Culinary Storytelling: The Evolution of Khanyisa Malabi’s Food Creation
Like many of us, Khanyisa Malabi’s love for food began at home, with early memories of her and her siblings learning how to cook from a young age. Food wasn’t just for nourishment; it was a way to connect with her Xitsonga heritage, a practice that began long before she launched her successful career as a food creator and stylist. She shares that her personal relationship with food stems from striking a balance between the past and the present. Her culinary journey has always been about harmonising tradition with modern innovation, allowing her to both honour and reimagine the flavours she grew up with.
Her passion for food creation took a significant leap when she released her first cookbook more than a decade ago. Initially, the cookbook was a personal project—a challenge to herself to prove she could start and finish something she set out to do. It quickly evolved into something much bigger and more magical. Over the years, the House of Khanyisa has become a testament to her journey, now involving a series of businesses and brands. However, through it all, Khanyisa's approach to cooking remains consistent: a balance of respect for tradition, personal creativity and global influences.
Malabi’s culinary identity was deeply shaped by her family, particularly by the cooking of her grandmother and her mother. Her grandmother was known for her expertise in preparing Xitsonga traditional dishes, while her mother brought her own unique touch to the kitchen, incorporating hearty roasts, rich stews and colourful vegetable dishes. “My mother’s tripe recipe, without a doubt, was her best dish. No one could make it quite like her. I remember her pot of slow-cooked tripe simmering all day, and the house would be filled with laughter and banter. Her joy was contagious, and that dish brings all of that back. It’s more than food—it’s a memory, a story, a celebration of who she was,” she recalls.
Khanyisa’s approach to cooking blends traditional African flavours with global influences she has encountered during her travels. Her latest cookbook, titled Khanyisa – A Culinary Storyteller, is a perfect reflection of her ability to celebrate African culinary traditions while incorporating new techniques and ideas. Influenced by Nordic cuisine, she fuses both styles to create something unique, offering a fresh take on traditional dishes without losing the heart and soul of her African roots. In her kitchen, both tradition and innovation coexist, allowing her to experiment while keeping her heritage alive on the plate.
The book also carries a message about the power of storytelling. For Khanyisa, food is not just about taste; it is about narrative. She draws inspiration from Garingani wa Garingani, which signifies storyteller — a historic Tsonga phrase she sees as a model for her own approach to storytelling through food. Just as the phrase was used to narrate the tales of Tsonga people, Khanyisa uses food as her medium for storytelling. Each dish she creates is a story—one that connects the past with the present, her personal experiences with broader cultural history.
As African food continues to gain global recognition, Khanyisa feels that the time is finally right for African chefs and food creators to receive the recognition they deserve. “Some countries are already ahead. We have many Western African chefs, specifically Nigerians, who are Michelin star chefs for example Adejoke Bakare; and more are emerging. One of my idols is Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, who was the first chef to receive a Michelin star from our country for his restaurant in Nice in France. Through this kind of exposure, our stories have a platform. There are many African chefs from South Africa and the rest of Africa who are making a mark,” she believes.
Khanyisa – A Culinary Storyteller: Special Collection is available on khanyisamalabi.com. For more info, follow Khanyisa Malabi on @houseofkhanyisa on social media or visit houseofkhanyisatv.com.