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Nomadic dining experiences by Chef Selassie Atadika

A 2019 Basque Culinary World Prize Finalist and Top 50 Plant-Forward chef according to the EAT Foundation and Culinary Institute of America, Selassie Atadika is changing the scene with her unique flavours, methods and will soon be a speaker at Design

By Amy Saunders | January 20, 2020 | Category

The expression ‘Va midunu’ means ‘Come, let’s eat’ and intends to unite strangers by sharing meals. Inspired by this expression Ghanaian expat, Chef Selassie Atadika is changing the culinary scene with her new and unique take on Ghanaian cuisine and nomadic food experiences.

Selassie and her family left Ghana due to political instability and settled in the United States where she achieved a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Geography modified with Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. Her education led her to work for UNICEF in Africa and Eastern Europe, the path on which she rediscovered the wonders of traditional Ghanaian food.

Picture: Groundnut Soup, Midunu

Already a self-taught chef, Selassie went on to complete a course at the Culinary Institute of America and co-founded Trio Toque, the first nomadic restaurant in Dakar, Senegal. In 2014, she returned to Ghana and launched her food enterprise Midunu, a unique platform that brings food, culture and community together through its nomadic and private dining experiences.

The dinners are hosted in unique settings across Accra, Ghana where strangers share food, preserving the bonds of communal eating. The menu changes for each pop-up event, but always features sustainable, seasonal, climate-friendly ingredients such as sorghum, baobab, goat and plantain. These ingredients are then enhanced with flavourful lemongrass, hibiscus, coriander and chilli.

Picture: Egusi Ravioli, Midunu

Chef Selassie concludes every nomadic dinner with proudly Ghanaian cocoa and coffee and her handcrafted artisanal chocolates, made with local cocoa, teas, tisanes and complex spice blends. We look forward to seeing what she brings to the table at Design Indaba 2020.