Why can I trust Ina Paarman’s recipes?
Long before there were the Ina Paarman products we’ve all come to know, love, and – most importantly – trust, there was Ina Paarman, the teacher.
Ina is not just some housewife who was bored, so she decided to take up cooking and later developed a huge range of products (available in more than 30 countries around the world, by the way!). No, Ina, at 21 years old, qualified as a home economics teacher and went on to become a senior lecturer at the Cape Technikon (now the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) for seven years, teaching those who would become teachers themselves.
At its most basic level, home economics – or domestic science – is cooking and sewing. And, more specifically, on the food side, nutrition and healthy eating, cooking techniques, food safety, and meal planning. A lot more than how to boil an egg!
Passionate Since the Start
Ina loved teaching then, loves it now, and has the credentials to back it up. It’s a calling that has never faltered. Over the years, she has kept her skills sharp and expanded her knowledge with refresher courses.
“We never stop learning,” she says. Ina cooked in France with Roger Vergé, considered to be one of the greatest chefs of his time, and at The Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland – run by Darina Allen, a celebrity chef, cookbook author, and pioneer of the slow food movement in Ireland. Ina has also taken Middle Eastern cooking classes in Morocco and Thai cooking in Bangkok.
If you need any more convincing of Ina’s expertise in the culinary arts, she was the food editor at Die Burger for six years and at Femina magazine for seven, as well as a cookery presenter on Good Morning SA.
The Proof Is in the Pudding
In 1982, Ina and her late husband, Ted, took a remarkable leap of faith. Ina Paarman’s Kitchen began offering lessons in a converted garage, which was revolutionary for its time – teaching women (and men) from all walks of life how to be confident and successful home cooks.
Much has happened in the intervening time, but Ina’s zeal for showing and sharing her lifelong cooking experience remains as staunch as ever, which is why when she says “Do it like this,” you can believe she knows what she is talking about.
The Ina Paarman’s Kitchen website features well-tested recipes, which include how-to videos, and there are often links in the newsletter too, which you can sign up for here. In the April 2025 Greek-inspired despatch, you could find visual step-by-step tutorials for Air-Fryer Calamari, ready in just seven minutes, and One-Pot Lemon Chicken with Rice.
More Accessible Than Ever Before
Technology has advanced, but at her core, Ina is still teaching every day. “Teaching others was the finest training for me in how to write recipes,” she says. “I would have to express myself in a way the least experienced person in any class or group could follow. People often say how easy my recipes are, but if they only knew how difficult it is to make it so easy!”
That’s the thing about anyone who is highly skilled in their craft – they make it look effortless despite the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. All of Ina’s recipes are tested multiple times so that by the time they get to you, they are flop-proof.
There’s nothing worse than having bought (sometimes expensive) ingredients, only to have the dish turn out to be a disaster. Not only have you wasted your time and money, but there could well be a table, surrounded by friends and family, who are going to go hungry until someone orders a takeaway. The horror! Choose any of Ina’s recipes, follow the steps, and you’ll have a stunning home-cooked meal in no time at all.
Making Ina’s recipes even more accessible for South African cooks is that she uses ingredients that are readily available at local supermarkets (even more so if you stick to cooking seasonally, which Ina recommends). You’re not going to have to run around looking for speciality items only available at weird little shops, off the beaten track.
Serve Up Success
To help you is in Ina’s nature, and what she wants for you, more than anything, is success.
“Nothing gives me more satisfaction than providing people with the confidence they need in the kitchen. It’s like learning to drive; once you have that skill, the world is your oyster. It’s the same with cooking, demystifying the ‘deep, dark’ secrets housed in the ‘holy’ domain of chefs,” she says.
Put your trust in Ina, and you’ll never be disappointed.
Master Your Favourite Dishes
Ready to start cooking both new and beloved classics? Visit our recipes collection for wholesome, nutritious, and delicious meal ideas.
Because home cooking doesn’t have to be difficult. With proper guidance, it’s a joy to bond over with loved ones.
It Starts At Home.
