HONOURING SOUTH AFRICA’S LOST INGREDIENTS
AN INTERVIEW WITH GINO FORTUNE, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE PALACE OF THE LOST CITY
At The Palace of the Lost City, heritage comes alive through the flavours of South Africa’s unique indigenous ingredients. From the celebrated ‘Lost Ingredients’ to time-honoured culinary traditions, these elements tell the story of our land and culture. Local chefs like Gino Fortune play a vital role in bringing this experience to life, crafting dishes that honour these ingredients while introducing them to the palates of guests from near and far. Through creativity, every meal becomes more than just food, it’s a celebration of our heritage, a journey of discovery, and a connection to the roots of South African cuisine.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A CHEF?
Growing up, my mom cooked every night, no matter how challenging it was to decide what to make or to please my siblings and I. I came to realise that this was a true sign of strength, and it’s something I’ve always admired deeply about her. After high school, my sister, who was a qualified chef at a catering company in Cape Town, gave me my first job as a sculler. That didn’t last long though because I was determined to cook. Eventually, they had no choice but to let me start prepping for the hotline and, as they say, the rest is history.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AND JOURNEY WITH THE PALACE, WHERE DID IT BEGIN?
I am currently Executive Chef at the Palace Hotel at Sun City. I joined in January as part of the new food and beverage direction for the Palace and JAN collaboration.
WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE DAY TO DAY?
The Palace has seven food and beverage outlets which I head up on the food side, along with costing, writing, purchasing, planning and execution. As part of the new breakfast buffet offering at the Crystal Court we are showcasing heritage ingredients as part of Chef Jan’s ‘Lost Ingredients at the Palace of the Lost City’ project. Through these ingredients we are telling the story of South African flavour and cuisine
WHY DO YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH HEIRLOOM CORN AS THE DEBUT LOCAL INGREDIENT IN THE CRYSTAL COURT BREAKFAST OFFERING?
It was and still is a humbling experience, the versatility of this product has really brought so much joy and learning, showing once again that the culinary sector is ever evolving.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE HEIRLOOM CORN DISH CURRENTLY BEING MADE IN THE CRYSTAL COURT?
Corn Dombolo. For me, bread has always been something I associate with heaviness. But the light fluffiness of the dombolo, combined with the grainy texture of corn kernels running through it, makes it the perfect bread, even if it isn’t usually your thing. It’s yet another example of corn’s versatility and its constant evolution, which I find so humbling.
BESIDES HEIRLOOM CORN, WHAT ARE OTHER PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN FLAVOURS OR DISHES YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING AT THE PALACE?
I enjoy working on the Mopani worm crumble, sweetcorn, cheese and chutney jaffles, but there are almost too many to choose from.
THE PALACE RECEIVES VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE HOW DO THEY USUALLY REACT TO SOUTH AFRICAN CUISINE AND OUR HERITAGE FLAVOURS?
It is very well received, South African food is very versatile and has a lot of authenticity, so its not like we have derivatives from other nations, if its South African it’s purely South African and our guests truly enjoy this.
