Every dish that Binta serves pays tribute to her Fulani heritage. There are approximately 20-45 million Fulani people, most of whom are scattered throughout West Africa.
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.
“It broke my heart to see it disappear slowly,” she said. “These days we are ‘grab and go,’ everyone is in a hurry. I feel we need to go back and connect with our roots … especially food traditions.”
Binta describes her dishes as “soured,” “authentic,” and containing “lots of flavors.” She puts a modern twist on traditional recipes she learns while visiting nearby Fulani communities. On one trip, local villagers taught her how to use cow’s milk to make Wagashi — a soft, light cheese.
A daughter (left) visits a Fulani village in Ghana to source local ingredients and find inspiration for her culinary experience Dine on a Mat.
Back in Accra, Binta smokes the cheese, swirls it with a honey glaze and grills, before topping it with plantains and serving at her pop-up. “It’s one of our crowd favorites,” she said.
Customers are then taken on a “journey” through a multi-course meal. Binta explains each dish as customers sit on mats and eat with their hands. She believes that food has a “universal language” and that eating in a traditional setting opens the way for connection. “It gets laid on the mats, it makes you … bring compassion,” she said. “I think it’s powerful.”
Fulani cuisine
“I want to change the narrative of the way people see Fulani … I want everyone who sits on my carpet to leave as an ambassador for the Fulani people,” Binta added. To see also : A food packaging system reduces health risks and saves food.
After winning the € 100,000 ($ 100,000) prize, Binta said she hopes to expand her Dine on a Mat experience to more countries and “collaborate with many African chefs.”
Proceeds from “Dine on a Mat” will also go to Binta’s Fulani Kitchen Foundation. A daughter is proud of her heritage, but she also says that the Fulani tradition means that women are often seen mainly as women and mothers.
“I want them to get involved and have something to look forward to and live for,” she said.
Daughter said she avoided getting married when she was 16 and has been in favor of early marriage ever since.
Its foundation aims to empower women in Fulani communities by meeting their social, educational and community needs. So far, the foundation has helped more than 300 families in about 12 villages in Ghana, she said.
Binta now says she plans to move to Daboya in northern Ghana, where she bought four acres of land to build a community center to support Fulani women. “I really want to impact (these) issues in a positive way, so that these girls can have a space where they know they can do a lot for themselves,” she said.
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.4
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.5
Empowering Fulani women
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.6
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. See the article : Consumers feel the pains of high food prices. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.7
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.8
Binta says their plant-based cuisine, which often includes sun-dried vegetables and ancient grains like fonio and millet, is heavily influenced by their nomadic lifestyle. She described sharing meals as a child with Fulani elders, and said they would sit on mats and “combine food” discussing morals and values - a sense of community she has seen change over the years.9
“It broke my heart to see it disappear slowly,” she said. “These days we are ‘grab and go,’ everyone is in a hurry. I feel we need to go back and connect with our roots … especially food traditions.”0
