Phalaphala FM hosts Zwibodo men’s cooking comp

LIMPOPO – Phalaphala FM hosted their men Zwibodo cooking competition on November 30 at Mulala Guesthouse Vondwe Matatshe.

Eight groups, each comprising five men, participated. The blackspoon team emerged as the winners of the competition. The station celebrated the four years of the existence of the competition.

Phalaphala FM programme manager, Sharon Ravele, said the aim of the competition was to encourage men to also prepare good food for their families. Men also grow moustaches in November each year to address and raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, mental health issues, suicide and gender-based violence.

Ravele thanked the men who had provided them with recipes and tips on how to prepare their dishes. “Their dishes were made with food that is packed with vitamins.”

She said that men must be proud of their culture and customs and not be “copycats” of other peoples’ cultures.

“We must learn to love and appreciate our men. Cooking for themselves should also be preserved for the benefit of the young generation and the community at large,” said Ravele.

The team members jumped with joy, hugging each other in their excitement. Team leader Eddy Mudzielwana said they had been up against very strong competition and that the final cook-off was no small feat. “We were generally in awe of the culinary artistry that the other entrants displayed. The other finalists all delivered an impressive performance at the cook-off,” said.

“Cooking is literally just a passion for us all, we don’t have any chef qualifications and we haven’t taken any cooking courses at all. We just love doing it. We knew that we were going to take this title, though. We decided to focus on flavours that we were familiar with and knew how to perfect without having to reinvent anything.

“We really enjoyed putting our own menu together and prepare our style of food. These events are a great opportunity to give budding chefs a chance to shine,” he said.