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European commission, French dairy firms host African chefs in Lagos

L – R: Pierre Gay, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Fromager (Best Cheesemonger in France); Laurent Damiens, Chief Operations Officer, Strategy and International, CNIEL; and Chef Christian Abégan, at the AfroGourmands event held in Lagos and organized by CNIEL and the European Commission.
L – R: Pierre Gay, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Fromager (Best Cheesemonger in France); Laurent Damiens, Chief Operations Officer, Strategy and International, CNIEL; and Chef Christian Abégan, at the AfroGourmands event held in Lagos and organized by CNIEL and the European Commission.
    By Opeyemi Kehinde @kennysous

The European Commission alongside the French Dairy Interbranch Organization (CNIEL) has hosted professionals in the food industry and talented African chefs to a day of tastings and workshops on the use of European dairy products in the African cuisine.

The event, tagged “AfroGourmands”, was held at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria and facilitated by an internationally acclaimed Chef, Christian Abégan, and Pierre Gay, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Fromager (Best Cheesemonger in France).

Some of the Euro-African cuisines made at the AfroGourmands event in Lagos organized by CNIEL and the European Commission.
Some of the Euro-African cuisines made at the AfroGourmands event in Lagos organized by CNIEL and the European Commission.

According to the organisers (CNIEL), the AfroGourmands was aimed at promoting the know-how, diversity and excellent quality of the European dairy products – milk, butter, cream and cheese – used in the African cuisine.

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Speaking at the event, the Chief Operations Officer of CNIEL, Laurent Damiens, said the event was organised to highlight through the Afrogourmand’s programme, European milk and dairy products that are exported to meet the ever-increasing demands in the Nigerian market.

“In 2018, over 248 tonnes of French cheeses and 178 tonnes of milk and dairy beverages were exported to Nigeria”, he stated.

Laurent added: “The purpose of the campaign is not to displace the use of local produce; rather it is to show the culinary possibilities that can be achieved with a fusion of local and international produce”.

Some of the Euro-African cuisines made at the AfroGourmands event in Lagos organized by CNIEL and the European Commission.
Some of the Euro-African cuisines made at the AfroGourmands event in Lagos organized by CNIEL and the European Commission.

At the event, Chef Christian Abégan, who is also a Cordon bleu-trained Chef and fervent promoter of African cuisine to the world hosted a tasting workshop at the event.

He also recreated the favourite local Nigerian food – Ofada rice – using some European dairy products.

Speaking after the tasting, Abegan said “Incorporating European dairy products in local cuisine will improve and upgrade the African food culture. It will also increase the demand and interest in African cuisine”.

The organisers noted that through “AfroGourmands,” the continent’s chefs and Africans in general would be able to discover the various European dairy products available for use in African cuisine, as more preparation methods, tips and tableware would be shared on its social media platforms regularly.

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