Reinventing African gastronomy [Culture on The Morning Call]

We often forget that African cuisine just like music or dance is part of our cultural heritage.

We also pay tribute to Papa Wemba, who died on this day last year in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

AFRO-FUSION : REINVENTING AFRICAN GASTRONOMY

We are often right or wrong about the African cuisine by saying that it is heavy, very oily or not quite modern.

But we forget that the African cuisine just like music or dance is part of our cultural heritage.

Fortunately, there is a new generation of young creative chefs who wish to reinvent African gastronomy and promote a more contemporary vision.

A chef by the name is Dieuveil Malonga has a particular culinary approach which he calls the afro-fusion.

It’s a mixture of culinary flavors between Africa and the rest of the world but also between different African countries. The goal is to discover the immense richness of the African cuisine and also to add value to the products and food that we have in Africa.

You notice that not much is left on the plate with the afro-fusion. The amounts are small. But in the end we find the dishes very delicious.

And don’t get me wrong. The idea is not to make the African traditional dishes more sophisticated or misrepresented.

But it’s really to make them known to the largest number of people and especially to create a bridge between the different African culinary cultures.

Incorporating for example a typical Cameroonian dish with products or spices from Kenya.

Dieuveil travels the continent each month to discover the culinary cultures of different countries and everywhere he goes, he tries to learn and taste the dishes of African mothers, guarding the flavours as he calls them. Then he reinterprets the dishes in his own way.

TRIBUTE TO PAPA WEMBA

On this day last year, the famous Congolese singer died following a discomfort on stage during a concert in Abidjan.

He played a major role in the Congolese rumba, world music and more generally he is one of those singers who really did great service to African music by letting it to be discovered by many beyond the borders of the continent.