TED Talks Daily What I learned from cooking my way across a continent | Dieuveil Malonga
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Jan 23, 2026 
Dieuveil Malonga, a Congolese chef and culinary innovator who traveled across Africa to learn regional food traditions. He discusses learning from grandmothers, discovering unique ingredients and dishes, and building a Culinary Innovation Village in Rwanda. He also talks farming-to-table techniques, fermentation, and training chefs to preserve and share African culinary heritage.
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Grandmother's School Shaped His Cooking
- Dieuveil Malonga spent two years traveling across Africa learning recipes and techniques directly from grandmothers and villages.
- He learned time-intensive dishes like Cameroon's ndole by cooking alongside elders and sharing full-day communal meals.
Harvests Are Communal Celebrations
- Malonga recalls visiting a panger pepper harvest where people sing and also eat ripe mangoes during harvest.
- He often helps on farms and eats fresh fruit while learning about regional spices and harvest culture.
Provenance Defines Flavor
- Malonga emphasizes connection to product and provenance as central to flavor and culinary identity.
- He contrasts market-bought ingredients in Europe with farm-to-table tastes discovered in African villages.