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Portrait of Chef Selassie Atadika
Design Indaba
Cape Town, South Africa
Ghanian chef Selassie Atadika was selected by Design Indaba to take part in our collaborative initiative with Google Arts & Culture, titled Colours of Africa.
Africa is known for its bold, unapologetic use of colour. Stories are told in pigments, tones and hues; a kaleidoscope as diverse as the cultures and peoples of the continent. For the initiative, we asked 60 African creatives to capture the unique spirit of their country in a colour which represents home to them.
The projects they have created are personal and distinct stories of Africa, put into images, videos, texts and illustrations. Each artist has also attempted to articulate what being African means to their identity and view of the world.
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Details
- Title: Portrait of Chef Selassie Atadika
- What it Means to be African: When I think of what it means to be an African, I think of the creativity and ingenuity which have spurred countless innovations, the perseverance, strength, and sense of humour to meet daily challenges, and the joy that comes from our rich culture and traditions
- Subject: Selassie Atadika
- Rationale: The different characters that plantain takes in every stage of its life cycle are wondrous. Sweet, savoury, boiled, steamed, fried, roasted, ripe, unripe, overripe. Beyond the plantain flesh, the skin is used for feed and traditional black soap, while the leaves are used in the kitchen to steam and wrap food such as kenkey. Finally, let's not forget that these leaves are integral to the first layer of flavour in the development of chocolate, cocoa fermentation on Ghanaian farms.
- Project: Colors of Africa
- Location: Ghana
- Lead Quote: The abundance and energy of this continent and this community are undeniable. I'm privileged to watch it bloom.
- Hex Code: FFC146
- Colour Choice: Plantain
- Biography: After over a decade spent engaged in humanitarian work with the United Nations and years of self-teaching in the culinary arts, Selassie Atadika completed course work at the Culinary Institute of America. She is a founding member of Trio Toque, the first nomadic restaurant in Dakar, Senegal. Atadika brought her innovative approach to African cuisine back home in 2014. Her food enterprise is Midunu, a nomadic and private dining enterprise in Accra which embodies ‘New African Cuisine’. Midunu is a culinary lifestyle company that celebrates Africa's cultural and culinary heritage. Its goal is to create experiences where culture, community and cuisine intersect. Midunu employs local, seasonal, and underutilized ingredients including traditional grains and proteins to deliver Africa’s bounty to the table. With an eye towards biodiversity and sustainability, it curates white-linen nomadic events, private dining, retail and lifestyle products, and a bespoke event space. Midunu’s Nomadic Dinners have attracted attention with diners from five continents. A favored part of the Midunu dining experience is its final course- their delectable handcrafted chocolate truffles. Chef Selassie Atadika has been sought for her thought leadership by CNN African Voices, The Financial Times, The Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), OmVärlden, as well as mentioned in Vogue, National Geographic’s The Plate, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Ebony. Her cuisine has been featured at a State Dinner and the prestigious James Beard Foundation in the US. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography modified with Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. Chef Selassie Atadika is in the process of launching the Midunu Institute. The pilot project of the institute will undertake documentation of existing culinary practices in 3 of the 10 regions of Ghana by youth ambassadors to kick off a national conversation among youth and middle-class consumers about food, agriculture and culture. This research will be combined with a multi-media behavior change campaign showcasing challenges and successes in local food systems as well as exhibiting the culinary uses of regional ingredients, while contributing to the protection of culture and heritage.
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