As part of the rich literary programme at the 2025 Vrystaat Arts Festival, hosted at the University of the Free State (UFS), the book Thinking Through Food in South Africa: Identities, Embodiment and Representation was officially launched on 15 July 2025. The launch took place at the ATKV Boeke-oase in the Centenary Complex on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. 

Co-edited by Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Internationalisation at the UFS, Prof Desiree Lewis (University of Western Cape), Prof Relebohile Moletsane (University of KwaZulu-Natal), and Heather A Thuynsma (University of Pretoria), the book brings together diverse voices reflecting on how food shapes identity, memory, and social meaning in South Africa.  

Prof Reddy, Prof Moletsane and several contributing authors - Brian Sibeko, Ayanda Tshazi and Nomkhosi Mhlanga - were present at the launch to offer reflections on the work and the journey behind its creation. 

A project rooted in critical food studies  

According to Prof Reddy, the book was developed over three years as part of the Critical Food Studies project – an interdisciplinary five-year initiative funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation. 

“The project explored how we understand food - not just a source of nutrients we need to survive, but as something layered with meaning. Every bite of food carries with it a history and an origin,” said Prof Reddy. He emphasised that many of the authors featured in the book are master's students from various South African universities, and for some, this publication marks their academic debut. 

Food as entry point into social realities 

Prof Moletsane elaborated on the book’s central premise: using food as a lens to explore broader societal questions. “We use food as an entry point to conversations about our lives, identities, histories and social realities – especially in how these play out in our communities and the spaces we inhabit,” she explained.  

The book features a range of compelling chapters, including one by Nomkhosi Mhlanga titled ‘Does food in history matter? Food in the South African history curriculum.’  Mhlanga argued that the role of food is often overlooked in historical narratives. She highlighted, for instance, that one of the motivations behind white settler expansion in Southern Africa was access to fertile land for food production – a factor often omitted in school curricula. 

In another chapter, Balungile Zondi explores ‘Symbolic meaning-making in traditional wedding foods amongst the AmaZulu in KwaZulu-Natal'. Her work highlights how different parts of a slaughtered animal hold symbolic meanings in traditional Zulu wedding ceremonies, illustrating how cultural practices are deeply embedded in food customs.  

Brian Sibeko's chapter, ‘Gay culinary adventures in Pietermaritzburg’ adds another dimension to the collection, exploring identity, sexuality, and resistance through food narratives. 

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