Dieuveil Malonga

29 / Kigali, Rwanda

From Linzolo, Congo

If The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is anything to go by, there is a lot of value in a chef going out to explore the world, before returning home to apply a global lens to their nation’s idiosyncratic cuisine. For Dieuveil Malonga, who moved to Germany aged 13 before studying as a chef in the country’s top restaurants, a return to his native Congo brought more than new culinary ideas – rather a passion to bring his nation’s food to the world.

Dieuveil’s food integrates African, German and French traditions to create what he describes as ‘afro-fusion’ cuisine. Throughout his travels around Africa to promote this freshly coined style of cooking, he became inspired by the young cooks he met on his journey and increasingly motivated to assist in the problems they faced. In 2016 he founded Chefs in Africa, a digital platform that educates and informs about African gastronomy, giving a voice and funding to young chefs across the continent. More than 4,000 young talents have benefited from the organisation, which has received support from the World Tourism Organisation and UNESCO. February 2021 saw Dieuveil open the Chefs in Africa Culinary Center, the first research facility focused on African gastronomy, which is in part inspired by the work of the Basque Culinary Center.

“Food is art, food is culture, food is history, food is political. Our curriculum tackles the uncomfortable and the unknown about Africa. We address clichés, misinformation, research local eating habits, ingredients and recipes per region and cook together.” – Dieuveil Malonga