Cuizine Africa

It’s been around for over a year now and is the brainchild of Anna Savage, the lady behind the I heart Market. The Morning Trade is one of the spots in Durban that serves as a showcasing platform for some of the city’s best artisanal food talents and traders. A few vendors from both have used this as a springboard and carved out enough of a successful niche, with the available captive consumers, to open up their own stores or establishments, and supplying their product direct to trade. I am an avid enthusiast of the #SupportLocal movement if the local is worth supporting, and often at places like the Morning Trade it has proved to be an identifier where quality produce and food can be found, making it easy to provide the support. Basically, shut up and take my money.

It started out in Morrisson Street initially, and I wrote about it here when it first popped up. Since then it’s moved to a new creative hub, The Plant, on Station Drive. It’s established itself as the go-to for some top chow to indulge in every Sunday. And that is the chow I was craving this past Sunday and decided to pop in again.

Kicking off the nosh-fest right near the door is the Artisan Cheese lady. They have a whole list of lactose lovin’ products to chuck in the basket, including various cheeses made by a determined Dutch lady who has brought the cultures from Holland with her, and some seriously decent butter. And something you cant really find anywhere, which is clarified butter. It’s basically rendered butter that has been separated from the milk solids and water and you just get the golden, glorious butterfat left behind. It means it has a much higher cooking point, is more stable, lasts forever because its almost purely fat, and thus perfect for cooking. Science lesson over. I bought a jar and a week later Im already halfway through.

One man’s fruit is another man (or woman’s) cocktail. And now we hit territory I really like. Fresh coconuts getting hacked open, the liquid content poured into a shaker, mixed with fresh juice and rum, then served back in the fruity receptacle that nature was so kind enough to provide. Island vibes on the east coast, in the middle of a warehouse near the centre of the proverbial concrete jungle. I found this guy’s stall near the back, but I recommend starting with the food first to get the tummy lined. Then hit those cocktails like his cleaver whacks those coconuts.

Durban’s best falafel guy, Saar, is also there, rolling out those rotis, stuffed with his family recipe’s worth of falafel, hummus and tahina, straight out of Rosh Pina, Israel. From the Middle East to a bit of spicy Eastern cuisine, the Roti&Chai guys do these amazing spicy tandoori naan omelettes, filled with lamb seekh skewers or sausages and drizzled with a tamarind and coriander sauce. Geddinmaface.

I snuffled out some scotch eggs at Grandma’s Eggs (hello, 1960, love the name!) and while they aint the cheapest crumbed and crusty little nuggets of yolky delight, they are basically an entire breakfast in a ball. Im ok with this.

Basically, the vendors there are the bee’s knees (and happy tummy burp-ees) and I recommend you come early, grab your breakfast of choice and then shop for the groceries. And then get dessert.

Find the Morning Trade every Sunday, from 8am to 1pm at the Plant, 5 Station Drive.

Find Cuizine online here:

IG: @CuizineDurban

Twitter: @CuizineDurban

Facebook: facebook.com/cuizinedurban