- 2 days ago
African culture is exploding in the mainstream. From the music to the dances, the style and travels, and moments like Detty Decemba and ESSENCE's own game changing Year of the Return event, pride in all things African is swelling. This includes an appreciation of the food. A chef breaks down the increased appeal of fare from around the Mother continent and showcases how to make a beloved dish from the culture/their esteemed menu.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00We have an amazing conversation that is about to happen.
00:04It's called From Africa to the World.
00:08Whether it is music or dance, fashion or food,
00:12the cultural influence of Africa is absolutely undeniable.
00:19We love our ancestry, do we not?
00:25We love our roots. We love that we are connected to Africa.
00:28We love the fact that when we come there, they love us.
00:32When they come here, we love us better.
00:34We are family. Are we not African?
00:37And black people, we are family, right?
00:41In this segment, our expert panelists will break down the growing impact of African cuisine.
00:49Let's welcome 2024 James Beard Foundation winner,
00:55Chef Serene Mbe of Dakar Nola,
01:01Chef Prince Lobo,
01:04General Manager of Addis Nola,
01:08Founder of the Billionaire Chef,
01:10and Executive Chef of ILE,
01:14Chef Tulu Eros.
01:20I did it.
01:21And finally, joined by Chief of Diasporic Engagement of Essence Ventures,
01:30Baku Tommenzalu.
01:34Did I do it? Close.
01:38Thank you. I tried. I tried.
01:40Y'all give it over me.
01:41I really did. I've been practicing.
01:42Y'all enjoy this conversation.
01:44Clap for yourself.
01:45You know, listen, we're all African up here,
01:47so our names are very special.
01:49When you can get through it, it's amazing.
01:52But she did it.
01:54She did it. She did it. She did it.
01:56Hello, everybody.
01:59Can y'all hear me?
02:01I'm not starting until y'all get into it,
02:03because these are some very special people up here.
02:06Hello, everybody.
02:10All right.
02:11Thank you guys for joining us.
02:14Super excited that you're here.
02:16And we will get into it,
02:18because the only thing I'm upset about with this panel
02:21is there is not food for me to eat.
02:22Because these gentlemen up here are like blazing trails.
02:27And when we talk about Africa to the world,
02:30this is what we mean.
02:31But we also mean that it's a part of our bridging of the gap
02:34and really sharing the real narrative of our continent
02:38that connects all of us globally.
02:42So congratulations to you for all of the things,
02:45mister, you can't get reservations in my restaurant.
02:48So I'm going to ask this to Chef Serene and Prince.
02:55What has been the journey to bring Senegalese food
02:58and Ethiopian food to a place known and beloved
03:01for distinct types of cuisine like New Orleans?
03:05Well, first and foremost,
03:07Serene is one of the most humble gentlemen that I know.
03:11You know, whenever he came back to New Orleans
03:13after traveling the world,
03:14working for some of the best chefs in the world,
03:16he became the best chef in the world himself.
03:17You know what I mean?
03:19He really just won that award.
03:20It's not a joke.
03:21You know, best new restaurant in America.
03:24It means a lot.
03:25And if y'all heard his speech, it means so much.
03:27And I'm doing this because he just tried to pass it to me,
03:29so I'm going to pass it back.
03:32He said in his speech,
03:34the South has something to say,
03:35Wolof has something to say,
03:36Africa has something to say,
03:38and I'll never forget that for the rest of my life.
03:40I think it will inspire generations
03:42for the rest of their lives.
03:43And you can't talk about New Orleans cuisine
03:45without talking about Senegalese food.
03:47People have to understand that, right?
03:49We talk about gumbo.
03:51We're talking about okra.
03:52We're talking about jambalaya.
03:55All these things, all these contexts.
03:57We see them through the lens of the South,
03:59but in fact, all of their backbones come from Africa.
04:01They come from the people who brought those foods here, right?
04:05And for him to be doing what he's doing,
04:07he literally will come and tell you that story.
04:09He'll literally explain the dishes, the inspiration,
04:12and really just make you get immersed
04:15with the story of our ancestors.
04:17It's not just limited to African.
04:19It's limited to every single person,
04:22melanated person,
04:23every single person of African descent.
04:25All of our stories really intertwine with West Africa,
04:28Senegal, Nigeria, and...
04:30Liberia.
04:31Liberia.
04:31Come on, get it right, get it right, get it right.
04:32And for him to be doing what he's doing,
04:37like, even the concept,
04:38but then to execute and have his skill set,
04:40like, there's nobody in the world
04:42that's doing what he's doing
04:43and is as special as this person right here,
04:45and I mean that, for real.
04:46Well, before you even say,
04:47I have to say what I love about that
04:49is the love that you have for him
04:50and the love that you have for what you all do together
04:53and understand that when he does it,
04:55that means we're all doing it.
04:56So I applaud you for the camaraderie,
04:59the brotherhood,
05:00so I'll turn it to you,
05:01best restaurant in the world.
05:02Can you guys hear me?
05:03Can you guys, you can hear,
05:04it's really weird, the acoustic.
05:05If you can hear me clap once.
05:07If you can hear me clap twice.
05:09If you can hear me clap three times.
05:12All right, so we're going to do this little exercise,
05:14so I want,
05:15I'm going to get you guys into my language
05:17and I want y'all to repeat back after me.
05:18Uh-oh.
05:19So if we say,
05:21I want y'all to respond back saying,
05:24I want y'all to say it so loud,
05:31like what's going on over there,
05:32what language are you speaking?
05:34Nang and Def.
05:35Ma-gi-fi.
05:36One more time,
05:37like energized.
05:38Nang and Def.
05:39Ma-gi-fi.
05:41Yes.
05:41You know what I'm saying?
05:42So anytime you go to someone home in Senegal,
05:44before anything happens,
05:44they always greet you in Wall-Off.
05:46So they'll tell you,
05:46Nang and Def,
05:47if you respond back saying,
05:48Ma-gi-fi.
05:50These are two amazing,
05:51talented chefs that I really respect.
05:54You know,
05:55Prince is telling his story through Ethiopian lens
05:57and my brother right there is killing it with Nigeria,
06:00putting Nigeria in the map
06:01and talking about Jollof.
06:03You know,
06:03we're not going to have the conversation about Jollof.
06:04No, we're not.
06:05We're not.
06:06We ain't going to get into that.
06:08But what I would say is that,
06:09you know,
06:09when I,
06:10early on,
06:11when I moved to New Orleans about eight years ago,
06:14I was,
06:15you know,
06:15prior to that,
06:16I worked for a lot of great restaurants,
06:18went to culinary school and et cetera,
06:19you know,
06:20worked in a couple of Michelin stars,
06:21three Michelin,
06:21two Michelin,
06:23but I didn't see what's African food at the fine dine level.
06:25And that,
06:26that was my motivation for everything.
06:28So throughout the past 15 years being in the industry,
06:32I knew that our people belong.
06:35In order for me to do that,
06:36I had to go work for the top best restaurant,
06:38world 50 best,
06:39you name it,
06:40just to get the experience.
06:41So,
06:42and that allowed me to get the knowledge,
06:46get the respect,
06:48understand the business.
06:50And now we open a restaurant in New Orleans.
06:53It's been about 18 months.
06:54And we just got nominated best new restaurant in the country,
06:56which is crazy.
06:58Amazing.
06:59But what I would say is,
07:00you know,
07:00it was,
07:00it was extremely challenging at the beginning.
07:03But when I dig down in history and realize how much we inspired
07:07Cuyo and Cajun food,
07:10that was my drive.
07:11Like,
07:11wait a minute.
07:12These are our stories they tell in.
07:13Now we have to claim it and be at the forefront of,
07:17of it,
07:19you know,
07:19and,
07:20um,
07:20that's kind of some of the challenge that I have.
07:22But now,
07:23because of all the stories has been shared and all of the accolades we have
07:27been receiving,
07:28you know,
07:29everyone comes in our restaurant and they come into our restaurant with a lot
07:34of research already.
07:35So I don't have to tell them who we are,
07:36what we do,
07:37because now they come in and know who we are.
07:39And so that's the beauty of it.
07:41Listen,
07:42I am so proud of you.
07:43I am really proud of you.
07:45Um,
07:46which means I'm proud of us.
07:47I did get a chance to sample some of your food because you catered the Alara pop-up at the
07:53Brooklyn Museum with Rennie,
07:56who I absolutely adore.
07:58That was an amazing experience.
07:59So thank you for that.
08:00So we're going to go to the billionaire chef.
08:04Woo.
08:05My guy,
08:06chef Tolu.
08:08So chef Eros,
08:09what about you?
08:10What,
08:10what has,
08:12um,
08:12your success,
08:13your,
08:14you,
08:14you had a successful restaurant in Nigeria.
08:16How has it been bringing Nigerian flair to the masses?
08:21And you took it to Los Angeles.
08:23You know,
08:24Hollywood is like,
08:25you know,
08:26you were like,
08:27we're going to come and I'm going to make you,
08:29understand why you need me.
08:31What,
08:31what was that journey?
08:33What made you do Los Angeles,
08:34even out of New Orleans?
08:35Cause we get New Orleans even a little bit more,
08:37but that was bold.
08:39I mean,
08:40you know,
08:40Nigerians now,
08:42you know,
08:42we're bold,
08:43like go big or go home.
08:45Right.
08:46And for me,
08:47um,
08:48my ethos had always been putting West African food on the global map.
08:52And more importantly,
08:54uh,
08:54making it a respectable as a Nigerian.
08:57Um,
08:58we've been misunderstood for the most part.
09:00Um,
09:01and for me as a very proud Nigerian,
09:04I wanted,
09:04uh,
09:05the proud,
09:05the pride of my culture to come through as well,
09:08especially in the cuisine.
09:09Um,
09:10I didn't,
09:11I wasn't one of those chefs that wanted to be a chef as a kid.
09:13Right.
09:14I just found that,
09:15um,
09:16I had a gift and a knack for cooking.
09:18And the one time that I was always celebrated and appreciated for my artistry was when I cooked.
09:25Um,
09:26and,
09:26um,
09:26I sat with my family and my mentors and asked myself what my purpose in life is supposed to be.
09:33And,
09:34um,
09:34after time and time and time again,
09:37we realized that I am a culinary entertainer because I use food as a medium of communication to tell the stories of my people,
09:44of my culture to make not just myself proud,
09:47but everyone that is around me proud to connect the dots.
09:51Right.
09:52And so coming to,
09:53um,
09:54Los Angeles was me basically saying,
09:56um,
09:56I'm going to go to where,
09:58um,
09:58is the capital of entertainment to reach a very wide audience.
10:02And you can see it working.
10:04I mean,
10:04um,
10:04just a couple months ago,
10:06um,
10:06myself,
10:07Michael B.
10:08Jordan,
10:08and a few memorable people were sitting around the dining table discussing,
10:12um,
10:13jollof rice,
10:15right?
10:15And we presented the unity jollof rice,
10:17um,
10:18that tells the story of the combination of all of us,
10:21right?
10:22Because together we are stronger.
10:23We're stronger together as one.
10:25And that's why we preach the story and the ethos of one people,
10:29one jollof.
10:31And that commercial has become a trend,
10:34right?
10:35And it's on a global stage,
10:36uh,
10:36even so much so that even at Cannes,
10:39it was,
10:39it was presented as well.
10:40And so being in Los Angeles,
10:43obviously at the beginning was a little daunting at first because having a
10:46successful restaurant in Nigeria,
10:48having a bakery,
10:49catering business,
10:50and being able to step away from that to start afresh,
10:52sounding a little crazy,
10:54right?
10:54But as human beings,
10:55right,
10:56we kind of have to do it all over again.
10:57I feel like every decade we're kind of born again,
11:00right?
11:01And so as I moved to Los Angeles,
11:02I found myself almost being born again and given an opportunity to do it
11:06again,
11:07but do it bigger and better.
11:09And right.
11:10And so what I did was start at home.
11:12My mother would always say charity begins at home.
11:14That's right.
11:15And my grandmother started her restaurant from her backyard.
11:18And so even my bakery in Nigeria,
11:20cookie jar started my apartment in Victoria Island.
11:22So I thought,
11:23you know what?
11:24I'm going to start my restaurant from home.
11:26And we called it Ile.
11:27Ile means home.
11:29And my home is West Africa and I'm proud of it.
11:31And so I designed the space to look like a well-traveled Nigerian,
11:36West African home.
11:37That's passionate about food,
11:39passionate about music and passionate about art.
11:41And as you walk into the space,
11:42you're completely enveloped by the culture.
11:44You can smell the spice from down the road.
11:47That's the thing about African cooking.
11:48African cooking is not a,
11:50it's serious,
11:51serious business.
11:52You can smell the spice from down the hill.
11:54You know,
11:55and so for me,
11:56going to Los Angeles and being there and being able to put West African
12:00culture on the food map and being,
12:02and sitting next to brothers like this who are doing the same thing makes me
12:06proud from my chest.
12:07You know,
12:07I can beat my chest and say,
12:09you know what?
12:10I am African and I am African as fuck.
12:12And I am proud.
12:13Sorry that I saw.
12:14Yes.
12:15I love it.
12:16I love it.
12:16So,
12:17you know,
12:17I have this thing,
12:18whenever I have a conversation and my kids are in the room,
12:20I have to acknowledge them.
12:21So there's my baby girls right there.
12:23And then I have a bonus daughter.
12:25That one right there.
12:25She's Senegalese.
12:26Oh yeah.
12:27I can tell.
12:27I can tell.
12:29I can tell about a million.
12:30And so the thing that I love is,
12:33you know,
12:33we're Liberians.
12:34And the thing that I love about my children is they love Liberian food as
12:39much as they love pizza.
12:41In fact,
12:41I think they love it more.
12:42So I have the fufus and the stuff,
12:44which is great.
12:45So you all obviously grew up with your mamas and your grandmas and the
12:50aunties who's cooking.
12:51Where did you,
12:52like what was the,
12:53what started you cooking?
12:55Cause I know you didn't start out as a cook.
12:57When did food become,
12:59preparing food become a part of what you wanted to do?
13:02For me,
13:03it's pretty,
13:03you know,
13:03it's pretty simple.
13:04I come from a very humble beginning.
13:06So I,
13:07I was born in Harlem and my parents came here when they were young.
13:13My mom came here early twenties and it was a lot of West African and Harlem
13:18around that time.
13:19And all they were doing was do cap driving,
13:21you know,
13:21for,
13:22you name it for,
13:23yes.
13:24Yeah.
13:24but my mom,
13:26when she came to visit my dad,
13:28she was supposed to come here.
13:29She was supposed to be in the state for a few months,
13:30but she ended up started cooking.
13:32And next thing you know,
13:34all the cab drivers from Senegal,
13:37from Guinea,
13:38Bissau,
13:38Guinea,
13:38Guinea,
13:38Guinea,
13:39Guinea,
13:40you know,
13:40Ghana,
13:40all those people started coming to our house for dinner.
13:44And what my mom created was a sense of home,
13:47something that they could not get from West Africa,
13:50right?
13:50Unless they go to West Africa.
13:52So as a kid growing up in,
13:53in,
13:54in New York and Harlem,
13:56I was born into the hospitality.
13:58So at age of three or four,
13:59my dad would say,
14:00I was trying to go to the refrigerator,
14:01trying to grab a glass or water.
14:03And I kind of,
14:05I kind of grew up in the industry.
14:07So when I went back to sent my parents taken to Senegal,
14:09age of five,
14:09I was there for nearly a decade.
14:11When I returned back,
14:13I feel an outsider,
14:15a country that I was born in.
14:16I didn't speak English.
14:17I didn't understand the culture.
14:19I miss kindergarten,
14:20older to eight degree,
14:21that whole,
14:22you know,
14:22and I was learning Quran,
14:24which we write from right to left,
14:26you know,
14:26not left to right.
14:27So it was a lot of adjustment,
14:28but I find myself spending a lot of time with my mom and making up for lost time
14:34because being in the kitchen.
14:35And so by me being in the kitchen with my mom,
14:39I learned more about her,
14:42about life,
14:43about food.
14:44And that was my inspiration to continue living the life I'm living now,
14:48which is being a chef.
14:50I love that.
14:50That is such a great story.
14:52I thank you for sharing that.
14:53That is really special.
14:56That's really special.
14:57I love that.
14:58I love that.
14:59Prince,
14:59what about you?
15:00Where did your love and,
15:03you know,
15:04your passion for feeding people or using your skill to cook,
15:10when did that start?
15:11What happened?
15:13Well,
15:14Adi Snola,
15:15the restaurant itself,
15:18and I'll say it in my mother's accent.
15:21If she was here,
15:22she'd be pissed.
15:23if she heard me.
15:25But one day,
15:26she literally came to me.
15:27She said,
15:27I have a dream.
15:30I want to present this Ethiopian food in New Orleans.
15:35I see African culture everywhere.
15:38I go.
15:38I see the clothes.
15:39I see the food.
15:40But it does not exist in the way that I envisioned it.
15:44I want it to exist.
15:46And I'm sorry,
15:48mom.
15:48But that was that fire,
15:53you know?
15:53That was that drive,
15:55that passion,
15:56that love that I was raised with.
15:59It was just me and her.
16:00I came to the States when I was two years old.
16:02I was sick when I was a baby.
16:04I was born in Angola.
16:06In Louisiana,
16:06we know Angola as a prison.
16:08So when I tell people I'm from Angola,
16:10you're like,
16:10oh, baby,
16:11I'm so sorry.
16:12Wow, yeah.
16:13I'm like,
16:13no, no, no.
16:14I was born in the country,
16:15Angola,
16:15which is West Africa,
16:16but my mother being Ethiopian.
16:18And in her heart,
16:19she left when she was 13.
16:20So in her heart,
16:20she kept these cultures.
16:22She remembered these dishes,
16:22these recipes.
16:23And anytime she cooked,
16:25anytime she had a chance to cook,
16:26I would be right by her side.
16:28So whenever she came to me
16:29and told me this dream,
16:30this vision,
16:30I said,
16:30you know what?
16:31I had my dream job already.
16:33I made it at 21 years old.
16:34I had my dream job.
16:36That's amazing.
16:37And she gave up everything
16:38just for that to happen.
16:40At a young age,
16:40just for me to be able
16:41to achieve all of my dreams.
16:43And, you know,
16:44that was six years ago.
16:46I'm 27 now,
16:48so still very young.
16:49And whenever she came to me
16:51and told me about that dream,
16:52I said,
16:52you know what?
16:53You sacrificed everything.
16:54You left home.
16:56You left where you was from
16:57just so I could have a chance
16:58to be able to do what I wanted.
16:59And I reached it.
17:01And it would be remiss.
17:03It would be a wasted opportunity
17:05if I didn't join in
17:06on that adventure with her.
17:09And so it really is
17:10just a fire,
17:10the love for the culture,
17:11the passion,
17:12the people,
17:13our food.
17:14In Ethiopian cuisine,
17:14a lot of it is really
17:15shared at a dinner table.
17:16It's like a lot of,
17:17most of the continent,
17:18most of, you know,
17:19black food across the world,
17:20it's at that dinner table.
17:22So when we come in together,
17:23we're talking about
17:24what's going on in our life.
17:25We're sharing food.
17:26Literally, Ethiopian food
17:27is eating in other cultures
17:28within Jera,
17:30where you're eating
17:31with your hands.
17:31And so not only
17:32are you sharing food
17:33with one another,
17:34but you're sharing a culture
17:35that people have been eating
17:36for thousands of years.
17:37I love that.
17:37You know?
17:38So that's really where
17:39a lot of our drive,
17:40our passion,
17:41me spending a lot of time
17:42with her,
17:42and just where I de-snola,
17:44I de-snola!
17:46Right?
17:46It's how we say it.
17:47If you know,
17:48it's a physical embodiment,
17:49really, of my family's love.
17:51And if you go in the kitchen,
17:52I got two of my sisters in there.
17:53Yep.
17:54You know, cooking.
17:56I got my pops,
17:57he's in there
17:57because he doesn't want to leave.
17:58Right now,
17:59my mother,
17:59she comes and checks
18:00on the restaurant.
18:00It's literally a family
18:01from top to bottom,
18:03all family business.
18:04And we're still bringing people,
18:05you know,
18:05from the continent
18:06to come and work with us,
18:07live with us,
18:08you know,
18:08and just experience,
18:10have a chance to really make
18:12something out of our lives,
18:13you know,
18:13as a family.
18:14That's beautiful.
18:14That's beautiful.
18:16Chef Iris,
18:16over to you.
18:17When did you start,
18:18like,
18:18when did cooking
18:18become a thing for you?
18:20For me,
18:21necessity was the mother
18:22of my invention.
18:24I grew up in a very
18:25Nigerian household.
18:27My mother is Edo
18:28and Kalabar,
18:29and my father is Yoruba.
18:31But it was very cultural.
18:32We sat around the dining table
18:34to eat.
18:34My mother wouldn't serve you
18:35if you weren't
18:36at the dining table.
18:38And that was for us
18:39community and connection
18:40and sharing our experiences.
18:43And as everyone started
18:44to travel abroad to study,
18:45I was left alone at home
18:47at the dining table,
18:49and it was just me
18:49and my mother
18:50for a number of years.
18:51Then I eventually
18:52went abroad to study.
18:53I went to University
18:53of Wolverhampton.
18:54And as I was studying
18:55in my first year,
18:57I realized how much
18:58I missed Nigerian food.
19:00As a matter of fact,
19:01it was a couple weeks in,
19:02and I was looking
19:03for the pepe.
19:04I'm like,
19:04where is the spice
19:05in this food?
19:06You know,
19:06I was excited initially
19:07that I have unlimited
19:08access to junk food.
19:10But after a couple weeks
19:11of junk food,
19:12I'm needing this spice
19:13in my stomach, right?
19:15And so I got on the phone
19:15with my mother
19:16and my grandmother
19:17who taught me how to cook.
19:19Bear in mind,
19:19half the time,
19:20they were arguing
19:20about the same thing.
19:22And that taught me
19:22something about food,
19:23though,
19:24that the recipe
19:25is not the Bible.
19:26It's only a guide, right?
19:27It's really about
19:28the ingredients
19:28and the ratios, right?
19:30But different ways
19:31to communicate yourself
19:33through the food, right?
19:34But there was one thing
19:36in those conversations
19:36with my grandmother,
19:38God rest her soul,
19:39is that if you do not
19:39cook with love,
19:41do not cook at all.
19:42Yes.
19:43That's really it.
19:44It boils down to love
19:46for the ingredients
19:48and the people
19:48that you are cooking.
19:49it for.
19:51And so as I started
19:52to cook with love,
19:53I started to see
19:53people come alive.
19:55It was almost like
19:56they were coming alive again,
19:58right?
19:59And especially for people
20:00who had never really
20:01experienced this kind of love
20:03with this level of spice.
20:05And I'm not talking
20:05about fiery spice.
20:06I'm talking about flavors
20:08and herbs
20:09and vegetables
20:10and just the stewing.
20:11You know how Africans cook
20:12with a lot of stewing
20:14and brewing, right?
20:15And as I went
20:16through that process,
20:17I found out that
20:17my love for my culture
20:19and my food
20:20became a celebration
20:21of culture in general,
20:23hence why we're
20:24at this stage today.
20:26And so becoming a chef
20:27or getting into the kitchen
20:28started for me
20:30wanting to first
20:31feed myself
20:32and then share that love
20:34with others
20:35and see the appreciation
20:36for that
20:37and get to a point
20:38where I said to myself,
20:39not enough people
20:40know anything about us.
20:41Not enough people
20:42know anything about our culture.
20:43And so when I went back
20:44to Nigeria
20:45and moved back to Nigeria
20:46and I started my restaurant,
20:47we opened a second restaurant,
20:49Ile Eros,
20:50the House of Love,
20:51a Nigerian restaurant
20:52with a modern twist
20:54because it was time
20:55for our culture
20:57to become,
20:58to evolve.
20:59Now what has happened
21:00with French cuisine
21:01has happened with,
21:02not even French cuisine,
21:03I would say like
21:03the Japanese cuisine
21:04or the Chinese cuisine,
21:05Italian cuisine,
21:06has been an evolution.
21:07The more and more
21:08artists come into the space
21:10and take those ingredients
21:11and processes
21:12without losing
21:13the authenticity of it.
21:15Paying respect
21:16and ethos
21:16to what they are
21:18and what the ingredients are
21:19and gradually finding ways
21:20to make them
21:21more presentable,
21:22to make them
21:23more appreciated,
21:24to make them
21:25more palatable,
21:26it becomes now
21:27celebrated
21:28and that's what's happening
21:30with more and more chefs
21:31coming in
21:31and cooking West African food
21:33with that flair,
21:34with that avant-garde approach,
21:36it becomes more celebrated
21:37and to be honest,
21:40it is Africa to the world.
21:41Africa to the world.
21:43I love that
21:44and I love that
21:44all of your stories
21:45start with your mother.
21:46Wow, I mean,
21:47that was really inspiring.
21:48By the way,
21:49all your stories start
21:50with your mother.
21:51Our time is up
21:52but what I love about it
21:53and by the way,
21:54I would find pepper
21:54just to put in any food
21:55so I can have the taste of home
21:56when I was in college as well
21:58but I am excited
22:00that the world
22:02gets to experience
22:03what we've always been doing
22:05from Africa
22:06in fashion,
22:07music
22:08and now food
22:10thanks to you all
22:11and so that's the narrative change.
22:13That's what we want people
22:14to experience.
22:16Ladies and gentlemen,
22:17please give it up
22:18for Chef Zerene,
22:20Prince Lobo
22:21and Chef Eros,
22:22the billionaire chef.
22:22Thank you all
22:23for joining us
22:24at the Essence Food Festival.
22:26This was great.
22:27I could have gone on forever
22:28by the way.
22:29All right.
22:29Thank you guys.
22:30Woo!
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