It’s Waterblommetjie Time in the Winelands!

The annual Waterblommetjie Festival is a celebration of one of South Africa’s most unique dishes.

The 8th Waterblommetjie Festival takes place on Saturday 3 September. Expect waterblommetjie dishes and wine pairings, many children’s activities, live entertainment, and more.

The Waterblommetjie Festival will take place at 3 different venues this year – Rhebokskloof Wine Estate, Under Oaks and Windmeul Winery. Click the links for information on what’s taking place at each venue.

Waterblommetjie or Cape Pondweed (aponogeton distachyos) also known as water hawthorn or water hyacinth is a South African food delicacy which has been enjoyed since the early days, first by the Khoi people as a winter staple, who then introduced it to the Dutch settlers when they arrived in the Cape in 1652.

It is an aquatic plant, the leaves of which float on top of the water and the scented, pretty white flowers standing upright, indigenous to the winter rainfall area of the Western Cape of South Africa and the Boland area in particular.

It is a very popular ingredient to use in soups and stews during the mid-winter months of July and August when they are found growing in abundance in the many dams or marshes once the winter rains arrive. The plants become dormant during the summer when the water dries up. Translated into English Waterblommetjie Bredie literally means “small water flower stew”.

Read more about waterblommetjies and other interesting items for food lovers at ShowMe’s WINELANDS KITCHEN  here.

If you are unable to make it to one of the festivals next weekend, why not make your own Waterblommetjie Bredie by following Colleen Grove’s recipe in our Winelands Kitchen.