The chef channelling his African culture in his cooking

Africa Daily

“We sit on some of the best grains in the world… things that can grow in really tough environments and give you harvests several times a year.”

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia but was adopted by a Swedish couple and taken to Sweden as a small child after his mother died of tuberculosis.

After travelling across Europe and to Japan for his training, he rose to prominence as a chef in the US - cooking for the rich and famous including Barack and Michelle Obama, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey. He's recently opened a restaurant in Addis Ababa – to add to those he already runs in New York City and elsewhere.

And now he's on a mission to get people to eat more African grains like millet, teff, and sorghum - arguing they’re more sustainable, climate resistant and nutritious.

For Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje talks to him about his passion for African grains as well as what influenced him in his journey to becoming a successful businessman and chef.