Celebrating our Natural Heritage:
The Waterblommetjie Festival

“Waterblommetjies in die Boland!”

Locals of the Cape Winelands and Boland regions will immediately know this classic song and popular heritage event that is celebrated in early Spring every year. The Waterblommetjie Fees or Festival is one of the region’s most popular events as this local delicacy is harvested in September and celebrated through food and good times!

What is a Waterblommetjie?

Known as the Cape Pond Weed, Water Hawthorne, Vleikos Aponogeton distachyos (Aponogetonaceae).

The waterblommetjie is one of South Africa’s most famous edible plants. It has a long history of use by the indigenous Khoikhoi, both medicinally and as a nutritious food. The name means “little water flower” and though it’s an edible flower, it’s not the sort that is used to garnish a salad.

The Waterblommetjie Festival in Paarl

On 5 September 2022, Rhebokskloof celebrated this annual event with its neighbouring wine estates Windmeul Kelder and Domaine Brahms. All located within close proximity, each estate offered some special activities and waterblommetjie-inspired menus for visitors to enjoy.

Rhebokskloof’s special menu infused waterblommetjies in the traditional bredie with additions such as waterblommetjie pizza, samosa and ice-cream. These proved to be hit with the kids who could better appreciate the region’s rich heritage through the modern take on the plant’s offerings!

Wonder how we make Waterblommetjie Bredie in the Cape? Click on the video below for some behind-the-scenes in the Rhebokskloof kitchen on our recipe for this fantastic waterblommetjie dish!

Being a family-friendly wine estate, we offered activities to keep the kids busy with a play area, pony rides, balloon sculpting and more. The adults could sit back on our lawns or the indoor area to enjoy the rugby game while pairing their dishes with some superb Rhebokskloof wines.

Make sure you do not miss this year’s heritage month festivities as we celebrate the Waterblommetjies of the Boland. Be the first to know by signing up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know of new events and exclusive offerings from Rhebokskloof.

You can also visit our EVENTS PAGE on our website to see the full events calendar of the year.