E64: Izunna Dike believes fusion cooking can benefit both Nigerian and foreign flavor profiles

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Izunna Dike, immigrant, chef, and all-round jolly fellow.

When we move to a new country, the traditional dishes we bring along with us change over time, shaped by the realities of ingredients availability, the need to adapt the meal to our new friend’s palate, and experimentation.

If properly harnessed, these culinary transformations can serve as an entry point into understanding the people who cook the food.

For Izunna Dike, it was no different.

The interesting thing was Izunna didn't always cook when he lived in Nigeria aside from random requests by his parents to knock together a meal for them.

After moving to the UK as a teenager, and spending a year without eating Nigerian food due to his living circumstances, Izunna started to cook as a way to hold onto his heritage.

And he’s never looked back. Cooking become a way for him to write a love letter to home while experimenting with hybrid meals.

In this conversation, we chat about the relationship between food and culture. We also explored:

* How he replicates Nigerian flavors in Canada

* The three Nigerian dishes he would make if he was asked to cook for a global audience

* How he balances authenticity and adaptation when fusing Nigerian flavors with flavors from other cultures, and a lot more good stuff.

P.S. Did you know that if you added Cameroonian pepper to your mashed potatoes it would taste much much better? Try it this holiday season and let me know.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Izunna on X

🤌🏽 Follow Izunna on Instagram

🎬 Izunna’s YouTube channel

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