Swakopmund Feasts

The 800-kilometre journey from Lüderitz to Swakopmund hasn’t robbed Asser Mukapuli of any enthusiasm.

The Nedbank Swakop Food Festival has just begun. The coastal town’s iconic red and white lighthouse stands tall above Mukapuli’s stall as he springs into action at the sight of patrons trickling into the gastronomic square where he shares morsels of culinary wisdom with a grin.

“Garlic and seafood are like husband and wife,” he says, raking a utensil through a large pan of crayfish-topped paella which stops more than one patron in their tracks.

The paella is one of the specialities of Touch and Taste, his Lüderitz-based catering company, and Mukapuli is proud to serve it at the festival as an alternative to Namibia’s eternal meat, pap and potatoes.

“A lot of Namibians suffer from lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes,” he says. “We produce a lot of fish but we don’t consume it so I try to promote Namibian seafood and a healthy lifestyle.”

A little further down the way, organic farmer Cheryl Green has a similar idea. Her vegan, sugar and gluten-free stall is a splash of beautifully presented savouries, cakes, pesto and vegan parmesan and, incredibly, Organix, her catering and made-to-order outfit, was actually born at the coastal food festival.

“I started this business as an experiment here two years ago and sold out on both days,” says Green. “I used to cook like this for myself but I decided to give the festival a try to share my knowledge and promote a healthy lifestyle while inspiring others to do the same.”

Though healthy eating is definitely an unwitting theme of this year’s festival, Namibia’s carnivorous and drinking default remains tried and true.

Aveshe Traditional Products caters to more homegrown tastes and is the stop for mopane worms, marathon chicken, ground nuts and matangara while Yokohama Sushi Bar makes quick work of salmon hand rolls and Chez Wou delights in dumplings, steam buns, spring rolls and noodles.

“This is the best stall here!” exclaims a woman in a purple mask awaiting her Chez Wou order with utter glee and who is more than happy to be quoted.

Just one of the many festivalgoers who brave Swakopmund’s growing winter chill to attend the culinary celebration gradually burrowing its way into residents’ hearts, the woman’s excitement is matched by the diverse and dining crowd which is thin on Friday but swells respectably on Saturday.

“Today was busy! I was serving beer all day,” says Brewer & Butcher’s Glenn Uahindua, who spends the weekend presiding over pulls of Helles, Märzen and a variety of beers brewed on site at the Strand Hotel, which houses the Swakopmund Brewing Company.

Decadent in its Ocean Cellar oysters and as sweet as can be with Farmhouse Deli’s chocolate kisses, the Nedbank Swakop Food Festival shines as a site for kapana cook-offs, Top Score pancakes, Desolate Gin cocktails and a host of other local and wonderfully homegrown food products.

“Swakopmund is a special little gem of hidden restaurants, some serving their clients for over 50 years. We have seen a few closing over the past few years, which really affects our local economy in many ways,” says festival founder Dalene Stephanus.

“The food culture here is different because we enjoy an eclectic mix of food in a town you can circle in 30 minutes. We would like to bring more of this to Swakopmund and turn it into the culinary capital of Namibia.”

Four events strong and with untold potential as a gastronomic celebration drawing on culinary talents, local eateries and enthusiasts from across the country, this modest but spirited festival is a seaworthy coastal treasure worth participation and polishing.

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha

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