A Dietitian’s Experience at the 2022 CIA Worlds of Flavor Conference

My Experience at the Culinary Institute of America Worlds of Flavor Conference

Have you ever tasted food so flavorful and delicious that you couldn’t stop eating it? All of the senses were engaged simultaneously, trying to take in the various spices and flavors. Food so good you couldn’t stop smiling? Or laughing? This is how I felt during the 2022 Culinary Institute of America Worlds of Flavor® international conference and festival.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) hosts a 3-day conference for “like-minded, flavor-seeking culinary pioneers,” including registered dietitians, to learn, be inspired, and taste mouth-watering dishes from renowned chefs in the world. Honestly, I first heard about this conference a few months ago from my friends and registered dietitians Marisa Moore and Tamara Melton. They were planning to attend this year’s conference because of the theme: Africa and the World Reclaiming the Past, Crafting the Future. 

This was the first time attendees would examine the many ways in which cultural foodways traveled from Africa across the Atlantic because of the transatlantic slave trade. The conference and festival promoted African and African diasporic dishes and ingredients, efforts to bring visibility and compensation to African and Black farmers, and how chefs can be agents of change.

I knew I had to attend this conference. Trying foods from other cultures in the United States and around the world is important because food brings people together. I want to share a little about my experience at this awe-inspiring event.

Conference Day 1- November 2

I landed at the San Jose International Airport in San Jose, CA, from Atlanta, GA, got a rental car, and drove to Napa. I was born in Northern California, so I was returning home. After a 1 hour and 25 minutes drive, I checked in at the hotel, quickly dropped my luggage in the room, then drove to CIA Copia, a mile away.

This was the first day of the conference, and I was a little tired because of the 3-hour time difference. I was also eager to see the Copia campus and meet other attendees. We were greeted with food, South African wines, and live African music. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, an author and culinary historian, gave a moving presentation on the journey to have a conference dedicated to the foodways of the African Diaspora. Dr. Harris is also featured in the Netflix documentary High on the Hog. A must-see for everyone. Dr. Harris, along with Therese Nelson and many other influential Black and African chefs, was committed to seeing this vision unfold.

My emotions were all over the place after listening to the panel discussion on how, in the sixteenth century, trade, colonization, and enslavement disbursed African foodways across the Atlantic, giving rise to new regional foodways in what is now known as the African Atlantic world. Enslaved people, my ancestors, didn’t have their cooking tools or ingredients, only the memory of their recipes.

Conference Day 2 – November 3

I woke up bright and early to start the day. Chef Pierre Thiam and Chef Michael Elegbede led a culinary demo and discussion on fonio. Fonio is a quick-cooking, gluten-free, nutrient-dense, and drought-resistant member of the millet family indigenous to West Africa and cultivated for over 5000 years.

It has a nutty flavor and is a nutritional powerhouse, a good source of vitamins and minerals, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium. I tasted fonio for the first time at the conference, mixed in a chocolate pudding. It was quite tasty.

Breakout Session #1: The Real Caribbean: Beyond the Tourist Experience,

The attendees selected 3 breakout sessions in advance. My first breakout session was titled The Real Caribbean: Beyond the Tourist Experience, led by Bahamian Celebrity Chef Simeon Hall Jr and Season 18 Top Chef contestant Chef Nelson German. These talented chefs prepared delightful dishes from the West Indies and the Caribbean Islands, with African, Spanish, and French influences, and combined them with ingredients like fresh seafood, tropical fruit, and legumes like pigeon peas, which make these cuisines unique.

Chef Simeon prepared Grits Pelau with Boiled Peanuts, Crab, Conch, Salt Cod, and Salt Beef. I learned pelau is a traditional one-pot dish with rice, protein of choice, and herbs. Chef Nelson prepared two delicious dishes: 

• Shrimp Suya with Smoked Yogurt and Peanut Salsa Macha
• Warm Pigeon Pea Hummus with Pickled Pearl Onions, Spiced Peanut Chimichurri, and Fried Green Plantains (Tostones). 

Breakout Session #2: Black Terroir: Wine and the African Diaspora.

My second breakout session was titled Black Terroir: Wine and the African Diaspora. It was wine-tasting time. The participants tasted wines from Black and African vineyards. Stephen Satterfield and Angela McCrae led this dynamic session.

Stephen and Angela discussed global Black winemaking from South Africa to Napa while highlighting the challenges they’ve faced as young wine professionals, and how they’ve used their influence to shift those challenges and change the industry for the better. My favorite wine was Theo-patra’s Cuvee Blanc 2021 from Theopolis Vineyards in Yorkville, CA. This was a deep and enlightening session. If you drink wine or know someone who does, support Black and African winemakers.

Conference Day 3- November 4

My final day at the conference. Time flies when you’re having fun. Boy, was I having fun. Every morning, a robust and delicious breakfast was offered. This morning, my stomach was telling me to refrain from spicy foods. Dishes from the African Diaspora have a little “heat” added. This “heat” is typically a whole scotch bonnet pepper. I’m glad I always travel with my Tummy Drops.

Breakout Session #3: On Returning Home 

My last breakout session, titled On Returning Home was led by two gifted chefs based in Nigeria: Chef Michael Elegbede and Chef Nana Araba Wilmot. The chefs told personal stories and prepared dishes such as Peanut (Groundnut) Soup with Tiger Prawns and Charred Okra with Peanut Granola and Basil Aioli.

Chef Michael and Chef Nana are passionate about their Nigerian roots and lead culinary careers fusing their cultural heritage with African cuisine. The culinary sessions were more like conversations in your family’s kitchen, warm and engaging. 

My Final Thoughts

• The food was amazing and flavorful.
• I danced, engaged in meaningful conversations, and met incredible people.
• My heart is full, and my stomach is satisfied.

It was an absolute joy to attend this conference. I plan to attend more Worlds of Flavor® conferences in the future. Want to prepare these recipes at home? Many of the chefs have cookbooks to purchase online. I’m determined to continue to show people how to embrace and enjoy foods from the African Diaspora.

Nutritionally Yours,

Jerlyn