Let me share with you the story of one of my joyful travel food experiences. Just like other food lovers, I spend a phenomenal amount of time per day reading food blogs. I remember one day, while staying in Senegal, I came across a passionately written article about an event called the ‘Dakar Farmer Market’. It was a food festival organized every first Saturday of the month in the capital city, Dakar, just down from the giant African Renaissance Monument. Cooks from different countries around the world were joining to showcase their dishes to local food lovers.
On one particular Saturday, I woke up in the morning, took a bath, and without even reading newspapers or thinking about anything else, I immediately took a taxi to head directly to where the delicious foods awaited! Upon entering the market, I was immediately welcomed by all kinds of different smells, colors, and beauties. I found myself in a melting pot of culture, creativity, and concept. I noticed various types of foods from different countries, all magnificently exposing their culinary art. Going from one stand to another felt like traveling from one country to another.
I was overwhelmed with excitement to the extent that I felt similar to a drunk person, walking all around the market with a giant smile. Everything was there to make me happy. I firstly bought the ‘Injera’. When I received my dish from the hands of the Ethiopian cook, I rushed to take a seat. I sat down comfortably at the last remaining table and looked at the busy, vibrant ambiance around me to deeply capture that unique moment. Then I cut off one piece of that spongy traditional Ethiopian bread with my finger, squeezed it into that perfectly cooked spicy lentil sauce, and savored my first bite of Ethiopian food with watering mouth.
After cleaning up my plate, I immediately went to another stand to order ”Lasary Legioma” from a lovely Malagasy family. When I tasted that traditional healthy salad dish, I felt a connection with the Big Island. I tried the so-called ‘Super-Sandwich’ made with local super-cereal bread and enjoyed eating that innovative concept. And so on.
At the end of the day, I had an impressive 7 courses of different delicious dishes. From those trials, I discovered a love for Ethiopian food, as well as Japanese food, Malagasy food, and the innovative concept of natural bread made with local super-cereals (such as fonio bread, millet bread, and sorghum bread).
When I arrived home, I was happy and grateful for those people who brought such diversity. For sure, I wasn’t the only one; perhaps hundreds of people were as happy as I was that night. Diversity is good. It allows people to find something that fits them very well. The more diversity there is, the easier it is for everyone to find what they truly prefer, and the happier people are. Diversity is the servant of happiness.
This story illustrates the power of diversity, but, more importantly, emphasizes the importance for innovative cooks or restaurants to showcase what they are bringing new. This can be done physically through events or by using digital photos.
Today, 5 years after that experience, I own a company that helps innovative restaurants to practically show their audience their culinary innovations through the use of photos and the internet.
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