“When we were planning TASTE’s winter issue, we knew we wanted it to be about embracing the pleasure of being at home. There’s an entire section of our absolute favourite winter comfort recipes, curated to make you feel really good about hunkering down with a bowl of curry even when reading about people who were paid to go gallivanting across Italy and eat their body weight in tortellini. (True story. Also in the issue.)

Because we know the truth. Travel is an elusive luxury these days and you shouldn’t have to buy a neck pillow and expand your carbon footprint to immerse yourself in other cultures. You just need to be following the right people and have someone who is willing to do the dishes. Prolific content creators Wayne Chang, Priyanka Govender and Onezwa Mbola, for instance, all shared their favourite comfort-food recipes in the new issue.” – Kate Wilson, Editor-in-chief

Get your issue now at your local Woolworths, or via zinio.com and magzter.com. However you get your copy of TASTE, here’s what you can look forward to:

YOU COULD WIN

We have two incredible competitions from this special winter edition of TASTE for you to enter. Both competitions close on 3 September 2026, so you have plenty of time to get your entries in! Ts&Cs apply.

Win two nights for two people at both Last Word Constantia and Last Word Long Beach, worth R50 000

Start in the leafy calm of Last Word Constantia, where gardens, mountain views and the nearby wine valley set the scene for slow mornings and easy afternoons. Then, head to the ocean’s edge in Kommetjie. Last Word Long Beach is a small, five-star beachfront retreat where the Atlantic is the backdrop to everything.

Enter here

Win a two-night stay at Brookdale Manor House in the Paarl winelands for two people, valued at R28 800

Cradled by the dramatic folds of the Klein Drakenstein Mountains in the Paarl Winelands, Brookdale Estate is a destination defined by food and wine. Here, the rhythm of the vineyards guides guests toward The Bistro and Tasting Room, where food and wine share equal billing in a thoughtfully curated culinary experience.

Enter here

MENU

Be inspired by our latest food-world discoveries – from viral social scoops to trend-led new products. You saw it in this winter edition of TASTE first!

• The feed: All the latest food trends. From TikTok to fine-dining, including conchas (Mexican sweet buns made using a soft, brioche-like dough topped with a crisp, sugary crackle), spaghetti all’assissina (translation: killer spaghetti) and the viral scoopable choc-chip cookie.
• Pantry heroes: All you need to cook your way from Bologna to Beijing.
• Plated & stirred: Cocktails and platters are the new way to entertain.

CONDIMENTED

Every cuisine has defining condiments that catapult flavour and convey the cultural origins of a dish. Soy sauce and noodles are the Chinese passport to umami, while a drop of colatura will get you there via Italy. Abigail Donnelly probed the depths of five of the best flavour amplifiers.

ROCK THE LADLE

Khanya Mzongwana’s flavourful African-inspired soups – from spicy Cape Malay red lentil with daaltjies to North African bessara with Cape Malay red lentil with daaltjies to North African bessara with tempura onion rings – will warm you from the inside out this winter.

TAIWAN OF A KIND

Second-generation Taiwanese content creator and TASTE regular Wayne Chang grew up in the Free State where he learnt to adapt traditional recipes using local ingredients. He shared his easy versions of Taiwanese fried chicken, breakfast egg crêpes and the tofu-pork mince dish he calls “Asian Bolognese”.

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT

Take your favourite hot drink (Milo? Hot chocolate? Flat white?) and reimagine it as a decadent dessert. Abigail Donnelly understood the brief – and her steaming puddings will make your winter a whole lot sweeter.

MIX UP THIS MATCH

Chicken and rice will never go out of style, but have you tried “braai-yani”? Or used rotisserie leftovers in Italian-inspired arancini? It’s time you did. Clem Pedro will help you take this classic couple to new heights of crazy goodness.