GASTRONOMY
@VoyagesAfriq
• L-R: Chef Binta and Chef Deuiville Malonga in a conversation with Joxe Mari Aizega, General Manager of the Basque Culinary Center
African Gastronomy celebrated in Brugges Africa’s food culture was celebrated at this year’s 6th UNWTO world forum for gastronomy tourism in Bruges, Belgium.
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili re-echoed the UN World Tourism Organization’s agenda for Africa which places focus on gastronomy tourism for development.
The two-day hybrid event assembled food experts, entrepreneurs, and public & private sector leaders to discuss and offer innovative solutions to making gastronomy central to the development of rural communities.
According to him, “gastronomy is the best ambassador for any country. I think that African gastronomy will be the future of our experiences, future of our knowledge about different kinds of food and we are here committed to support them and make it happen,” he posited.
Dedicating a session to Africa’s diverse culinary offering, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was building on the successes of the previous events which placed attention on the continent’s food. Two African chefs, Deuvile Malonga from the Republic of Congo and based in Rwanda and Ghana-based Sierra Leonean chef Fatamata Binta narrated their journeys and encouraged Africans to embrace their culture. Chef Deuvile Malonga who spent his life schooling and working in France and Germany said he decided to come back to Africa because of the food. ‘’Anytime I went to a restaurant to eat, while living in Europe, eventhough the food was amazing I felt something was missing So when I started travelling around Africa, I began to test many recipes and ingredients that motivated me to come to the continent because Africa has huge and amazing food heritage.” He added.
“Gastronomy tourism adds vitality to rural communities, supports small, local food producers and strengthens their position in the market contributing to add value to the tourism experience while promoting the preservation and development of local produce and know how.” He added. The Director-General of the Basque culinary Centre in Spain Arikze, Joxe Mari Aizega, who moderated the session highlighted the importance of gastronomy and described food as an art. “Gastronomy tourism offers a unique opportunity to promote economic growth of rural communities. It is a way of involving the various agents of the gastronomy value chain, and promoting economic and social development from farm to table.”
In an interview, Chef Binta shared her experience in Ghana. “One thing Covid did for me is it allowed me to explore Ghana. I lived in Ghana for ten years, I never made time and during that time started to visit places and I was so blown I did not know we had this gems in Ghana.” “As locals we need to value what we have first before we can sell it to anyone else and that is how we develop a community,” she postulated. 60
VOYAGESAFRIQ
• UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili and Chef Deuvil Malongo after signing an MOU with Chefs from Africa
