As it is heritage month, why not celebrate a product that is proudly South African? Local company, Natural Balance, have been making waves internationally with the revolutionary Wonderbag, which is made in South Africa by South Africans for South African kitchens.
My foodie friends Colleen and Marieka, have been raving about cooking with Wonderbag. I’ve known about it but never felt compelled to make a purchase and try it out. But after hearing their reviews an interest was ignited.
The Wonderbag is a revolutionary, non-electric, heat retention cooker that allows food that has been brought to the boil by conventional methods, to continue to cook for up to 12 hours, without using any additional energy source. Wonderbag was founded in South Africa six years ago by local entrepreneur and social activist, Sarah Collins, and the product was born out of a practical desire to continue cooking during a bout of Eskom load shedding.
Not only is the Wonderbag a revolution in the kitchen, but it is also a recipe for social change. First world countries have embraced the Wonderbag because of its environmental attributes and particularly its social contributions, because for every Wonderbag bought in a first world country one is donated to an under privileged and less fortunate family in South Africa.
According to Jacqui Rey, well-known chef and owner of Food Matters catering company, the Wonderbag is a great addition to any kitchen. “I have been using a Wonderbag for the past four years and I really love it from an energy-saving point of view. You simply cook your food for approximately 30 minutes before you put it into your Wonderbag and then forget about it for a few hours. It is perfect for dishes that require slow cooking, saves a fortune on gas and electricity and you can’t burn your food in a Wonderbag. It is also multi-functional, I have even managed to make a delicious chocolate malva pudding in it,” says Rey.
Jackie Cameron from Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine in Hilton KwaZulu-Natal enjoys the fact that the Wonderbag allows fuss-free slow cooking. “The Wonderbag is a wonderful tool to use when you cook with a nostalgic slant. As my cooking is all about memories I love to use this slow-cooking process to produce mouthwatering dishes like Wild Boar and Bone Marrow or Guinea Fowl Puree and Breast. This style of cooking brings back many childhood memories of standing by my grandmother’s side in the kitchen. I also believe that it just makes sense for the culinary world to embrace cooking in this way. We all have to do our part to look after the environment and by cooking in the Wonderbag you will use significantly less electricity and gas” says Cameron.
Wonderbags are available online at www.kalahari.com, www.takealot.com, www.yuppiechef.com or www.nb-wonderbag.co.za
Bags retail between R200 and R400 each.
Have you used the Wonderbag? What do you think of the product?