Senegalese Chef Pierre Thiam Wants African Food to be Considered World-Class
Since touching down in New York City more than 30 years ago from his hometown Dakar, the Senegalese chef, author, and culinary activist, Pierre Thiam, has dedicated his life to introducing a global audience to west African cuisine. In doing so, he hopes to promote a region with a rich food culture, empower local farmers, and challenge long-held perceptions about a part of the world too often linked with negative stereotypes.
“I’ve consciously branded myself in this way as I wanted this to be about Africa, about west Africa in particular,” he says. “But I don’t want to limit it to a country. These borders are not real. And that is true with foods and flavors. There is a cultural thread that uses foods, sauces, flavors, and techniques. I have consciously claimed Africa.”
SOURCE : QUARTZ AFRICA
