Jan, South Africa’s Michelin Star chef
Jan Hendrick van der Westhuizen is co-owner of Jan, a restuarant in Nice, France. He was awarded a Michelin Star in 2016 and is thus the first South African chef to be awarded with a Michelin Star.
The restaurant was also voted as one of the best restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveller in 2015.
Cookbooks
Jan Hendrik published his first cookbook, The French Affair, in 2013. It is a collection of recipes styled and photographed by him. It celebrates his life journey that took him from the farm in South Africa to France.
His second cookbook was released in in 2016. JAN: A breath of French Air, documents more than 90 of the recipes served at JAN. His style is modern French food with a touch of South African soul. He uses ingredients such as rooibos tea and buchu. On the menu you will find mosbolletjies. These are brioche-style Afrikaner bread made with fermented grape juice and aniseed. You may recognise koeksisters too which are syrupy, crispy plaited fried pastry.
Television
In 2017 Jan Hendrik featured in his own television series, JAN. He gave us an intimate look into his life as a creative artist. He also shares the processes that inspires him to create award-winning culinary creations. Each episode was filmed in breath taking scenery. And of course, ended off with a spectacular dish inspired by the episode’s characters and ingredients. Not forgetting a robust South African touch.
Jan, the Restaurant
Jan Hendrik has endless creativity. He has added a new dining area, MARIA (named after the Maria’s in his life), to JAN. And he has released his own wine range under the label, JAN. In May 2018 he also launched JAN the JOURNAL. This is a bi-annual magazine that is part coffee table cookbook, part lifestyle magazine.
Jan South Africa’s Michelin Star Chef
And so, it was wonderful and uplifting news for South-Africans when JAN was awarded with the Michelin star. Many of us became intrigued with the award-winning chef. He grew up on his family’s dairy farm in the north of South Africa where he learnt to cook from his mother and grandmothers.
In his cookbooks and journal, you find inspiring stories accompanied by creative styling and excellent photography, all done by Jan Hendrik himself. It gives every person who cannot visit France and Italy, a glimpse to the kind of things he does there. Each gourmet dish looks like a work of art. You will fall in love with food and basic ingredients all over again. It inspires and motivates your decision to add a visit to JAN to your bucket list, as well as a 5-day trip to the small Italian village of Apricale to recharge your batteries and learn how to slow down and to appreciate life. You also ask yourself how this hands-on multi-talented chef finds time to create cookbooks and a journal of such high quality.
Visiting South Africa
Jan Hendrik announced on 16 August 2018 that he would be making a special three-day trip to Western Cape towns to meet and sign his South African supporters’ cookbooks and journals. I was overjoyed with the news and embraced the opportunity. Equipped with my cookbooks, journal and umbrella to weather any possible Cape storm, my husband accompanied me to the Stellenbosch venue. We arrived two hours before the scheduled time and was delighted to be third in the queue.
Meeting his Fans
Upon arrival, Jan Hendrik was relaxed and greeted his supporters with a big smile. By then the queue was very long and I was pleased that I was in the front line of the chef’s supporters. When it was my turn, he greeted me friendly and asked me my name.
He found it an unusual name, but then explained to him that Ohna is a shortened name for Johanna (which is a typical South African name) and he then smiled and said:
“Wow, I get it, it is a beautiful name”.
Whilst signing the books, I told him I have noticed on his Facebook page his request for doilies and that I have brought him a very special beaded doily which my mother made 35 years ago. Jan Hendrik then looked up and said with a big smile: “I love doilies!” and thanked me sincerely for giving something with such sentimental value to him. He wanted to know more about the doily, but then informed him that I have included a card with more details in the envelope.
When I told him that it’s on our family’s bucket list to visit JAN and Apricale, he assured me that we will have an unforgettable experience and is looking forward to our visit. By that time my cession had elapsed, and the only time left was for a few pictures and to wish him all the best on his future endeavours.
Proudly South African
When I walked away, I came to the conclusion that Jan, South Africa’s Michelin Star Chef, is one of South Africa’s best exports. That fills my heart with pride. It was an honour and privilege meeting him. These few, but highly valued, minutes with Jan Hendrik motivates me more than ever before to live my dream and to save my cents (pennies) towards my bucket list holiday to Nice and Apricale.
And for another unique South African export, check out the story of the Pinotage grape
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