The Department of Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management of Accra Technical University (ATU) held a culinary exhibition to showcase the richness of African cuisine last Thursday.
The event, dubbed “Taste of Africa”, was organised by Evening Level 300 Group I students of the department and held at the ATU Auditorium.
It featured a wide array of traditional dishes served on platters to reflect the diversity of food across the continent.
Patrons were treated to African staples such as “jollof rice with goat meat (Ghana), attiéké with grilled fish (Cote d’Ivoire), moin moin (Nigeria), doro wat (Ethiopia), luwombo (Uganda), nyama choma (Kenya), ta'meya, falafel (Egypt), Moroccan Seafood, and "fish balls (Senegal).
Other dishes from West, East and Southern Africa were also displayed, as students provided explanations on their origin, nutritional value and cultural significance.
The event formed part of the students’ practical assessment and aimed at building their competencies in food preparation, presentation, customer service and event management.
Patrons, including faculty, industry players and students, sampled the various dishes and applauded the organisers for the professionalism exhibited.
Commendation
The Vice-Chancellor of ATU, Prof. Amevi Acakpovi, who commended the students, described the exhibition as a practical demonstration of the skills acquired in the classroom.
“This is the essence of technical and vocational education.
You have taken theory and translated it into practice in a very professional manner,” he said.
Prof. Acakpovi urged the students to serve as ambassadors of the university and to promote Africa’s culinary heritage beyond the school.
“Go out there and preach what you have learnt.
Let the public know that ATU is training competent graduates who are proud of our African identity and can compete on the global market,” the Vice Chancellor stated.
Appeal
For her part, the Head of the Department of Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management, Lynda Dede Graham, lauded the students for their creativity and teamwork.
She appealed to parents and other stakeholders to have confidence in the department’s capacity to train students for the hospitality industry.
“We have the facilities, the expertise and the commitment to nurture students for the needed market in this country.
‘Taste of Africa’ is proof that our students are ready for industry,” Mrs Graham said.
Also present at the event were the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Prof. Kobby Mensah, and an alumnus of ATU, Bernard Cosmas-Gonzalves, a Quality Surveyor at VG2 Construction Ltd.
Prof. Mensah lauded the initiative, stressing that promoting local cuisine was key to tourism growth and job creation.
He urged the students to leverage opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Mr Cosmas-Gonzalves, for his part, encouraged the students to remain disciplined and innovative as they prepare to enter the job market.
