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Fatmata Binta has been named as the recipient of the seventh annual Basque World Culinary Prize, an award dedicated to chefs who have created positive change through gastronomy.
The West African chef was picked for her work exploring the cuisine of the West African diaspora through her innovative 'Dine on a Mat' pop-up initiative, a modern nomadic concept that she launched in 2018. As heir to the cultural and culinary traditions the Fulani people, one of the largest nomadic tribes in West Africa, chef Binta uses the dinners to showcase the Fulani's nomadic cuisine while sharing ancestral techniques through conversation and stories.
Through the interactive dinner experiences, which Binta has offered across three continents, the chef also raises funds for community projects, including the Fulani Kitchen Foundation - a foundation designed to help empower Fulani women and girls by meeting their social, educational, community and economic needs.
Congratulating Binta on her win, Joan Roca, president of the jury of the Basque Culinary World Prize, said: “This year's award to chef Fatmata Binta focuses on Africa and that it is possible to grow through cooking, the circular economy, culinary knowledge and the preservation of the traditions of a community where the use of these is key.”
Thanking the organisation for the award, Binta used the opportunity to further highlight the importance of female empowerment and the matriachal base of communities: "We can no longer afford to deny the full potential of women. The world needs to tap into the talent and wisdom of women. Whether the issue is food security, economic recovery or peace, the participation of women is needed now more than ever."
Binta will receive a cash prize of 100,000 euros to go towards her projects, which have already benefited more than 300 families from 12 communities as well as four regions of Ghana.
Binta was chosen from a shortlist of nearly 1,000 nominations and 700 candidates picked by people working in the industry. This year, the BCWP jury was made up of the members of the International Council of the Basque Culinary Center, chaired by chef Joan Roca (Spain, El Celler de Can Roca) and included other world renowned chefs like Gastón Acurio, (Peru), Michel Bras (France), Manu Buffara, (Brazil), Mauro Colagreco (Argentina/France); Dominique Crenn (France/USA), Trine Hahnemann (Denmark), Enrique Olvera (Mexico), Pía León (Peru), Narda Lepes (Argentina), Elena Reygadas (Mexico) and Josh Niland (Australia).
Special mentions
The jury also recognised the work of two other chefs, awarding special mentions to:
Douglas McMaster (UK) for his ongoing dedication to the zero-waste movement in gastronomy and his pioneering initiative, the Zero Waste Cooking School.
Edson Leite (Brazil) was recognised for his work focusing on poverty-ridden areas in Brazil and designing culinary training programs and support for young people looking for job opportunities through his educational project, Gastronomia Periférica.
Last year's Basque Culinary Prize winner was chef Xanty Elías, for his work with tackling childhood obesity in Spain. Spanish/American chef José Andrés was recognised for his inspirational work with World Central Kitchen (WCK) in 2020; US chef Anthony Myint won in 2019, for his work addressing climate change through gastronomy; Scottish/Australian chef Jock Zonfrillo won in 2018, for his pioneering work with the Orana Foundation; Columbian chef Leonor Espinosa was recognised for her work reviving Columbian culinary traditions in 2017; and María Fernanda Di Giacobbe, from Venezuela, won the inaugural edition in 2016 for her contribution to the local cacao industry.
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