CHEF SIVE BHEMBE REIMAGINES ESWATINI’S CULINARY HERITAGE

By Tlalane Dlamini

Familiar Eswatini flavours took on a contemporary identity at Lihawu Restaurant, Royal Villas, on Saturday, 24 October 2026, as Chef Sive Bhembe presented the first edition of The Unorthodox, a fine-dining experience inspired by the country’s culinary heritage.

Held from 18:30 to 22:00, the evening explored how traditional ingredients and familiar home-cooked dishes could be transformed through modern culinary techniques without losing their cultural significance.

Through a carefully curated multi-course menu, Chef Sive invited guests to experience Swati food from a different perspective, celebrating the ingredients and flavours that have long been part of the country’s food culture.

REIMAGINING FAMILIAR FLAVOURS

The experience began with two snacks inspired by traditional favourites. Umbhidvo wetitsanga was presented as a phyllo tart featuring umbhidvo pesto, brown butter butternut and toasted pumpkin seeds. Sibindzi naAnyanisi offered a creative interpretation of chicken liver, served as parfait with onion jam and pickled onion.

The bread course, Sinkhwa Nelitiya, featured corn milk bread accompanied by rooibos butter and fermented apricot gel, introducing a combination of familiar ingredients and contemporary flavours.

For the main course, Inkhukhu nelipalishi reimagined the classic combination of chicken and pap. The dish featured confit chicken, a polenta croquette, a spinach and cabbage stuffed onion, cauliflower mousseline and sherry jus.

The progression continued with an orange granita pre-dessert accompanied by apple and ginger terrine, before concluding with Sidvudvu. The dessert transformed pumpkin into a mousse, served with berry labneh, granola, apricots and tuille.

Each course demonstrated how traditional ingredients could be interpreted in new ways, bringing together cultural familiarity, culinary creativity and contemporary presentation.

TELLING STORIES THROUGH FOOD

Reflecting on the experience, Chef Sive described the event as a success, emphasising that its central purpose was to tell a story through food and encourage guests to reconsider familiar dishes.

“It was an amazing event. It served its purpose, which was to tell a story through food and allow the guests to see familiar food through a different perspective,” he said.

The concept placed Eswatini’s culinary heritage at the centre of a contemporary dining experience, demonstrating that traditional food can be reimagined without losing the cultural identity and familiarity that make it meaningful.

By transforming everyday ingredients into carefully crafted dishes, Chef Sive challenged conventional expectations of local cuisine while celebrating the flavours that connect Emaswati to their heritage.

A NEW EXPRESSION OF ESWATINI’S FOOD CULTURE

The first edition of The Unorthodox offered a fresh perspective on the creative possibilities within Eswatini’s culinary landscape.

The experience highlighted how local ingredients and traditional dishes can inspire innovative dining concepts, creating opportunities to celebrate the country’s food culture in new ways.

Through this approach, Eswatini’s culinary heritage becomes more than a collection of traditional recipes. It becomes a source of inspiration for storytelling, creativity and the evolution of contemporary cuisine.

As demonstrated at Lihawu Restaurant, familiar flavours can tell new stories when viewed through a different lens.