Mr. Jove Ansah, Programmes Director, Chefs Association of Ghana urged the African to intensify efforts on the promotion of African cuisines for growth in culinary tourism.
Ansah made the call during 2019 Accraweizo, West Africa travel and tourism fair held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra Ghana.
The theme of the fair is: “Seamless Travels in West Africa”, organised by Africa Travel Quarterly in partnership with Ghana Tourism Authority.
He said that Africa had lots of delicacies capable of attracting tourists from other parts of the world, adding that media assistance was needed to project these foods.
”We plead with the media across Africa to project more of our cuisines in food and drinks.
”This will give more awareness to the world about our various cuisines; our local drinks are not left out,” he said.
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Ansah said if African cuisines must be embraced in the western world, rebranding was necessary for all African chefs.
He said these foods must be well branded and packaged for international recognition and acceptance.
The chefs want enough global awareness for African food and drinks like Nigeria’s Akara, ofada, pounded yam, Kunu, Zobo; Ghana’s shito, banku, kenkey and more.
Dancers thrilling participants at the expo in Accra, Ghana.
Earlier, Mr Benoit Ghechevit, a Benin Republic chef of over 40 years experience, said that platforms should be created to educate and document all that African chefs are doing in terms of culinary innovations.
He cautioned Africans against the consumption of fried foods, adding that more of steamed, grilled and boiled foods should be consumed.
He pointed out that the consumption of vegetables must be on the increase for healthy lifestyle.
”What you eat go along way to tell who you are, watch what you eat to avoid health challenges.
”Avoid eating in between meals and regulate the time to eat, if you eat anyhow, you see yourself anyhow.
”Eating can be done within hours to enable proper digestion, rushing meals is bad.
He said African chefs must continue to upgrade themselves through trainings and retraining to meet up best international standards in culinary industries.
“When we attain the position of a chef, we feel we have attained the peak of our career and we begin to exhibit pride, forgetting that we need to continue to upgrade ourselves like the western chefs,” he said. (NAN)
