The ‘Stars of Africa’ gastronomic festival was held in St. Petersburg as part of the Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum. The project aims to introduce the residents of St. Petersburg and guests to the city to some of Africa’s finest traditional dishes. The project has been organized by Honorary Consul of the Republic of Congo in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region Jocelin Patrick Mandzela and Alexander Sysoev, one of Russia’s most important restaurateurs.
The city’s best restaurants and cafes will be featuring 3–4 course menu (one or two starters, a hot dish, and a dessert) to be developed on the basis of iconic African recipes. Over a hundred dishes people have likely never heard of and certainly never tried were brought out during the week: asida with ekwang (maize porridge with spicy coconut stew), married sardines (sardines marinated in chermoula sauce with attieke and fermented cassava root), peanut makroud with date jelly and pumpkin ice cream, sadza (maize porridge with crab and tomato), Ethiopian stew with peanuts, igisafuliya (a traditional Rwandan dish made of chicken, vegetables, and banana), nyam ngon (pumpkin seed terrine with chicken), Ethiopian injera pancakes, jollof with chicken cracklings, and Senegalese chicken with sautéed okra.
Dishes will be served in more than 20 St. Petersburg restaurants, including the nationally renowned Salone Pasta & Bar, La Maree, Fresa’s, Sea, Signora, Cafe Claret, and Blok.
“This is a very complex and interesting project – we know so little about African cuisine, and we have spent a lot of time collecting iconic dishes for each country. The chefs of St. Petersburg took a special interest in learning the continent’s special techniques and flavor combinations and adapting them to suit Russian tastes. I am certain all food lovers will enjoy the experience,” Sysoev said.
“This project looks to popularize African dishes and African cuisine in Russia. I have no doubt that it will pique the interest of people here towards African tourism. After all, food is an international language and an important part of any culture, and it displays a country’s features more clearly than anything else,” Honorary Consul of the Republic of Congo in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region Jocelin Patrick Mandzela said.