Koekemakranka, as described in this book by the same name, is an exotic, aromatic plant that for centuries has been used by the Khoi as perfume, medicine and snack.

It's an apt name for this beautiful book, written by the legendary Renata Coetzee with Volker Miros behind the camera.

It traces the origin of the 'Khoin-Khoin', their rich culture, language and migrations, but above all their food and how they prepared it.

With nature supplying all cooking equipment - wood, stones, clay, shells, ostrich and tortoise shells, horns and even thorns, and some handmade pottery urns and carefully planned hearths, the book  carefully takes the reader through all the processes so that if you should get stuck alone in the Knersvlakte, there would be no reason why you won't survive.

All foods and recipes are given their indigenous, often wonderfully descriptive names, and many are accompanied by folk tales. 

There are dishes with milk, the Khoi-Khoin's breads and preserves, sauces, salads, meat and vegetable dishes, snacks and delicious puddings. There's lot of offal, recipes for beer and cool drinks, and a variety of dishes from the sea, including dune spinach and sea kelp.

Renata and her team have taken some of the original recipes, and re-created them fit for any modern table. So expect to dish up 'Rooibos-anglaise with bugu coulis' or 'ostrich carpaccio with buttermilk sauce and ghurkin salad'.

Thing is, it's all in Afrikaans. But with descriptions such as:

 ''n Stukkie deur die nek ruk

Ietsie onner die hemp sit

Vyftand vurk eet

Elmboe staanmaak

Die rooi velsak volmaak

Velstoel sit

Om dun te wees

Plankmaag gooi

Draaimaag

Om skroumaag te wees'

it's quite clear that translation was going to be impossible. 

Koekemakranka is available from all leading bookstores for R230, or visit www.lapa.co.za