They say you are what you eat. If this is true, then it’s only fair to conclude that everyone who visited Menlyn shopping centre in the last week of August are walking around with a natural sweetness unrivalled anywhere else in the world. 

Between 24^th and 28^th August, Nestle brought together all of their finest milk products in an explosive culinary demonstration that left samplers gasping for more. In a campaign designed to explore the various Nestle milk products, and to get taste buds watering at just the tiniest whiff of the delectable meals on offer, Menlyn was awash with some of the most luscious international aromas and tastes ever to have been concocted.

 In a bid to show people how they themselves can make the Nestle Milk Range part of their lives, the Passport to Taste campaign is travelling around South Africa exploring the versatility of the products. And because we are such a diverse and culturally rich nation, we thought it would only be fair to represent that in the array of food in which we have decided to indulge. Eight cities from across the world have been chosen and at each venue we extract and infuse, caramelise and cream, simmer and sauté, but most importantly, we devour the exquisite ingredients on offer from the Nestle Milk Range. The destinations? Paris, Geneva, Rome, Cape Town, Mexico, Bangkok, Mumbai and Barcelona. Menlyn shopping centre saw five of these magnificent cities.

Our first stop was Rome, city of pasta. Only appropriate then, that the Confetti Pasta led the way in a unique blend of spaghetti, bacon and a hint of tangy spring onion. With Nestle Dessert Cream as its milk ingredient, it had the perfect dose of richness needed in the ideal pasta. The Dessert Cream has a longer shelf life and can be used in other savoury dishes like creamed spinach and creamy pasta sauces, as a base for dips and as a topping for fruit salads. This magical meal was followed by Vanilla Cupcakes: little sponge dollops of heaven topped with caramel. Naturally the Nestle Caramel Treat fulfilled the need to indulge with its blend of full cream, milk and sugar. It fills cakes in the most decadent of ways, and its versatility allows for an opulent option when deciding on icing toppings for biscuits, muffins, cup cakes, pastries, chocolates and tarts. These two ingredients got the senses pulsating and proved why Italian cooking is the richest and most varied in the world, with dishes perfect for every occasion.

Our journey then took us north, to Bangkok, where foodies and journey makers on the Passport to Taste campaign were enveloped by the exotic experience that was the Creamy Asian vegetable stir-fry on noodles. The ever-popular Nestle Dessert Cream made its presence felt again, off setting the savoury taste of the crispy, bursting-with-goodness veggies with just a hint of sweet milkiness. Finishing off this Asian indulgence, the Cinnamon Grilled pineapple was a burst of the divine topped with dessert cream made of Nestle Caramel Sauce.

On Friday we found ourselves in Paris, city of love and of a language so romantic it melts even the hardest hearts. The Nestle Dessert Cream lent its usual flair to the Blanquette de boeuf on rice. As knives sliced cleanly through chunks of juicy beef and the rice was cooked to a fluffy and soft perfection, it was easy to see why the Dessert Cream is a luxurious and necessary addition to this French speciality. The Dessert Cream was also the finishing touch to the fruit compote which was delicately mulled in red wine, exploding into mouths and being devoured with relish.

Ole! The city of Barcelona! City of passion! Of Spanish splendour! And…the casserole! Chicken, mushrooms and herbs were tossed together with abandon and placed sumptuously on a bed of rice. Once again, the Nestle Dessert Cream produced a sense of richness and hint of sweetness. The Nestle Evaporated Milk made its debut appearance in the dessert of Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies. As the name implies, fifty per cent of the water has been removed from the milk, allowing for a concentration of milky wonder and lending a roundness of taste to soups, stews or pasta dishes. Richer than milk, yet lighter than cream, it provides the perfect balance to fatty dishes and helps to tenderise meat.

And finally, the mother city: Cape Town. Nestle brought a little bit of the Cape to Menlyn on Sunday, with such style and spectacular fashion, that even Capetonians may have wished they’d been there. The Cape Malay Curry, again permeated with the Nestle Dessert Cream, was perfect for all palates with its sweet, fruity, spicy blends. A milk tart finished off the experience. Also concocted with the Nestle Evaporated Milk, the tart was a melt-in-the-mouth, perfectly balanced, creamy sweetness in a biscuit base that crumbled inside every pair of lips that enclosed it.

If you thought this was an array of absolute heaven on a plate, there’s more. Nestle have a host of other milk products they’re dying for you to try out.

The Nestle Ideal Low Fat product is perfect for the health conscious. Containing 53% less fat than regular Ideal milk, it has been endorsed by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa. So, it’s the same creamy taste and texture with the health factor built in.

The Gold Cross Sweetened Condensed Milk is a decadent and delicious ingredient in sweet dishes, like fudge and coconut ice. Made of full cream milk and enriched with sugar, its taste and thick texture are unrivalled. It also comes as a liquid creamer – adding a splash of whiteness and sweetness to a cup of tea.

The Passport to Taste campaign is guaranteed to get even the strictest food critic in the mood for sweet delights and foreign cuisine. Steaming across the country, we’ll be converting people to the Nestle way on 8^th- 10^th September at Makro in Woodmead; 23^rd September at the Pick ‘n Pay at Balito Lifestyle; 27^th – 29^th September at Gateway in Durban; 4^th – 8^th October at The Pavillion in Durban; 13^th October at Checkers at the Bluff; 14^th October at Pick ‘n Pay in Durban North; 20^th – 22^nd October at Makro in Springfield; 28^th October at Pick ‘n Pay in Claremont; 3^rd November at Checkers in Brackenfell; 4^th November at Pick ‘n Pay in Tygervalley; and 22^nd – 26^th November at Canal Walk.

If you are what you eat, then may the sweetness of Nestle milk products infuse your life and your kitchen with ease, variety and a dash of the decadent.