Food Night with Lelani Lewis

Food Night with Lelani Lewis - Sold out!

In addition to the exhibition "Food for Thought," The Maritime Museum is organizing three Food Nights. Chef Lelani Lewis will curate the first of this series on January 26th. What are the real costs of global trade? And how do our colonial histories continue to influence the current system?

Please note: come to the museum with a filled stomach. There will be small bites to taste, but no full dinner provided.

Program

Follow the journey of cassava

On this evening, we focus on the food system by tracing one ingredient, cassava. A key component for a large part of the southern hemisphere, providing a basic diet for half a billion people. During this event, we explore how cassava is grown, harvested, processed, and exported across four continents, allowing you to taste the various culinary possibilities.

Mini Routes and Roots Food Market

Ingredients have been shipped worldwide for centuries. In this mini-market, you'll trace cassava, an essential ingredient for a significant portion of the southern hemisphere, providing a basic diet for half a million people. Walk through four continents and learn more about neocolonialism within our current food system.

This way, you get to taste, among other things, bubble tea, affingi soup by Chef Sabini Vola, and egusi and fufu (pureed cassava from Africa) by Chef Sade Zinhagel. Meanwhile, you can listen to stories from teacher Kimberly Kwanten and Lotte Wouters from the Ghana Food Movement

Location: Open Square

Installation

Artist Joana Velu explored the origin of cassava from Latin America to the rest of the world in the context of slavery and colonialism. Her installation, 'How The Cassava Traveled The World,' is on display in the museum.

Location: Open Square

Food Tours

Who produces your food, and where does it come from? Join a food tour and explore the "Food for Thought" exhibition by Kadir van Lohuizen about our current food system. Tours last 20 minutes and start every half hour.

Time: 19:15 - 21:15

Location: Food for Thought Exhibition

Discussion | Decolonization of Our Food System

Lelani engages in a conversation with Chautuileo Tranamil from Indegenous Liberation Movement and co-founder van Aralez, and Lotte Wouters from the Ghana Food Movement. They share more about how we can save our food system and our planet, for instance, through regenerative agriculture.

Time: 20:00

Location: The Rooms

Bites by Lelani

For the first 100 visitors, Lelani will prepare Caribbean canapés: Bammy and Akkra.

About Lelani Lewis

Lelani Lewis is a chef, food stylist, and culinary activist. She grew up in South London with her father from Grenada (Lesser Antilles) and her mother from Ireland. After studying sociology, she started Code Noir, a platform for Caribbean cuisines inspired by the complex history of her father's kitchen. Lelani organizes dinners, workshops, and lectures exploring the intersection of food, history, resistance, and colonialism.