Die brood wat ons daagliks breek: gemeenskapsbelewenisse van die broodtradisie op Skanskopeiland

Abstract

Brood as stapelvoedsel is 'n kernkomponent van die Suid-Afrikaanse voedselkultuur en die kultuurerfenis van Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe. In hierdie artikel word die tradisionele broodbakkultuur op Skanskopeiland in die Benede-Oranjerivierkontrei ontleed. Die bakgeriewe, -toerusting en -proses, soos toegepas sedert die dertigerjare van die vorige eeu, word beskryf. Die voorbereiding van verskillende tipes broodgebak word verduidelik. Die kulturele betekenis van die tradisionele broodbakkultuur word beoordeel. Hoewel dié gebak nie uniek is aan Skanskopeiland nie en variasies daarvan in baie streke van Suid-Afrika voorkom, pas die broodbakmetodes en die tipe brood wat hier beskryf word, in die groter prentjie van die Skanskopeilanders se tradisies, gebruike, herinneringsgeskiedenis en kultuurlandskap in. Dit lewer 'n belangrike bydrae tot die versterking van die groepsidentiteit van die inwoners en hul nasate se sin van plek, asook hul emosionele verbondenheid aan Skanskopeiland as oerlandskap. Brood as deel van die materiële kultuur, het nie-materiële assosiasies. Simboliese betekenis en geestelik-religieuse waardes word daaraan geheg. Hoewel die bestanddele, toerusting en bakproses oor die jare gemoderniseer is, het die resepte en voorbereidingsproses basies onveranderd gebly. Die handhawing van die broodbaktradisie en die oordrag daarvan aan die komende generasies is van belang, omdat dit die kulturele geheue bewaar en 'n dinamiese kulturele voetspoor skep wat in 'n veranderende wêreld voortdurend hernieude betekenis aan die gemeenskap se kultuurerfenis gee. SUMMARY: Bread as staple is an integral component of South African food culture and of the cultural heritage of South African communities. In this article the tradition associated with baking bread at Skanskopeiland in the Lower Orange River region is analysed. The baking facilities, equipment and processes are described. The methods of baking and serving salt-rising bread, ash-scone, dough boy and griddle-cake are explained. These types of bread, symbolising a simple lifestyle close to nature, are not unique to Skanskopeiland. Variations occur in most regions in South Africa. Although the ingredients, equipment and baking process have been modernised, the basic recipes and preparation have remained unchanged. The cultural meaning and significance of the traditional way of baking bread are analysed in the article. For the people of Skanskopeiland bread is a symbol of provision and wellbeing. The types of bread and baking methods discussed here fit into the scheme of the traditions, customs, memories and cultural landscape of the Skanskopeiland community. They contribute to the people's collective historical consciousness, group identity and sense of place and strengthen the emotional bonds linking the inhabitants and their offspring to Skanskopeiland as their primal landscape. Bread as material culture has non-material associations. Symbolic significance and spiritual-religious values are attached to it. The maintenance and transmission of the traditions relating to bread are important, because they help to conserve the cultural memory of the community and create a dynamic cultural footprint which in a changing world infuses new meaning into their cultural heritage.