Aromatic and evocative of the veld, a new palette of fynbos seasonings and herbs challenges and delights palates at a masterclass tasting experience with Giselle Courtney of South African Fynbos.

Spices have shaped our history and geography. Cape Town owes its existence to explorers and then entrepreneurial merchant ships. Hungry to satisfy the palates of the palaces of Europe (and make their fortunes), they sailed around the tip of Africa to discover a maritime spice route, trading in exotic culinary treasures that were often worth their weight in gold. Our spice racks today are routinely stocked with these once ruinously extravagant spices from the east: black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. The flavours of far-off lands are now taken for granted and part of our everyday cooking. But what about South Africa's indigenous aromatics that could be ours for the picking, right here on our doorstep?

This conundrum exercised Giselle Courtney's mind even before she moved to a little piece of fynbos and vineyard heaven outside Wellington, Western Cape, nine years ago. She'd used fynbos and rooibos for an exercise in team-building and diversity training that she'd headed up back in Joburg, and was excited by the flavours she...