Carrying a basket full of talents has been a bailiwick for many young talents of late but for Thato Mahlangu, his most bountiful basket comes straight from the kitchen.
Mahlangu has in the past three years earned renown as one of the most beloved Instagram chefs under his social media account, Tayste Kitchen, with recipes that are set to be published in collaboration with McCain.
The book will feature 30 chefs who were each challenged to create recipes from McCain products. Mahlangu, who has done six of the 30 recipes, is set to bring his sumptuous take on colourful comfort food.
“It sounds so clichéd but food, for me, is life,” says Mahlangu. “It started from a very young age and has been influenced by the women in my life who have influenced who I am as a cook.”
Mahlangu started Tayste Kitchen in 2018 with a rocky beginning. While taking the time to hone the craft, Mahlangu was able to dominate the space when Reels were introduced to Instagram, which allowed him to curate his meals with a fresher flair.
The self-taught maestro says in January he went from a few thousand followers to an impressive 18,000.
Taken from the word “taste” and his nickname “Tay”, Mahlangu laughs fondly at how many have often mispronounced the name of his cooking platform as “tasty”.
“I don’t even mind that some people actually call me Tayste, it’s like a play on words,” he says.
Quickly amassing support from brands for his cooking, Mahlangu has appreciated the sense of community he has been blessed with on Twitter, which he was certain would give him the support he has earned recently.
Predominantly constituting the LGBTQIA+ community, Mahlangu also hosts one of the top Twitter Spaces on the platform. #SpacesWithThato is hosted on the podcast-styled platform on Twitter that allows different users to tune into discussions hosted by users, allowing him to express himself and create a space for people to laugh, vent and for discourse.
It is with this same temerity that Mahlangu’s food is made “with soul”.
“You feel the love when you taste the food. Rather than fine dining I’m more into the culture of food. I like that food brings people together and that’s why you’ll find me at places like Mai Mai – that’s what I want and that’s where I get most of my inspiration,” says Mahlangu.
* You can follow Mahlangu on Instagram and TikTok @taystekitchen or @thatospaces on Twitter.
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