Taste of Abu Dhabi welcomes celebrity South African chef Siba Mtongana

The host of one of Food Network UK's most popular shows tells us why the family table takes centre stage on her programme.

Siba Mtongana. Courtesy Taste of Abu Dhabi

A mum of one, Siba Mtongana is loved by both kids and adults and says what you see on TV is exactly who she is. “Cooking is naturally what I love doing,” says Mtongana, who is from South Africa. “Food is my thing. It comes naturally for me and really is effortless to do.”

The host of Siba's Table on Food Network TV is bringing her culinary prowess to the second Taste of Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Influenced by her mum – from whom she learnt not just how to cook food, but also how to plant and harvest it – Mtongana’s experience has always centred around the family table and her show pays homage to how she grew up.

She says: “Cooking food is a great way of sharing your love for others as so much passion is used to create wonderful meals. It’s a great way to create lasting memories.”

Mtongana turned her passion for food into a career after earning a degree in food and consumer sciences with majors in food, food science and nutrition from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town. She was the food editor of South Africa's Drum magazine before hosting the magazine's cooking show on DStv's Mzansi Magic channel.

Mtongana says: "I had a cooking show called Cooking with Siba where we cooked with local celebrities. It was from that show that Food Network UK spotted me as the show also aired in the UK." The Food Network UK launched Siba's Table in 2013. It was an instant hit and is now broadcast in more than 90 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and most recently, the US.

Mtongana’s vast culinary knowledge and her ability to fuse the food from her childhood table with cuisines around the world would be enough to keep viewers tuning in, but it’s her charisma and charm that has them hooked. The way she walks viewers through recipes is akin to an old friend sharing her family’s favourite meals over a cup of tea. Her approachable cooking style serves to encourage even the shakiest of home cooks to have more confidence in the kitchen.

“Many people tell me that they hated cooking, but after seeing my show they have somehow been inspired to put on an apron and try the recipes,” Mtongana says “Cooking should be for everyone old enough to handle the pots and heat in the kitchen – never intimidating.”

Mtongana – who hates fad diets and only adopts relevant food trends she wholeheartedly agrees with – is clearly in the role she’s meant to be. But we had to ask: if not for cooking, what would she be doing? Her answer is not what we expect.

“I would have been a lawyer or a politician,” she says. “I genuinely love bringing help and justice to unfair situations and seeing others – especially the less privileged – helped and empowered.”

Siba Mtongana will host demos at the Chef’s Theatre and cook alongside participants in the cookery school daily at the festival