Last week’s Women and Food: Savouring Taste session was nothing short of delicious for the mind and soul. The conversation, brilliantly guided by Dorrie Wilson, took us deep into the heart of food, culture, memory, and identity with the inimitable Ozoz Sokoh — culinary creative, storyteller, and author of Chop Chop.

Ozoz’s journey into the food world is anything but straightforward. Trained as a geologist, she credits her scientific background with sharpening her senses in the kitchen — the ability to observe, touch, feel and yes, even taste with intention.

When speaking about her book Chop Chop, Ozoz stated, “I wrote the kind of cookbook I would like to read.” With a vast collection of cookbooks herself, she reads them not only for recipes but for the stories they hold. Her own recipes are infused with history, family memories and her personal journey.

On authenticity, Ozoz was refreshingly clear:

" ...obviously it is about conceptualization and looking at it from a historical point of view. One thing I know and understand about cuisine is that it evolves. Ingredients rise and fall in prominence with each generation. But I am authentically Nigerian — not just by heritage, but by lived experience. I’ve lived in many places, but when I come home, whether after a weekend or a long trip, the first thing I crave is Nigerian food”.

Furthermore she sees her approach to food and cooking as both traditional and contemporary, but her Nigerian lens is constant. She credits her mother’s creativity for sparking her curiosity in the kitchen — from frying raw rice until golden before cooking it, to experimenting with spice blends. She also treasures the lessons of her father, whose minimalist approach to flavour was almost the opposite: no stock cubes, no curry powder, no dried thyme — just salt, red palm oil and fresh ingredients.

It was a revelation and inspiring to hold these two culinary worlds side by side — her mother’s innovation and her father’s purism. Both shaped her patience in cooking and her deep understanding of flavour. “From my dad, I learned what onions can really do to a dish,” she reflected.

For Ozoz, cooking is also about preservation; a way to archive family memory, celebrate heritage and share joy. Her work reminds us that food is more than sustenance; it’s a living connection to who we are and where we come from.

 The global food system is facing dire challenges. With increasing concerns about climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss and malnutrition, there is an urgent need to rethink how and what people  eat. One critical area of focus gaining momentum is the rediscovery and promotion of forgotten foods—indigenous, underutilized crops that hold immense nutritional, cultural and economic value.

At The Food Bridge vzw, we are privileged to be leading a study on the trade of African food in Europe, funded by GFAiR – the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation, as part of the Collective Action on Forgotten Food. Our research aims to map the trade networks and market potential of these forgotten foods, focusing initially on the United Kingdom and France.

Why Indigenous African Food Matters

Indigenous African crops such as fonio, bambara groundnut, garden eggs, African bread fruit, baobab, varieties of cowpea and vegetables, are resilient, climate-smart, and nutritionally rich. These foods have sustained African communities for generations, yet they remain largely absent from mainstream global markets.  

However, on Europe,the African diaspora is gradually changing this narrative. From open markets to high-end restaurants, these communities are not just consumers but also entrepreneurs, chefs, and agrofood innovators. Our preliminary field trip to London revealed a vibrant, growing network of wholesalers, chefs, and small businesses using African ingredients. This evolution shows that there is an untapped market with cultural depth and great economic promise. 

Read more ...