Monkey Gland Sauce

The girls had a break from school last week. Since mid-August, Seth and I had been planning for this chance to see more of the country. We spent many nights looking at maps and combing through our guide books, and ultimately, threw a little caution to the wind. We were off in search of elephants in the Eastern Cape!


I won't write a full recap of our week's adventures as Seth has done a great job describing the highlights of our trip and posting pictures on his blog site. Needless to say, we did find the African elephants and they quickly managed to make their way in to our hearts. Watching them move freely and peacefully in the park was absolutely awesome! Sharing Rosh Hashonah with them was a special blessing that we will carry with us for a long time to come.


During one of our elephant park days, in between our morning and sundowner game drives, we drove to another section of The Greater Addo Elephant National Park. Our little "safari" putt-putt took to the gravel roads like any wanna-be Land Rover (!) and UP we went... winding our way in the Suurberg Mountains. When we got to the summit, we saw blackened, scorched ridges that were burned from a lightening fire back in August. Seth and Alex took a horse back ride along the charred trails. Although the area is just beginning to sprout some green, they did see a herd of red hardabeasts. And on a walk in the area, a Cape cobra crossed Seth's path! The first Pollack snake sighting in South Africa!


The last leg of the trip took us from the very scenic "Garden Route" coastal region back towards the Western Cape. We turned off the national highway near Swellendam and drove north west through the Breede River Valley and its stunning winelands and orchards. We decided to make a few quick stops at a couple of wine farms before they all closed at 5pm. At the second stop, the hostess asked us where we were headed. "Worcester", we replied. She let out a quiet chuckle and said "I've never heard of anyone saying they were spending the night in Worcester!" We smiled (awkwardly) and off we went to find Worcester.


We arrived in Worcester an hour later. Not much to say about this small farming town that was settled in the early 1800's. It's quite pleasant, just not a popular tourist stop. The owner of the lodge suggested he make us dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant. We walked there at 7 pm to find just a few tables taken. Twenty minutes later, the restaurant was packed with mostly local Afrikaner families. It was a bustling Friday night. American country music was playing and the smoking section at the front of the restaurant was going strong. As we looked at the traditional Afrikaner mostly-meat menu, we noticed monkey gland sauce on the list of side sauces. Although we had seen monkey gland sauce many times on restaurant menus, we had never had the courage to order it. Maybe it was the lively spirit of the night that inspired us to inquire. "Is it really made from monkey glands?" we gently asked the waitress, trying not to sound too foreign and freaked out! She nodded her head and smiled, and returned with a sample which Seth and I bravely tasted. The girls would have nothing to do with it! The sauce tasted surprisingly benign, like A-1 steak sauce. We stopped at the sample.


The very next day, while sitting with our South African friends, we learned the true origin of monkey gland sauce. In fact, no monkeys are harmed to make the sauce. There's no trace of any one's glands. One rumor has it that back in the 50's, some visiting French chefs in Johannesburg created this concoction for their Afrikaner guests to use on their steaks. The name stuck and since then, there have been numerous variations on the popular theme. The basic ingredients include: fruit chutney, red wine, port, ketchup, curry powder, Tabasco, Worcester sauce, pepper, mustard powder, garlic, onion, chilies, brown sugar and vinegar.


Two points for the waitress in Worcester!