19 October 2026
Conversation with Chef Mokgadi Itsweng (South Africa) and Nozipho Sasha Thorne (Eswatini).
Monday, October 19, at 5.30pm, Aula Miroglio.
What role can Indigenous food knowledge play in transforming contemporary food systems? Drawing on their work in South Africa and Eswatini, our guests will explore the relationships between cooking, plant knowledge, biodiversity and cultural identity. The conversation will address the value of local ingredients, the transmission of knowledge between generations, and the connections between food, well-being and the environment. This encounter offers an opportunity to connect themes explored in your studies (food heritage, sustainability, ecological knowledge and social justice) with the experiences of two practitioners working in these fields. We will discuss how culinary practices can preserve and reinterpret Indigenous knowledge and contribute to more accessible and equitable food systems.
- Mokgadi Itsweng is a South African chef, cookbook author and food activist with over twenty years of experience. As Creative Director and Head Chef of Lotsha Green Kitchen, she develops products and recipes inspired by African Indigenous ingredients. Her award-winning cookbook, Veggielicious: A Plant-Based Ode to the Garden, and her dining initiative Gogo’s Plate bring together plant-based cooking, food heritage and education. She also advocates for equitable food systems through collaborations with the Chefs’ Manifesto and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.
- Nozipho Sasha Thorne is a culinary curation consultant, forager, botanical formulator and founder of Mongi Botanical in Eswatini. Her work focuses on revitalising Indigenous plant knowledge, food heritage and traditional ecological practices, promoting sustainable harvesting, biodiversity conservation and the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge.