Estate Living Magazine The Slow Movement - Issue 39 March 2019 | Page 58

G O O D
Unlike our early ancestors, we modern humans have
perfected the ability to create fire, and are no longer reliant
on the time-consuming task of rubbing sticks, or bashing
rocks together. We can light a fire with one strike of a match
(well, a boy scout can) or the ‘flick of a bic’ – or even just the
turning of a switch. And we don’t have to go outside to chop
down trees. We can pop to our local supermarket and pick
up a bag of pre-chopped wood, complete with kindling,
for the kind of fire that provides warmth and comfort. And
for cooking, it’s a bag of charcoal and a box of firelighters –
what could be simpler?
Our warmth no longer comes from an open fire in a pit in
the ground – we’re blessed with a choice of ‘hardware’ to
suit every taste and decor style, from an open wood-burning
fireplace beneath an elaborate mantlepiece to freestanding
options made of cast iron or boilerplate steel, and highly
efficient closed combustion fireplaces that keep mess to
a minimum. Should the thought of actually burning bits of
dead tree not be your style, then there are gas and electric
L I F E
options where the flick of a switch will give you clean, clear, dancing
flames without the residual ash and soot. Whatever your choice,
there’s nothing like a fireplace to add warmth and ambience to a
social gathering on a chilly winter’s evening.
With all the mod cons in our kitchens, we certainly don’t need
an open fire for cooking purposes, but we do need the whole
experience that goes around open-fire cooking. It’s not just
the traditional chops and wors. Some very sophisticated – even
vegetarian and vegan –dishes are greatly enhanced by being
cooked on an open fire, and nothing can beat the camaraderie of
sharing a few drinks around the fire while dinner cooks to perfection.
When it comes to what you actually make that fire in, the choices are
endless. We’ve moved beyond the ‘plonk the grid on the coals in a
half gallon drum’ DIY options to a huge range of products that include
classic portable charcoal braais, compact Webers, customised
pizza ovens and fancy built-in wood- and charcoal-burning braais
complete with ovens, potjie stands and more. Gas is also an option
– but not for the purists. For me, nothing beats the charred flavour
of meat cooked on an open fire – or the ‘dodge the smoke dance’,
cheerful banter and social vibe that always accompany a good old
South African braai.
Perhaps it’s our need to connect with the past, or to foster
communication in these hectic days of to-do lists and work
commitments, that has seen the rise in popularity of the fire pit –
which is essentially a campfire in our own back yard. Here again,
the options are endless. Whether it’s a simple pit in the garden
surrounded by tree stumps, a purpose-built structure that puts
your construction skills to the test or a fancy cast-iron fire box, the
purpose is the same: to nurture the age-old tradition of storytelling,
of real communication, and the sharing of life experiences.
Tessa Buhrmann