The Origins of Monkey Gland Sauce in South Africa

Visitors to South Africa are usually shocked to find monkey gland steak or sauce on some menus. Fortunately, it doesn’t contain any parts of a monkey. It is a mixture of chutney, tomato sauce, sugar, garlic, and spices, and it is served with steak. But where and how did this sauce originate?

Research suggests that it was Fiorino Luigi BAGATTA who brought the recipe to South Africa. He was a waiter at the Savoy Hotel in London, where the recipe was invented by the Italian maitre d’. It was made with French mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, ground black pepper, butter, chopped shallots, chopped parsley and brandy. At the time, there was a Russian-born French scientist, Dr Abrahamovitch Serge VORONOFF (1866-1951), who grafted monkey testicle tissue onto men’s testicles, claiming that the therapy could reverse the ageing process. His first transplant was in 1920. The procedure was reported to be so successful that Dr. Voronoff could not cope with the demand. At an international congress in London three years later, 700 of the world’s leading surgeons hailed him for his revolutionary discovery. Irving BERLIN composed a song, Monkey Doodle-Do, with the lines: ‘If you’re too old for dancing, get yourself a monkey gland.’ Sir Arthur Conan DOYLE wrote about a professor who injected himself with monkey gland extracts in a Sherlock Holmes story. Voronoff was a regular at the Savoy Hotel, where his favourite dish was a steak dressed with tangy sauce and flambéed with brandy by the Italian maitre d’. The sauce was named after him.

Fiorino left the Savoy and immigrated to South Africa in 1935. He introduced flamed steak topped with monkey gland sauce to diners at the old Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg. In 1946, Fiorino moved to Cape Town and worked at the Del Monico Restaurant, where he introduced the diners to monkey gland sauce, and it was soon the most popular sauce in Cape Town. In 1947, his employer, African Caterers, sent him to Pretoria to organise and supervise the state banquet for King George and Queen Elizabeth. He also supervised the Pretoria city lunch for the king and the Princess’ Ball in the Johannesburg City Hall.

From the Del Monico, Fiorino moved to family-owned ventures and a career in the Trust Hotels Limited. In 1974 he was awarded the title Cavaliere (equivalent to an English knighthood) by the Italian government in recognition for his contributions to the hospitality and catering industry. Monkey gland sauce is still popular in steakhouses, either on steak or in burgers.

BAGATTA FAMILY IN SOUTH AFRICA
Fiorino Luigi BAGATTA was born on 09 April 1909 in Milan, Italy. He died on 29 May 1993 in Cape Town of heart disease.
His first marriage was to Nancy Venus Jones on July 17, 1937, in a Catholic church in Durban. At the time, Fiorino was working as a waiter, and Nancy was a typist.
Their daughter, Karene Glywyn Maria, was born on 17 August 1942 in Johannesburg. She died on January 1, 1992, in Parow North from cancer. Karene married Roy BAKER (1942-2014) on 30 March 1964 in Bridgend, Wales. In 1966 they lived in Bridgend, Wales.
Fiorino and Nancy divorced in 1943 in the Transvaal.
Fiorino’s second marriage was to Jacoba Johanna Beatrice VAN NIEKERK on 01 August 1946 in the Cape Town magistrate’s court. They were both divorced. At the time, Fiorino lived at 707 Commonwealth Building in Adderley Street. In the 1980s, they lived at 57 Hof Street, Oranjezicht, Cape Town.
Jacoba was born on February 6, 1921. She died on December 30, 1995, in Malmesbury of heart failure. Her last residential address was 9 Piet Retief Street, Riebeeck Kasteel.

Colombo BAGATTA was born on 09 December 1927 in Italy. He died in 2013 in Cape Town. His last residential address was 402 Courcheval, 15 Worcester Road, Sea Point.
He came to South Africa in 1952. He married Yolande Rosi on October 3, 1954, at St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Cape Town. At the time, they were both caterers. Colombo was living at Villa Milan, Frederick Crescent, Cape Town.
She was born on 18 May 1929 in France. Yolande died on 27 July 2016 in Cape Town. Her last residential address was 32 Courcheval, 16 Worcester Road, Sea Point.
In the 1980s, Yolande and Colombo lived at 11 Woodford Avenue, Camps Bay, where Colombo was a restaurant owner.
Colombo and Yolande’s daughters, Fiorella Maria, was born on 27 November 1956, and Nicoletta Antonia on 06 December 1964.
Fiorella’s first marriage was to SMEES. Her second marriage was to Gilles Georges Joseph GUIOT on June 2, 1991. In the early 2000s, they lived in Hout Bay.
Nicoletta married Francois Bernard Emmanuel MERCADIER on March 5, 1994.

Antonio Mario Archille BAGATTA was born on 12 June 1931 in Italy. He was known as Tony and became the managing director of Trust Hotels Limited.
His first marriage was to Edith Nellie LOCK on 09 July 1955 in the Strand magistrate’s court. At the time, he was a caterer and living at the Van Riebeeck Hotel in Gordon’s Bay. Edith was an accounts executive.
They divorced in 1971.
Edith was born on 19 October 1931. She married John Peter Daniel BOSHOFF on 15 September 1972. In the 1980s they lived at 64 Krantzview Road, Kloof. Her son, Aron Giuseppe BAGATTA, born on 11 February 1965, was also living with them.
Antonio became a naturalised South African citizen in October 1964.
His second marriage was to Massimiliana MARCHESI on May 1, 1972. In the 1980s, they lived at 31 Athol Road, Camps Bay, and he was a businessman.

Teresa BAGATTA was born on 17 November 1927 in Italy.
On 07 April 1955, Teresa and Giovanni departed from Southampton on board the Union Castle Line’s Cape Town Castle for Cape Town. Teresa was a nurse, and Giovanni was a traveller. They had stayed at the Wilton Hotel in London.
She married Giovanni Rossi on August 1, 1955, at the Johannesburg magistrate’s court. At the time, they lived at Larwick Mansions, 114 Plein Street, Johannesburg. Giovanni was a commercial traveller (salesman), and Teresa was a clerk.

THE DEL MONICO RESTAURANT
The Del Monico Restaurant was in Riebeeck Street in Cape Town, across the road from the Alhambra Theatre. It was built in a Moorish style and was owned by African Theatres. The pre-war Del
Monico served table d’hôte meals. During World War II, it was a popular spot for sea passengers arriving in Cape Town. It had the second-longest bar in the world. The crews of the Union Castle Line that stopped in Cape Town always visited on their stopovers.