Riaan ULeisa Tyler wakhulela epulazini lobisi eNorth West Tasmania. Lapho eneminyaka engu-23, wathuthela phesheya kwezilwandle, waqala eLaos ukuze afundise isiNgisi, wabe eseya eThailand lapho aqala khona ukubhala ngokudla.
Ngo-2005, wajoyina Izindawo zokudlela eziphuma phambili ezingu-50 zomhlaba ohlwini njengosihlalo waseNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia.
Ngakho, wahamba kanjani lapho ukuze azithole eseMalaysia, esebenza nabalimi eCameron Highlands?
Isikhathi esibalulekile esabamba iqhaza kulokhu kwakungenkathi u-Leisa enza umcimbi nompheki we-Thai-cuisine, naye owayengumngane wakhe wakudala, e-Singapore.
Wayedinga i-coriander futhi izimpahla zokudlela zine-coriander yaseFrance kuphela.
“Umngane wami wathukuthela futhi wenqaba ukuthi asebenzise i-coriander evela e-France esitsheni esiseNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia, lapho i-coriander iyisithako esibalulekile,” esho.
Emasontweni ambalwa ngemva kwalokho, uLeisa wayesesitolo esikhulu eSingapore futhi wahlangana nengane ye-bok choy eyayithathwe ngendiza ivela e-Australia.
Lezi kwakuyizikhathi zokuchitheka kwamanzi ezamenza wabona ukuthi iketango lokudla, ngamazwi akhe, laliphukile.
Abapheki bebezo-oda umkhiqizo cishe noma yikuphi emhlabeni. Ngemva kwesonto, umkhiqizo uzofika ngendiza ye-jet.
“Babengazi ukuthi ubani otshale ubhithiwothi wabo, noma kanjani,” kusho uLeisa. “Zazingenakho ukuxhumana nomhlabathi noma isimo sezulu noma izinkathi zonyaka.”
Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi umkhiqizo wawubiza kakhulu, wawune-carbon footprint enkulu. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, abalimi baseCameron Highlands, izintaba eziseduze kakhulu neSingapore, babetshala amaklabishi futhi bengakwazi ukwenza okwanele.
“Besidinga ukujoyina amachashazi,” kusho uLeisa. Nalokho wakwenza.
Ukuxhuma abalimi kubapheki
Ukhula nokuningi empeleni iqoqo lepulazi eligxile ekutshaleni amakhambi, imifino, izimbali ezidliwayo, namahlamvu okuhlobisa amahhotela nezindawo zokudlela eSingapore naseMalaysia.
Indlela uLeisa ayibona ngayo iyisiphambano phakathi komhlinzeki nepulazi. Ayinawo amapulazi, kodwa iqembu lisebenza ngamapulazi e-Cameron Highlands ukuze litshale umkhiqizo othile—ikakhulukazi imifino yase-Europe ebanda kakhulu.
Itshala izaqathe ze-heirloom, i-beetroot, i-leek, ama-radishes, nokuningi, okuningi, nokuningi.
“Abalimi bendawo bebehlale bekwazi ukulima lezi zitshalo, kodwa bebengazilimeli,” kuchaza yena. “Yilokho iphuzu.”
Isibonelo, uLeisa wathi i-Weeds & More bekungamapulazi okuqala e-Malaysia ukutshala i-kale. Manje, kukhona inala.
Cishe ngo-2015, i-Weeds & More yaba umsebenzi wesikhathi esigcwele kaLeisa. Njengenhlangano ezinzile manje, nokho, uchitha izinsuku ezimbalwa kuphela evikini esebenza ngakho, njengoba enamanye amabhizinisi okufanele awanakekele, okuyi-Kita Food Festival, engumnikazi wayo nompheki waseMalaysia uDarren Teoh.
Noma ngabe iyiphi indlela imbewu ekhula ngayo
I-Weeds & More isebenza ne-heirloom noma imbewu evulekile enempova. Imifino ye-Heirloom ibhekisela ezinhlobonhlobo eziye zaba khona amakhulu eminyaka futhi ngaleyo ndlela zingakhiqiza inzalo.
“Sisebenzisa imbewu ye-heirloom ngoba angikholwa ukuthi izinkampani ezinkulu zezolimo noma ezikhiqiza imbewu exubile kufanele zilawule ukutholakala kokudla emhlabeni,” kuchaza yena. “Futhi ngiyakholelwa kakhulu ezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo, emhlabeni wezitshalo nezilwane.”
Ucwaningo ngalezi mbewu, iqembu elizenzele lona ngokwalo, luthathe izinyanga ezingu-18. Indlela yokwenza yayihilela ukufaka imbewu emhlabathini nokubona nje ukuthi kuzovelani. Bazama izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene ukuze babone ukuthi yini ezomila enhlabathini yaseMalaysia kanye nama-monsoon.
“Ngakhokhela umlimi, u-Fung Chee Siang, onepulazi eliqinisekisiwe le-organic e-Ringlet, i-retainer, ngakho-ke kwakungekho ngcindezi yokuthi ipulazi lisebenze,” kusho uLeisa. “Bekuwukuhlola nje. Sasikhuphukela kwaFung njalo ngemva kwamasonto amabili noma ngaphezulu siyobona izitshalo futhi sibone ukwehluleka—okwakukuningi.”
I-Weeds & More iphinde yasebenza nabapheki ababili e-Singapore, u-David Pynt wase-Burnt Ends no-Anthony Yeoh wase-Cocotte evaliwe manje, ekuvuneni nasekupakisheni.
Laba bapheki ababili babeza epulazini benze amaphathi. Izisebenzi zasepulazini zazitshela abapheki ngokukhiqiza nokusebenza nesimo sezulu, kanti abapheki babephekela abasebenzi basepulazini.
“Kube yingxenye ebalulekile yokuvala igebe phakathi kwabapheki nomdidiyeli,” kusho uLeisa. “Mane nilalele izinkinga zomunye nomunye. Kwakumnandi.”
I-Weeds & More yaqala ukunikeza labo bapheki, futhi kusukela lapho bakhula ngomlomo.
Namuhla, isebenza namapulazi amane ukukhiqiza cishe izinhlobo eziyi-100 ezihlukene zezitshalo.
Kungani imifino yaseYurophu
Kuze kube manje, i-Weeds & More igxile emifino ye-heirloom yaseYurophu. Lokhu kunjengoba uLeisa ayazi ukuthi yilokho ababekuphakelwa abangani bakhe abapheki ezindaweni zabo zokudlela ngakho-ke i-Weeds & More yayizokwazi ukubadayisela yona.
Kodwa-ke, kusukela ekuqaleni, umgomo wesikhathi eside ubulokhu ubuyela emuva emikhiqizweni yendabuko.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kunombono oqinile eMalaysia, naseSingapore ngalolo daba, ukuthi uma okuthile kuthengwa kusuka endaweni ekude kungcono,” ecabanga.
Ngokwesibonelo, omunye wabalingani bakhe abalimi utshala iMomotaro, utamatisi oyingxube waseJapane. Izitolo ezinkulu ezikhethiwe zibuye zithengise utamatisi we-Momotaro, kodwa ezazo zivame ukungeniswa zisuka e-Japan futhi zibiza cishe u-R250 ngekhilogremu ngayinye, okwabiwe u-Leisa.
Kodwa, uLeisa wabelane, amaMomotaros omlimi wakhe angcono. Umlimi ungenisa imbewu, avuthise isithelo emvinini, futhi utshala imali enkulu “yothando nokugxila” ekunambithekeni, waveza.
“Imiphumela utamatisi osezingeni eliphezulu, ocebile umami kanye noshukela oyinsalela,” esho. “Kodwa ngingakubheja ngedola lami lokugcina ukuthi uma ikhasimende lesitolo esikhulu linikezwa ukukhetha kokubili ngaphandle kwemingcele yezezimali, lizokhetha utamatisi obuthwelwe ngendiza usuka e-Osaka.”
Ukhula nokuningi okuzayo
Ukusebenza nabalimi baseMalaysia, uLeisa wabelane ngakho, unezinselelo zakho. Ngenxa yokungaphathi kahle kwangemva kokuvuna kanye nezindinganiso zokupakisha kanye nalokho okulindelekile e-Malaysia, u-Leisa wabelane ngokuthi kukhona umqondo wokuthi kuhle ukuthumela amabhokisi ekhwalithi embi.
“Silindele amazinga aphezulu,” kusho uLeisa mayelana ne-Weeds & More. “Sikhokha kakhulu ngaphezu kwezinga lemakethe, kodwa ngalokhu silindele ukunakekelwa nakho konke kwenziwe ngendlela. Uma ukuzimisela kukhona, uma sabelana ngezinjongo nezinjongo ezifanayo, akukaze kube nzima kakhulu.”
Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi ukhathazekile yini ngokubonwa “njengomsindisi omhlophe”, igama elithi I-Tatler Asia esetshenziswa ekwethuleni i-Weeds & More esihlokweni, uLeisa wabelane ngokuthi umbuzo wethu wayeqala ngqa ukuzwa ngawo.
“Angazi noma abantu basithatha kanjalo yini. Ngokuqinisekile ngeke ngithembe,” ephendula. “Kimina, abantu bangaphandle bahlale bebona izinto ngendlela ehlukile. Bheka nje ukutshalwa kwezimali kwamaShayina kwezolimo e-Australia—ayazi ukuthi yini ezolandela ngoba angabona isithombe esikhulu ngamehlo amasha.”
Ngalawo mehlo amasha, uLeisa wabelane ngokuthi i-Weeds & More isezingxoxweni nenkampani yase-Java ukuze mhlawumbe yandise ukusebenza kwayo.
“[The] isikhati eside [goal] ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abalimi bethu bayajabula ngokwenza abakwenzayo, bakhokhelwa kahle, ukuthi umhlabathi wabo ujabule futhi uyakhiqiza, nokuthi lokho esikulindele ngamakhasimende ethu kuyafezeka futhi banakho konke abakudingayo emthonjeni wasekhaya osezingeni eliphezulu,” kuphetha yena.
- Funda kabanzi mayelana no Weeds & More lapha.
- Funda ezinye izindatshana esizibhalile mayelana neziqalo zaseMalaysian lapha.
Ikhredithi Yesithombe Esifakiwe: Ukhula nokuningi
