In every part of every old Karoo house are the memories of things that happened there. Their front doors are portals to the mysteries that lie within, the lives that have been lived there and the stories that have happened in their wide rooms with their wooden floors.

Retro Karoo Food  brings together 80 recipes from author, food writer and playwright Tony Jackman’s Karoo kitchen, made with love in the spirit of the old Garob. Some are traditional, others adapted, and yet others his own invention: from  skilpadjies, boontjiesop  and  tomato bredie  to  ginger chicken roasted in a potjie  and  parmesan gem squash;  there is  Japie se gunsteling,  Karoo ice creams and  prickly pear syrup…  Jackman also revisits cookery classics by C Louis Leipoldt, S.J.A. de Villiers and others, tracking down the histories and variations of dishes such as  waterblommetjiebredie, hoenderpastei  and  tipsy tart.

There are no trends in this book – no spheres, blobs, smears or passing fads. This is a throwback, a cookbook that distils those genuine, old South African recipes all in one place. If you’re a South African at home or abroad, a tourist wanting a taste of local cuisine or simply looking for classics for a midweek supper, braai or dinner party, this is for you.