The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited, Professor Kobby Mensah, mentioned that the Afro Gastro Festival serves as a cultural bridge that reconnects Africa with its historical and culinary roots.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Afro Gastro Festival held at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on October 17, 2025, Professor Kobby Mensah said the event represents a cultural dialogue that explores how food connects people, memory and identity across generations.
According to him, while clothing and language can easily change when people travel or relocate, food holds a bond that takes time to adapt.
“Food, unlike fashion or speech, is deeply personal. When you travel, you might change your clothing to suit the weather. You might adapt your language to communicate but food takes time.
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“It is intimate; it connects to the self, to family and to memory. Through Afro Gastro, we reconnect the dots of our history. We celebrate the innovation of African gastronomy and its global influence,” he said.
Kobby Mensah explained that the Afro Gastro Festival is a continuation of efforts like Panafest and The Year of Return, initiatives that called on Africans in the diaspora to rediscover their roots.
He said, this time, the focus extends beyond visiting Ghana to also experiencing its culinary traditions.
“We invite our diaspora home once again, not just to visit but to taste, to share, to learn, and to heal,” he added.
The festival held under the theme “Connecting Cultures through Food, Music and Heritage,” seeks to use food as a tool for cultural exchange, tourism promotion, and economic empowerment.
The festival is an offshoot of the Black Star Experience, a project designed to celebrate Africa’s shared culinary heritage by bringing together Africans and Afro-descendants from across the globe.
The opening ceremony was attended by personalities such as the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ablah Dzifa Gomashie; UNESCO Country Director, Edward Moukala; and several ambassadors and dignitaries.
AK/AM
