Making Yoghurt on the Move

Yoghurt throughout Africa  by  Mike and Debbé Medcalf

In May 2022 we set off on our great adventure into Africa. What followed was a 5 month trip through Namibia and into Zambia, the Land of Smiling Faces; up along the beautiful banks of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania; across into Rwanda, the most amazing country to visit as a tourist; further north into Uganda where we saw endless banana and tea plantations; cutting across to the Masai Mara in Kenya, where we saw the migration of wilderbees and watched lions play like kittens; then back to the coast and south to Tanzania again, camping under palm trees on the beach; continuing along the west coast of Lake Malawi past the friendly fishermen and into Zimbabwe, camping in Mana Pools while an elephant inspected the contents of our kitchen; then zooting further south through Botswana and final back home to good ole SA.

We covered 22 500 km and met amazingly friendly people and saw stunningly beautiful sights. Africa is not nearly as scary as we often think and we would highly recommend taking a step across the border and into the unknown.

Our travel ‘companion’ and vehicle was Skillie, our Land Cruiser with a Bushlapa camper on the back. Skillie was well kitted out and provided us with all the home comforts we could possibly want while so far away from friends and loved ones, including a full camp kitchen and fridge/freezer.

Because we were travelling along so many lakes, we were advised to take anti-malaria tablets. I know this is controversial and we would probably change things if we did this again, but that aside, we took the tablets as directed. We did, however, realise that it would be critical for us to consume daily helpings of probiotic rich yoghurt, and anyway, that is part of our normal routine for breakfast. But there was no guarantee that we would find fresh and tasty yoghurt throughout our journey. Many places we visited only had a very simple open air market where locals purchased their daily fruit and veg.

Fortunately we had attended Finest Kind’s online cheese-making course in January 2022, where Joan had taught us how to make our own yoghurt, using a few crumbs of ABT-5 in a jar of warm milk, which gets left overnight and then popped into a fridge to cool before eating. Before leaving home, we did a few experiments and realised that using boxed (UHT) milk would give us an acceptable product which would go well with our morning muesli. Mike built a wooden hot-box and I lined it with cushions stuffed with quilt batting. It was just the right size for our plastic tubs and we were set. Making the yoghurt became a regular routine and we were even able to gift some to many of our new friends we met along the way.

And so our cheese making adventure started. Since returning home, in September 2022 we have ventured forth, starting with Feta and eventually making about 25 different types of cheese, including unusual ones such as Belpar Knolle, Emmental, Parmasan, Gruyere and even Raclette. Our favourites are Camembert and Monterey Jack.

If you want to see more of our adventures, have a look on Instagram @Skilpadscamper.

Our facebook page, Wheelhouse Cheese, will tell you more about our cheese-making.