Melting stereotypes with every bite

The joy of both unfamiliar and comforting flavor can become a powerful vehicle for friendship and sustainable tourism among nations. Here is how Ivorian food blogger Yasmine Fofana, journalist Sarah Kamsu, and photographer Viviana D’Angelo are making it happen.

Yasmine Fofana adores fonio¹—a light, ancient grain with a nutty flavour that embodies tradition. She is also a big fan of foufou², a starchy, smooth, and homogenous dough that enhances the comforting savour of vegetable, fish, or meat stews even more than spices. Both fonio and foufou evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and strengthen her bond with her home and country.

They are not “just” delicious foods; they are symbols of her native Côte d’Ivoire and have the potential to become its international ambassadors. Like these dishes, any local flavour can speak of little-known traditions and tell the stories of their creators to anyone, no matter their language.

A menu of authentic cultures

«In Côte d’Ivoire, food is an essential part of the cultural experience for tourists. Popular dishes like attiéké, a fermented cassava couscous³, and garba, a street food favourite⁴, often become highlights for visitors», Fofana explains. In recent years, she has observed a growing curiosity about engaging with local cultures, including food, through culinary tours and street food adventures. «This trend is driven by the global wave of learning through sustainable and culturally significant travel. However, in my country, the link between culinary tradition and tourism is still underdeveloped: more needs to be done», she asserts.

Fofana firmly believes in the power of culinary pleasure, but she also highlights the need to «make African food experiences widely accessible and well-documented».

Only then can gastronomy become a cornerstone of Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism strategy, turning food tourism into an engine of cultural pride and economic growth.

Fofana’s words are not mere recommendations—they are actions. Over a decade ago, she rolled up her sleeves and launched Afrofoodie, «to transform perceptions of African food while promoting cultural exchange and economic empowerment». She started modestly, becoming Côte d’Ivoire’s first food blog to spotlight the diverse gastronomic scene in Abidjan and guide both locals and tourists on where to eat. With care and dedication, she transformed it into a platform with a broader mission: showcasing the richness of Ivorian and African cuisine, celebrating its diversity, and promoting local food entrepreneurs.

Today, Afrofoodie is a multifaceted initiative that highlights the culinary cultures of the entire continent. Fofana describes it as «a vehicle for advocacy that shifts narratives about Africa’s food potential and links gastronomy with tourism and entrepreneurship».

How many Afrofoodies would it take to narrate the universe of flavours, stories, and people across a continent of over 50 countries and 60 dialects? Hundreds, perhaps. Or maybe just a few strategic actions like those Fofana herself suggests.

Empowering local food producers by supporting farmers, chefs, and entrepreneurs with access to markets and resources while ensuring fair trade practices. Promoting culinary education to nurture a new generation of chefs skilled in blending innovation with tradition. Amplifying African narratives by daring to challenge stereotypes. Encouraging political support by urging governments to invest in food infrastructure, protect indigenous recipes, and market African cuisine as a tourism resource. «We could also leverage festive culinary traditions through food festivals, digital content, and intergenerational exchange initiatives», adds Fofana. Her hunger to share the flavours of her homeland is insatiable.

A taste of elsewhere in Italy

Thousands of kilometres away, in Milan, Sarah Kamsu, an Italian-Cameroonian journalist, pursues the same mission through her organisation, We Africans United, Through it, she organises, supports, aggregates, and encourages numerous initiatives that use the pleasure of food as an effective tool to promote African cultures across Italy. «These initiatives arise from the awareness of widespread ignorance and prejudice».

To many, the idea of “eating African” sounds strange and meaningless; they cannot imagine what it entails. Others, instead, hold a monocultural view of the continent, overlooking its profound diversity», Kamsu explains.

Food, flavours, recipes, and culinary traditions are increasingly proving to be extraordinary and powerful bridges to convey the complexity and richness of African cultures.

The Jollof Talks are a prime example. Created by Kamsu and now approaching their third edition, these culinary competitions revolve around an African dish⁵ claimed by at least three countries—Nigeria, Senegal, and Ghana—each asserting its “best” and “most authentic” version. Kamsu seized this scenario and turned it into evenings where three cooks present their versions of the dish to a judging panel that tastes and votes. You do not need to be a professional chef to win; in fact, last time, a Senegalese woman handily defeated two professional chefs from Nigeria and Ghana, captivating participants who not only enjoyed her cooking but also delved deeper into her culture. Not an easy feat in an Italy that often views people as either “foreigners” or “Italian citizens”.

Compared to the rest of Europe, Kamsu believes Italy is more ignorant, partly due to a lack of education: «In schools, African history is reduced to colonialism and a few other concepts. Even in univerisities, it is often poorly addressed», she observes. Media responsibility is even greater, as stereotypes persist despite societal progress, shaping perceptions of the continent, especially for those who have not experienced it firsthand. This analysis deserves a generational distinction, however. There is a distinct gap in approach between those over 50-60 and younger generations. «Older individuals often show interest in Africa due to volunteering or travel experiences. While they have direct exposure, they tend to retain an attitude of welfarism and superiority. Younger generations are much less so», Kamsu explains, describing today’s youth as more open and curious. This is good news, but even older generations can be won over through their taste buds.

«Food can open their eyes and help them shed their current attitudes. A shared meal can foster equal intercultural dialogue and create empathy, breaking stereotypes», Kamsu says, convinced that, rather than getting angry or indignant, we should «offer alternatives to dominant narratives».

The risk of exoticism

Beyond correcting outdated or misplaced perspectives, African flavours, even from Milan, can promote sustainable and mindful tourism to the continent. They can spark curiosity, showcase the variety of recipes and cultures on offer, and inspire visitors to experience them respectfully at the source. «It works: more and more people who attend our events decide to travel to a specific country that has intrigued them. This is important because Africa risks losing much of its tourism potential due to the constant stream of negative news surrounding it», Kamsu says. This threat is compounded by the exploitation of African cultures by those seeking profit by cherry-picking trendy elements without appreciating or valuing the depth of traditions that make them special. «Some try to capitalise on the exoticism of our cultures and foods, turning them into trends, without understanding or wanting to honour their richness,and all the heritage of traditions that make them special» Kamsu says. She is operating in Milan, a city particularly keen and sensitive to trends of the moment, ephemeral, frenetic, superficial. In response, she offers a passionate counter-narrative that paints a complete, authentic, and deeply flavourful cultural picture, involving African people and their foods, ingredients, stories, and memories.  She builds an irresistible collective narrative, day by day, meal by meal.

Capturing the world of flavours

One of the many reasons why the pleasure of food is so powerful lies in its aesthetics. This is something well understood by those who have chosen to immortalise it professionally, capturing flavours, scents, textures, and origins in photographs that can reach viewers worldwide.

This is not about quick snaps of dishes taken on the fly to populate Instagram feeds or boost follower counts. It is an art form that demands a lifetime of dedication. Viviana D’Angelo is one such person, having made this choice later in life but without any regrets.

A lifelong creative and communication scholar, her backup plan was catering, but then she discovered Plan C: food photography. «I started photographing the dishes I prepared to showcase my culinary offerings, using a desk lamp and a compact tourist camera. Then a wonderful friend told me about the Foodphoto Festival in Tarragona, Spain. I went and was completely captivated by food photography. Eight years later, I won the festival’s award for the best gastronomic reportage».

The invisible value of food in a single click

One of D’Angelo’s greatest passions is recognising and showcasing the value of the food we eat—from raw ingredients to recipes and dishes. «The finished dish is just the tip of the iceberg: a recipe is a cultural expression on par with a painting, a musical composition, a poem, or a film. It emerges from and belongs to a cultural framework, becoming its most accessible expression. Everyone eats and experiences flavours, scents, textures, temperatures, contrasts, and harmonies. It is undoubtedly one of the most immediate points of contact between cultures, especially with traditional, simple, “democratic” dishes». D’Angelo also finds joy and value in the food production process, which she seeks to uncover and capture in farms, fields, and abattoirs. «I research and document resources, people, labour, and processes to illustrate stages that are equally significant than the final dish. It is crucial, as few people today understand the value of hours of work, skills, labour, and raw materials involved, and how their quality makes all the difference», she explains. By dedicating time to these “pres” phases—often overlooked, poorly documented, or exploited—D’Angelo has come to understand and wants to emphasise that «every purchase we make indirectly supports a type of activity, helping it sustain itself». This is true everywhere, but even more so when food can serve as a cultural ambassador and encourage responsible, conscious tourism. «Through the photography of flavours and ingredients, we can entice people to visit places where they can truly connect with local culture and communities. Unfortunately, much of the revenue from tourism activities often does not remain in the country, ending up with foreign companies due to all-inclusive holiday packages with rigid itineraries created by those who neither know nor care about local traditions», she says.

«Photography can play a strong educational role in tourism marketing: every gastronomic reportage should open doors to lesser-known, underappreciated offerings».

Spiritual recipes in Bali

D’Angelo has had many such experiences. She chooses to talk about those with an Indonesian flavour, tasted in Bali in 2018 alongside chef and culinary consultant Antje de Vries⁶ to create a documentary on the gastronomic tradition linked to Balinese religion, where many rituals are accompanied by traditional foods unknown to most tourists. She vividly recalls:  «Ancient recipes, complex dishes full of spices, colourful and intensely aromatic to the point of overwhelming you. Desserts often carry a near-floral fragrance, thanks to the abundant use of pandan leaves, exotic fruits, and island flowers». To photograph them in the right place at the right time, she attended the Otonan Festival (known in English as the “baby grounding”)⁷, celebrating a baby’s first time touching the ground at 210 days old.

«First, evil spirits would enter the child’s body through the fontanelle and possess them—this is a rite of passage. The night before, the men slaughter pigs for the feast and cook them dressed in their finest at the temple in the jungle at three in the morning. Women, during the celebrations, do not cook but prepare sausages, chop entrails, and decorate skewers. These are marvellous, evocative scenes that narrate traditions worth knowing and protecting. And the pleasure and respect for food can help achieve this», she explains. D’Angelo fondly recalls steamed banana-stuffed rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves, sugary coffee, and other desserts made fragrant with cane sugar. Delicious, yes, but above all, symbols and elements that enhance a ceremony she feels duty-bound to recount «with the hope of restoring visibility to local culture». As a Westerner, there is always a risk of portraying a distorted version of events. To avoid this, she has adopted «travel diary entries in a personal tone, immersing herself in the mission, participating in countless functions and social events—from a cremation to a sea mass to a house blessing. I learned to create ceremonial rice dough decorations (similar to playdough but made with rice flour) and prepared sweets with a bakery specialising in ceremonial pastries, aiming to offer in my work a comprehensive view not only of pots but also of beliefs and ways of thinking entirely different from our own». The reportage became a book⁸, to her great joy and satisfaction, but her greatest joy perhaps came from the subjects portrayed:

«They were thrilled that two Western women were interested in their religion, lives, and foods. For me, it was further confirmation that we were doing the right thing».

1. For scientific information on the properties of fonio, Zhu, F. (2020). Fonio grains: Physicochemical properties, nutritional potential, and food applications. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 19(6), 3365–3389. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33337050/ ↩︎
2. For more on foufou, Fufu for modern times – Africa Science Magazine. (2019, June 24). Africa Science Magazine. https://sciafmag.com/2019/06/24/fufu-for-modern-times/ ↩︎
3. To discover the properties of attiéké check out this table from Alamu, E.O., Abass, A.,Maziya-Dixon, B., Diallo, T.A., Sangodoyin, M.A., Kolawole, P., Tran, T., Awoyale, W., Kulakow, P., Parkes E., Kouame, K.A., Amani, K., Appi, A., and Dixon, A., (2020). Report on the status of Attiéké production in Côte d’Ivoire, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343306883_Report_on_the_Status_of_Attieke_Production_in_Cote_d’Ivoire_Roots ↩︎
4. To get an idea of how to cook garba, ​Ivorian food: the GARBA! | Awalebiz. (n.d.). https://www.awalebiz.com/en/all-blog-articles/ivorian-food-the-garba/ ↩︎
5. Jollof, the Ghanaian version of the recipe: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrfmQTRO2aL/?igsh=aW0zbGRiaXFzeTRy ↩︎
6. Discover Antje de Vries Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/foodanjoy?igsh=b2JlOHh5YmI0bjk4 ↩︎
7. To learn more about the significance of the Otonan Festival, Birth Hereditary: Understanding the significance of the Balinese Otonan ceremony. (n.d.). Birth Hereditary: Understanding the Significance of the Balinese Otonan Ceremony | What’s New Indonesia. https://whatsnewindonesia.com/bali/feature/education/birth-hereditary-understanding-significance-balinese-otonan-ceremony ↩︎
8. For the reportage, D’Angelo, V. (2021). Eating with the Gods. Südwest. ↩︎