The Soul of A New Cuisine:
A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa
by Marcus Samuelsson

Reviewed by Eliza Gano

Marcus Samuelsson’s latest book, The Soul of A New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa, is a personal reflection of his reconnecting with the land of his birth—it focuses on the rarely highlighted cuisine of the African continent. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden by adoptive parents, the chef/co-owner of Aquavit in New York City bridges cultures through his cooking. His book features more than 200 recipes peppered with stunning photographs capturing everyday life. The project took five years to compile and sent him from South Africa to Morocco, from the famous spice island of Zanzibar to the fish markets of Senegal. As Samuelson writes, “To understand African cooking, you have to understand Africa.” Not an easy task in a continent comprising more than 55 countries with a panoply of tastes and techniques that arrived by way of Europe, India and Asia. Just as European cooking uses salt to give dimension to dishes, African dishes use spice blends and rubs to vary flavors. Many spices found in African cooking are found in pantries around the world but a number of ingredients are out-of-the-ordinary such as fenugreek seeds, merguez sausage, morning glory and shiro powder.

His mission, very similar to what he did for Swedish food in his first book, Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, was to find the heart of the cuisine. With that in mind, Samuelsson made it a point to try the staples of every country he traveled to, sampling traditional recipes handed down through generations and creating his own interpretations. The wildly varied recipes include: injera (sour, spongy bread from Ethiopia), snapper wrapped in banana leaf with morning glory (West Africa), shrimp piri piri (piri piri is the Swahili term for chili and the national dish of Mozambique), duqqa-cured venison loin (duqqa is derived from the Arabic word “to pound” and is a rub made from nuts and spices) and koesisters (a South African doughnut).

He stresses a communal approach to cooking, best described as ubuntu, a South African term meaning “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Connections to other people should be the centerpiece of a meal, the mixer should be replaced with the mortar and pestle and the foods should be enjoyed African-style—with your hands. And while the dishes might not come together very quickly, it’s more about savoring the adventure of exploring a new culture. Much like a stew simmering in a Moroccan tagine, it takes a little time and patience.

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