She left Mozambique on 1 January 2015 with the promise that the new year would undoubtedly give her a new life. When she started university, a world of aromas, rhythms and scents opened up to Inês Vieira, a Mozambican chef.
Inês's youthfulness gave her wings. With a degree in culinary arts and in business management and a master's in world food culture and mobility, she has been hopping from place to place since she was 20. She has now settled on the banks of the Mississippi River, in New Orleans, United States of America
Aware that the view she had of that country was the product of a media construction, Inês Vieira soon realised that not everything was as she had thought, since the messages seen in films, television or books do not show the whole reality. “Being in New York is very different from being in Chicago or New Orleans, even if the geographical distance is small. The style and quality of life are completely different,” she tells us in a WhatsApp voice message, continuing: “I think I had more of an idea of finding a certain sense of involvement and that things would be much more functional. The truth is that I live in one of the poorest states in the country – Louisiana – and some issues arise that I was not expecting and that greatly affect everyday life.
From Niassa to Ponta de Ouro, the chef would like to make eternal the best of what is done in Mozambique and lead everyone to understand the richness of the nation's flavours.
One of the reasons I chose to come to New Orleans was, in fact, the gastronomy, because it is a reference with many references. I learnt a lot about the way people consume their food, and here, in the south of the country, I found the answer to understanding that better. The jambalaya dish, for example, is connected to our well-known arroz malandrinho, or to tomato rice, with more ingredients, such as vegetables,” she adds.
Inês's dedication to cooking felt the same shock that the industry suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic. The gastronomy sector was, in fact, among the hardest hit, with thousands of restaurants closing their doors, which made Inês Vieira's career considerably harder. While the young chef rethought her career, she decided to go back to studying, at the time for her master's.
Although she had heard that this was a male-dominated field, Inês only later understood that being a woman, and young, was one of the most challenging factors she faced in following her love of cooking. Concerned with working on her positioning and on the development of her career, she would like to implement a project with a greater focus on food education: “Educating more people on how to eat in a rich and balanced way, with a focus on national ingredients. I would very much like to preserve our gastronomic memory.”
From Niassa to Ponta de Ouro, the chef would like to make eternal the best of what is done in Mozambique and lead everyone to understand the richness of the nation's flavours. How? By spending more time with those who cook our food. “I really like leaving my comfort zone to keep learning more things. I try to follow chefs I identify with and restaurants where I can always learn. Being among academic papers – especially on topics we know less about – and conversations with other people is the best way for me to develop. Being exposed to difference is the best way to grow’.
