It's when the organic market, the Earth Fair, takes over a bylane, and almost as if by law, the aromas of breads, pickles and soups slow down what remains of the weekday. On this harbour of Africa, fine food is taken seriously, and there are evidences of this in more markets than one.

Take the Neighbour Goods market on Saturdays for instance. At the quaint Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, local farmers, bakers, butchers and fishermen put up fresh eatables - some peculiar ones being 'gluhwein', a spicy-fruity drink, chocolate chai, wild mushrooms and of course, loads of wines from the Stellenbosch region. Not to forget, the revelry is always punctuated by live music.
However, it is only at various legs of Good Food and Wine Show that one can gauge the locals' love to eat. At the one we visited, there were over 50,000 visitors (each buying a pricey ticket), one being Indian-origin Chef Atul Kochhar, who we spotted being treated the way we treat our Khans - autographed and photographed.

Last heard, at the upcoming show at Gauteng, Brit celeb Chef Gordon Ramsay himself is slated to make an appearance. Wonder how many autograph-hunting foodies he'd bring in.

Bon appetit!

Fly to the rainbow
South Africa is a nine-hour flight away from Mumbai. South African Airways (which now flaunts swanky new Airbus A330-200s) flies four times a week to Jo'burg, a two-hour flight away from Cape Town.

South Africa is becoming more India-friendly every tourist season, so finding value for your money isn't tough. A return ticket (on SAA) costs approx. Rs 38, 000; an average meal in Cape Town Rs 400 while accommodation begins from Rs 700/night.