Malawi chefs prepare dishes as U.S. Embassy co-sponsors ‘culinary diplomacy’ program
The Embassy of the United States of America has partnered with United Village Transformation (UVT), an American NGO, to present a “Culinary Diplomacy” program highlighting the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP).
The program was led byFood Network-featured American chef Claudia Sansone and her partners Kevin Gouveia and Rebecca Gouveia.
Sansone worked with four young chefs from the Malawi Institute of Tourismto prepare several dishes featuring the highly nutritious OFSP as a key ingredient, which were served at a dinner for local leaders and hospitality industry professionals hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer.
“There’s another first in Malawi: Malawi is the first country in Africa to host a ‘culinary diplomacy’ program.
“Culinary diplomacy is a wonderful way to share culture and traditions – and everyone loves to eat! The program in Malawi is particularly special because it features orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP). OFSP are highly nutritious and drought-resistant so they can play a key role in Malawi’s crop and nutritional diversity – important for Malawian farmers and children,”said U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer.
“I’m grateful to Chef Claudia Sansonefor travelling to Malawi to help us share a little bit of America and explore the many culinary possibilities of the OFSP. I think it’s wonderful that United Village Transformation hopes to extend a culinary diplomacy program involving American chefs showing how nutritious and delicious foods can be made with local ingredients throughout Malawi and beyond,” she added.
The U.S. Government’s Feed the Future program in Malawi promotes increased production, marketing, and consumption of high-yielding, Vitamin A-rich orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) varieties.
In partnership with the International Potato Centre (CIP) since 2014, Feed the Future partners supported 18,500 smallholder farmers to plant 800 hectares of OFSP across 10 southern and central region districts in Malawi.
OFSP is not only a highly nutritious crop, but is also one that is climate resilient and can be planted as a second crop following crop failure.
USAID partners under the Feed the Future and Food for Peace programs distributed about 11,000 bundles of OFSP vines to drought-affected farmers for response and recovery from the El Niño-induced drought in 2016.
To learn more about the U.S. Government’s work related to OFSP in Malawi, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/may-june-2016/orange-fleshed-sweet-potatoes-are-transforming
To learn more about United Village Transformation, please visit:www.uvtransformation.org
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Thank you for taking the time to read the article. However, I must disagree with you on no local cuisine was prepared or presented. You were at the event? The dishes were prepared with using local sweet potatoes and spices that are available in Malawi. The intention was to showcase how the orange sweet potato has more nutrients then any other sweet potato, and how beneficial it is to the villagers to use it in there daily meals.
BELEIVE ME, NO LOCAL CUISINE WAS PREPARED/PRESENTED THERE. THE DISCTINCTION BETWEEN A CHEF AND A COOK IS THAT A COOK PREPARES MEALS BASED ON LAID DOWN PROCEDURES OR METHODS WHILST A CHEF WORKS ON METHADOLOGY OF PRODUCING/ PREPARING FOOD AND BEVERAGES. FOR INSTANCE, EACH HOTEL IN MALAWI SHOULD HAVE HAD SPECIALITY MEAL/ BEVERAGE PRODUCED BY THEMESELVES AND DISCTINCT FROM THE REST (EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF EARNING A PATENT FOR SUCH). AND IF THAT WAS THE CASE FOR OUR LOCAL DISHES THEN AM SURE WE’D MOVED MALAWI TO ANOTHER LEVEL. KACHASU MA MAYI NANGONDO AMASIYANA NDI WA AMAYI CHAPONDA (koma… Read more »