Fulani chef celebrates culture through cuisine in Berlin

The House of World Cultures was reopened on the weekend of 4th June 2023 in Berlin with the aim of displaying non-European cultures.

A Fulani dinner was part of the program.

Fulani are one the biggest nomadic groups in West Africa and are estimated to reach 20 million in terms of population.

Chef Fatmata Binta, a native of Sierra Leone and based in Ghana is the ambassador of Fulani kitchen and culture.

She also owns a nomadic restaurant with the theme 'Dine on a Mat' with the aim of bringing Fulani cuisine closer to the rest of the world.

"I want to use gastronomy as a tool to champion change and I believe I am doing that already. Being a gastronomy chef helps tackle issues that I care about in my community," said Chef Fatmata Binta.

Fulani culture is considered one of the rich and ancient traditions that have been passed on to several generations over hundreds of years. It is also considered sustainable by the world.

"Fulani Food is sustainable. Our lifestyle is even sustainable. We are people who don't overuse stuff. We don't carry much. most of our ingredients are dried because we don't grow fresh food and when we buy fresh food we dry them because we think about migration. How can we preserve food when we are on the move? We don't consume a lot and I think this is a lesson the world can learn from us," said Chef Fatmata Binta.

Chef Binta has been promoting West African ingredients like this super delicacy known locally as Fonio.

The next Dine on a Mat is planned for Rabat, Morocco