The fifth annual Waterblommetjie Festival takes place at the Windmeul Wine Cellar and Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Agter Paarl, Western Cape, on Saturday, September 7.
The waterblommetjie has been part of SA cuisine since long before Jan van Riebeeck arrived. Today the Cape pondweed (its proper name) is eaten mostly in stews and soups during the short harvest season. Production begins in February, when the dams where waterblommetjies grow are fed with fertiliser. The dam beds are ploughed to improve the growth of the bulbs, and filled with water - to a depth of about 1m to facilitate picking - at the end of March. Waterblommetjies grow slowly in winter, but flourish from about the middle of August, says Attie Krynauw, farm manager of Oudepont outside Wellington.
Danie Marais, founder of the festival and chief executive of Windmeul, says waterblommetjies are now as revered and sought-after as crayfish. "There are a number of wines which co-ordinate well with this delicate taste," he says.
Visitors to the festival on Saturday can pair waterblommetjie dishes and wines, compete in the Waterblommetjie Potjiekos Competition and watch the crowning of Miss Waterblommetjie (a pageant for girls from 4-6) while enjoying live entertainment.
- For more information, call 021 869 8100 (Windmeul) or 021 869 8386 (Rhebokskloof) or email windmeul@iafrica.com or info@rhebokskloof.co.za.
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