Malawi food to feature on Japanese TV
Malawi’s food and food culture are set to hit the international limelight when a mini-documentary in Lilongwe is screened in Japan.
A Japanese celebrity chef, Seiji Chihara, was in the country to shot different scenes that show what the country is all about as well as local food at one of Lilongwe’s eateries, Nthalo Restaurant at Pacific Mall in Area 10.
During the recording on Friday night, Chihara could not hide his excitement at Malawi food.
“It’s been such a long time since I last ate food as organic as this.
In Japan and most other well-developed countries, we eat genetically modified food stuffs. Again, I like the way Malawi food is prepared; you don’t mix a lot of things such that when you are eating, you get the taste of the real food. This is amazing,” he said in a translated interview.
Chihara tasted local chicken, goat stew and fried chambo. The menu had a variety of foods, including nsima, rice, bonongwe and rape.
According to the restaurant’s proprietor, Janet Kathewera, Chihara found the place through social media.
“He got to know Nthalo on social media and contacted us last December and here we are. For us, this trip affirms why we started this place which is to showcase our beautiful culture in form of food.
“I think when you live in a country like Malawi, you are not sure if the world is watching but when people see you on social media and your product experience surpasses their expectations, it is rewarding. Again, we want the whole of Africa to realise that Malawi is a beautiful destination with an amazing healthy food experience,” she said.
Chihara, a comedian by profession, is one of the programme’s hosts called Konna Tokoroni Nihonjin. It airs on Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The travel programme has been in existence for the past 10 years. In the programme, Chihara hosts a regular segment in which the comedian goes to an African country to feature a resident Japanese and highlight information about that particular country.
The programme is set to be beamed in Japan in the next three months. n
