A Taste of the Cape’s Past

An intriguing flavour from the Cape’s culinary heritage finds new expression in Wilde Cape’s Fig Leaf Sharbat.

Long before artisanal drinks and botanical infusions found their way onto modern restaurant menus, the distinctive aroma of fig leaves was already part of the Cape’s culinary story.

Now, Wilde Cape is bringing this remarkable flavour into the present with its new Fig Leaf Sharbat: a delicately aromatic creation that celebrates the Cape’s heritage while offering a fresh, versatile ingredient for contemporary kitchens and cocktail bars.

A flavour rooted in history

The story begins in the early days of the Cape Colony. Fig trees were among the fruit trees cultivated at the Cape following the establishment of the Dutch East India Company’s refreshment station in 1652. Over the following centuries, figs and their leaves became familiar ingredients in Cape cooking and preserving traditions.

By the eighteenth century, the Cape had developed a distinctive food culture shaped by European traditions and the influences of the people who lived and worked here. Fig leaves were valued not only for their association with the fruit itself, but also for the unusual fragrance they imparted to food and drink.

Historical accounts of Cape customs describe the enjoyment of sweetened wine and spirits after meals in the late eighteenth century. Later, in her 1891 cookbook, Di Suid-Afrikaanse Kook-, Koek- en Resepte Boek, Elizabeth Jane Dijkman recorded a recipe for a fig-leaf syrup made by cooking fig leaves with water and sugar before adding the syrup to gin or brandy.

These traditions reveal a fascinating chapter in the Cape’s culinary history: the use of an everyday garden ingredient to create something unexpectedly complex and aromatic.

Sharbat, a sweetened drink traditionally associated with the wider Middle East and parts of Asia, has its own long history. Harvest Table Bistro & Wilde Cape’s Fig Leaf Sharbat brings together the idea of an aromatic, refreshing drink and the distinctive flavour of the Cape’s fig-leaf tradition.

It is a meeting of heritage and modern craftsmanship, inspired by a flavour that deserves far more attention than it traditionally receives.

So, what does fig leaf taste like?

Surprisingly, not quite like a fig.

Fig leaves offer a distinctive aromatic profile, with subtle notes often reminiscent of coconut and vanilla, alongside a fresh, green, almost creamy quality. The result is intriguing without being overpowering: familiar enough to be inviting, yet unusual enough to spark curiosity.

It is precisely this complexity that makes fig leaf such an exciting ingredient for drinks and food.

More than just a refreshing drink

Wilde Cape’s Fig Leaf Sharbat offers plenty of room for experimentation.

For a refreshing summer drink, dilute it with still or sparkling water and serve over ice with a slice of lemon. For a more aromatic alternative to ordinary lemonade, combine it with fresh lemon juice and chilled soda water.

For cocktails and mocktails, use it as a flavourful base for a gin cocktail, or combine it with sparkling water, citrus and fresh herbs for an elegant alcohol-free alternative. Its botanical character also lends itself to creative drinks featuring white spirits.

For desserts, drizzle it over vanilla ice cream, panna cotta or fresh fruit. A little added to whipped cream, yoghurt or a simple fruit salad can introduce an unexpected layer of flavour.

For the adventurous cook, fig leaf’s aromatic qualities offer possibilities beyond the glass. Try a small amount in a dressing or glaze, or experiment with it as a finishing touch for roasted meats, where its sweetness and fragrance can complement savoury flavours.

And for those who enjoy entertaining, it makes an unusual welcome drink: distinctive, refreshing and guaranteed to start a conversation.

Rediscovering the familiar

There is something particularly appealing about finding a new use for something that has grown in Cape gardens for generations.

The fig tree is familiar to many South Africans, yet its leaves remain an underexplored culinary ingredient. Wilde Cape’s Fig Leaf Sharbat invites us to look at this everyday tree differently and to rediscover a flavour that connects the present with the Cape’s rich food traditions.

It is not simply about recreating the past. It is about taking inspiration from it, experimenting with it and making it relevant to the way we eat, drink and entertain today.

With its distinctive botanical character and remarkable versatility, Wilde Cape’s Fig Leaf Sharbat offers a fresh perspective on an old Cape ingredient.

On sale now in our in-house shop