Curry can keep you chirpy for longer!

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Over thousands of years curry has been a staple flavour-enhancer in many countries around the world. Curry is a complex blend of spices that can be mixed and blended to suit all tastes or enhance an array of dishes – from vegetables to goat! Sometimes it may even serve as a handy tool to ‘mask’ a rather miffy meal? Curry makes it all good – including your health, it may seem! Those foods that pack a punch in flavour could improve our chances of living longer.

Consuming curry-flavoured dishes on a daily basis – or at least twice a week – could lower the chance of an early death. So it seems that adding a little spice to your life would be worth the hot sweats, numb tongue and adrenalin charges brought on by a choice chicken tikka masala!

Of course a quality curry is a special blend of spices and ingredients, which may include cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, paprika, cardamom or star anise (perhaps even a little apricot jam if you have any South African heritage in you.) But the most commonly used hot-as-hell spice remains the chilli. Whether fresh or dried, big or small, red or green, with or without the seeds, any cook worthy of his salt will know when a dish requires a bit of this magic ingredient to take the flavour up a notch.


Medical professionals continue with this interesting research, but seem to agree that the spice, capsaicin, contains a bioactive ingredient which has long had anti-obesity, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, amongst others.


Of course, this is fantastic news for us here at Tolbos, where the winters bring with them such chilly nights. Hence, we added a dose of good medicine in the Patensie Valley with a Currie Evening last week. By the time guests left after a long evening of chatting, ‘chilli’ing and chowing at the buffet, bellies were bulging, cheeks were rosy and grins were wide. Definitely a bill of clean health and some feel-good for all who attended!

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I know a famous place, The Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve

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Now, you may ask, “What is all this fuss about The Baviaanskloof?” Well, it is only THE most stunning Wilderness Area that lies tucked between the Baviaans and Kouga Mountain ranges, approximately 120 km west of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This World Heritage Site is a showpiece of natural wonders that spans approximately 270 000 Ha. Expect rugged, mountainous terrain, interspersed with green grazing areas, pristine natural forests, fynbos, valley bushveld and rocky riverbeds. Trees here have been around for yonks -keep an eye out for the Outeniqua Yellowwood tree which has an estimated age of 800 + years. Two surviving species of the ancient Cycad species are found in the Baviaanskloof; and one particular plant, believed to be over 3 000 years old, stands at the viewpoint, which offers a panoramic view over the Cambria Valley. There are more than 1000 different plant species, including those of South African favourites, the Erica and Protea families, in the nature reserve.

The area is characterized by many diverse geological, topographic and climatic features. Check out the psychedelic and colourful rock formations and cliff faces – you would be forgiven if you thought you were on a 70’s high from all the fresh air!

A fail-safe way to start your exploration of this stunning site is to first visit Tolbos for some good food and expert advice on the area. After fuelling up on refreshments and some padkos, drive straight through Patensie for 40-odd km’s- past meandering citrus groves until you get to Komdomo and the Cambria Valley. Watch for antelope, birdlife and baboons throughout the Groot River Gorge. Keep driving – the fun has only begun! This route continues for about 203km’s to the Karoo town of Willowmore in the west.

 

Want to stay over? Not a problem. There are all sorts of amenities, to suit every budget. Pick from guest houses, B&B’s, camping sites, tented camps, hotels or working farms – you will be spoilt by the locals who are known for their hospitality and genuine, down-to-earth friendliness.

Quite simply, it is a place like this that inspires and drives eco-recreational enthusiasts!

Whether you prefer getting lost in the wild or sweating it off up an impossibly steep hill on a set of wheels, you can do here, in the Baviaanskloof. These valleys and hills literally beg you to ‘take a hike’ and you get to choose the pace and views!

Tourists who prefer to maintain their dignity can partake in a spot of bird-watching or keep an eye out for the rich and diverse wild animal population, which includes the species Cape Buffalo, Kudu, Cape Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Bushbuck, Mountain Reedbuck and Eland.

The Baviaanskloof is an eco-tourism destination right on our doorstep and it offers the traveller the perfect opportunity to explore South Africa in a safe and beautiful setting. Come on, what are you waiting for?

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