Page 135 - Through the eyes of an African chef

My journey to Ballymaloe
I HAD BEEN WATCHING the development of gastronomic science with interest for some time and debating where to go to learn how to refine my art. Friends close to me knew this. However, the harsh reality of climate change was evident in agriculture, in Africa at least, and this became a cause for great concern to me. When a friend returned from Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2011, she said, “That school has the answers you have been looking for on sustainability in food and agriculture”. I scouted and scratched every corner to raise funding and was fortunate to be assisted by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. That, plus my savings and help from a very close friend, took me to Ireland!
Ballymaloe Cookery School allowed me to live the sustainable life for a few months and then go home and implement what I had learnt, one step at a time. It also helped me spread the message and share the knowledge with my community. What also attracted me to the school was Darina Allen’s interest in ‘forgotten skills’ – reviving knowledge of old ingredients and other practices that make life sustainable. Darina made sure we met the farmers and producers who supplied the school, and where it was opportune, we visited them.
When I left Ballymaloe I knew Africa urgently needed to go back to its true farm-to- fork education and food experience. People needed to document and share skills from our grandparents, and honour animals and plants in the same way that they did (which is often translated as: “I am because you are”).
When Ms Thelma Awuri of The Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund in Liberia and FAO (Farming Agriculture Organisation) in Italy requested that I do a presentation and proposal to FAO and the African Union on food practices in Africa, I presented The African Food Value Chain in 2014. As an African chef, I proposed that we create sustainable relationships between our farmers (who are often forgotten), chefs and consumers. And that the relationship between the African chef and farmer was key to seasonal cooking, keeping food waste to a minimum; introducing indigenous ingredients to fine dining; and uplifting farmers through paying a fair price for produce.
Ballymaloe helped convince me to play my part in changing the face of food in Africa.
THROUGH THE EYES OF AN AFRICAN CHEF
[ chapter nine ] MY TRAVEl RECIPES: bAllYMAlOE 133