Johannesburg – Who in their right mind would be in the nippiest aisle of a supermarket early on an icy Sunday morning scouring mageu boxes for a specific flavour?
It was the kind of weather that was so frosty that even Piet added a sleeveless fleece jacket atop his two-toned, short-sleeved bush shirt and khaki shorts, pulling his socks a little higher than usual to ward off the bitter cold.
The frosty air in the milk section, where this beloved South African beverage is usually kept, permeates the double masks we don to ride out the storm of the third wave.
But what were these two kindred spirits doing, one bent over pushing aside the strawberry and original flavours, as the other looked over, social distancing observed, to spot the desired mageu flavour.
There seemed to be only one option under the circumstances, the 2l box.
It was the only quantity that had the banana flavour.
This was followed by a scurry to the vegetable section, one part of the kindred spirits picked a packet of carrots, the other opted for frozen sweetcorn.
Quick strides to the dry goods section for self-raising flour were followed by that smile that beams through the eyes when game recognises game.
So, what was so important about the right fl avour of mageu, self-raising fl our and carrots?
This is probably where a disclosure is needed, dear reader: these three simple ingredients are weapons of mass construction, especially on a cold Sunday that calls for hearty food such as dumpling and stew.
These items are the foundations of the sort of meal one makes for a home-sick child in boarding school or varsity who is yearning for a home-cooked meal.
So, who in their right mind would brave the cold in corona-ridden Mzansi to fuss over mageu?
A desperate woman with no time to turn her kitchen or pantry upside down to find replacement ingredients, or one who had run out of supplies to make an old-time favourite with the available ingredients and with the least effort.
How else do you think people come up with the beloved two or three-ingredients dumplings made with just mageu, self-raising flour, and corn or grated carrot (optional)?
Tasty new twists to home-cooked favourites come when there’s neither time nor money to buy the usual ingredients.
I bet it is people determined to use whatever is in their cupboard – or fridge – who come up with the idea of baking scones with maas – or the many ways to jazz up samp.
I can’t wait to hear of the new ingredients that will form part of the new weapons of mass construction, what with the lockdown having taught us many lessons.
And the only time this will happen is when we can finally gather in large numbers for a wedding, braai or family do.
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