The chef and galley crew consistently produce delicious, nutritious meals, even as the ocean swells toss the entire ship from side to side. Can you imagine cooking for 100+ people in a kitchen where everything is always moving and sliding around? I can barely walk to my table in the dining room sometimes! I feel very happy at meal times because the hot food warms me up, tastes amazing and always leaves me prepared for whatever comes next in the day.
When trying rusks, I was a bit skeptical at first. To be honest, they just look like stale bread at first. This snack is very popular amongst South Africans, so I knew I had to remain open-minded. I was also very happy that they wanted to share one of their food traditions with me, so I took a rusk and dunked it in my steaming mug of South African rooibos tea, and took a big bite. It was sweet and creamy, plus a little fragrant from the tea... I instantly understood why people love this snack.
The S.A. Agulhas II has several massive store rooms containing fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dry goods and all the other raw ingredients to feed many people for a very long time. On day 10 of our voyage, we're still eating fresh fruits and vegetables that have been carefully preserved in the chilled storage areas. The chef and two cooks are constantly in motion as they prepare ingredients for the next meal. Catering assistants take orders at the tables and deliver the food to expedition team members, S.A.Agulhas II officers and the entire ship crew at our tables.
With rusks, imagine a buttermilk buscuit that has been baked twice so that it is as hard as a rock. I took my mug, added a teabag of rooibos tea, and filled it up with boiling water.
