This year Basque Culinary World Prize 2022, considered the "Nobel" of gastronomy, has ended up in Fatmata binta. The chef is the promoter of 'Dine on a mat', an initiative that focuses on Fulani culture and cuisine. We tell you all the details about this chef who tries to give a voice to the largest nomadic tribe in Africa through their customs and flavors.
Fatmata Binta: a committed chef
War, misery and exile have forged Fatmata binta and they have made him put on a breastplate with which he fights every day. The chef born in Sierra Leone, and currently residing in Ghana, lived in his flesh the war and the exodus hen I was a child. She had her grandmother as a reference since she was little, that she managed to raise the family by growing cereals. There she began her love for cooking and his struggle to help those most in need.
In recent years, Binta has become one of the most important voices in African gastronomy. Her effort to publicize and rescue from ostracism The Fulani culture, the nomadic tribe into which he was born, have opened the gates of Olympus to him. Their hard work for conserving the gastronomic heritage of her town, she has just been awarded the Basque Culinary World Prize 2022.
The "Nobel" of gastronomy
Fatmata binta His work has been rewarded with one of the most prestigious prizes awarded in the world of cooking. The Basque Culinary World Prize, endowed with €100.000, is an award promoted by the Basque Culinary Center of San Sebastián and the Basque Government. This award, considered the "Nobel" of cooking, is awarded to chefs who have promoted transformative initiatives within the gastronomic world.
Like all awards of this caliber, the jury is made up of senior representatives from the world of cuisine and from the five continents. Among these members are Joan Roca, Gastón Acurio, Michel Bras, Elena Reygadas or Pía León, among others. All of them have highlighted the work carried out by Binta with its 'Dine on a mat' initiative in defense of their roots and social integration in Ghana.
The intense social work of Fatmata Binta
In addition to his intense work to publicize the Fulani culture, Fatmata binta He has created his own foundation: the Fulani Kitchen Foundation. Through this organization, he intends to turn products from his land into a source of income. for the most disadvantaged communities. Among these foods is fonio, a gluten free cereal, of very good flavor and cultivated in much of Africa.
Another of the ways in which they intend to raise funds are charity dinners. All proceeds from these evenings will go to the development of community projects in different areas of Ghana. On the other hand, the Foundation intends educate and train girls and women from the Fulani community, starting with the construction of a specialized center for it.
The ancient Fulani gastronomy
Fulani gastronomy has many centuries behind it and Fatmata Binta fights for her. Throughout history, the members of this community have interspersed the cultivation of cereals with the production of dairy products. The latter are marketed with great success on the African continent. Among them highlights the butter and a drink called fura, which is made with fermented milk, sugar and millet grains.
But its star product is, without a doubt, the wagassi cheese. This food is very popular throughout the Fulani area, especially in Benin. It is a soft and tasty cheese, ideal for cooking it in stews or eating it fried. Its preparation is simple, same as other cheeses. After the milk is cooked, the whey is added and it is wrapped in cotton leaves. Later, when it has curdled, it is placed in red wax and stored in these conditions.
Africa is a Culture crucible, a continent that we see far away despite its relative proximity, and that has a very varied cuisine. The award to Fatmata binta It is a tribute to his hard work in defense of their traditions and its social project. Do you dare to taste the typical dishes of Fulani cuisine?
