Lifestyle
Across Zimbabwe, British scones are the taste of home
HARARE – A sweet doughy treat from Britain has become a beloved part of Zimbabwe’s national cuisine, where despite the country’s colonial past, mothers and chefs alike now claim the pastry as their own.
The scone, which Brits normally enjoy with afternoon tea, is ubiquitous in Harare, the southern African country’s capital.
A breakfast favourite in these parts, it can be found everywhere from high-end eateries to the market stalls of impoverished townships.
“We love scones. They are not British, they are ours, our local scones,” Nyari Mashayamombe, a rights activist, says as she leaves an upmarket restaurant in Harare’s Belgravia district, its garden dotted with open umbrellas
Dense yet airy, Zimbabwean scones are the result of the intercultural mix that came with colonisation, says Mashayamombe, a red-haired 42-year-old who is also a singer and media personality.
In “fancy places like here… a beautiful scone goes as high as six bucks,” she said, referring to the American dollars that have become Zimbabwe’s parallel and preferred currency.
“It’s worth it.”
A few kilometres away at a market in Harare’s oldest township of Mbare, scones are impossible to find after midday.
“We sold them all this morning. They move quickly,” one vendor says.
The main communal bakery in Mbare, a bustling working-class district, opens at dawn.
Tawanda Mutyakureva, 26, arrives at around five in the morning to his work station, measuring two square metres, where he has to bend over to spread the dough on a knee-height countertop.
Every day he cranks out around 200 scones in an overheated room with cinder-block walls, lit by two bulbs hanging from a wire.
Brandishing a cookie cutter, he works quickly to whip out one batch after another, with each scone selling for 25 American cents.
In the hot, humid atmosphere redolent of yeast, his wife – with their baby strapped to her back – helps him with buttering the pastries and clearing plates.
Resellers come in to buy 10 or 20 pieces that will be sold at small grocery stores.
Memory Mutero, 46, was at the bakery to buy bread, since she makes her own scones at home.
“I make scones for my three kids. It takes about 45 minutes,” she tells AFP.
Her ingredients are simple: flour, salt, yeast, sugar, butter and milk.
But at the Bottom Drawer, an upscale tearoom in Harare, cook Veronica Makonese is unimpressed after tasting a scone brought back from the township.
“There is no milk in those, they used water!” the 46-year-old claims.
A white kerchief on her head, Makonese says she makes her own buttermilk for her scones, to control temperature and acidity levels, and uses only real butter to ensure the proper taste and softness.
Her boss, Sarah Macmillan, a 53-year-old Zimbabwean, says she longs for the scones she would eat as a child.
Back then, two shops in the centre of Harare, now closed, competed for the crown of best scone in the country, and Macmillan wanted her tearoom to make some that are “just as good”.
Macmillan says the secret of the little cake’s enduring success, in a country struggling with endemic poverty, is simple: “It’s very filling and affordable.” – AFP
BY BAYANDA NKATHA
Sheynnis Palacios, the current Miss Universe World, arrived in Victoria Falls on Wednesday as part of her world tour before relinquishing her crown in November.
During her two-day visit, she experienced the best of Zimbabwe’s tourism offerings, including a sunset cruise, interaction with wildlife, and a tour of the Falls.
“I am impressed by the hospitality of the Zimbabwean people,” Palacios said. “Everyone is so welcoming, and Victoria Falls is breathtaking. I will definitely market this beautiful country.”
Palacios was accompanied by Tendai Hunda, Miss Universe Zimbabwe license holder, Brooke Bruk-Jackson, Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2023, and Zodwa Mnkandla, a Miss Universe board member.
They were hosted by Miniyothabo Baloyi-Chiwenga, wife of Vice President Constantine Chiwenga.
Baloyi-Chiwenga, chairperson of Miss Universe Zimbabwe, emphasized the significance of Palacios’ visit. “This is our way of saying, ‘Come and visit Zimbabwe; it’s safe.’ We are thrilled to have Miss Universe World as part of our strategy to market the ‘Brand Zimbabwe’ campaign.”
Palacios’ visit comes shortly after Nicaragua opened its embassy in Harare, strengthening ties between the two nations. As the first Nicaraguan to win Miss Universe, Palacios is making her maiden visit to Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe.
She had previously represented Nicaragua in the 2017 Teen Miss Universe pageant and the 2021 Miss World pageant.
“I am excited to be here and experience all that Zimbabwe has to offer,” Palacios said. “I will ensure that I market this beautiful country and encourage others to visit.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Bulawayo-based arts group, Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts (Iyasa), is set to release a new album titled ‘Rise Up’ by the end of August.
The group’s founder and director, Nkululeko Innocent Dube, revealed this in an interview with VicFallsLive.
“‘Rise Up’ is our latest project, and we’re excited to share it with the world,” Dube said.
“Our last hit, ‘S’jaiva Sibancane’, was well-received, and we’re hoping to repeat that success with this new album.”
Iyasa, has been a force to be reckoned with in the arts scene since its inception in 2001.
The group has toured several countries, including France, Spain, and Australia, and has won multiple local and international awards.
But Iyasa is more than just a performance group.
“We’re a school of arts, and our mission is to incubate young people,” Dube explained.
“We don’t do auditions; we train and teach. All we need is passion, interest, and dedication.”
The group works with around 30-40 young people and has partnered with 40 schools across the country to create productions that tackle issues affecting youth, such as drugs and substance abuse, and climate change.
One such production will be taken to Germany for an international exchange program.
With ‘Rise Up’, Iyasa is set to take their music to the next level. As Dube rounded, “By the end of the year, we want people to be dancing to our music and enjoying what we do.”
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