Kapana to be dished up in India soon
Tanja BauseA Namibian chef will soon be preparing kapana, mahangu cookies and chicken legs for hundreds of congressmen in India.
Well-known Namibian chef Terry Jenkinson has been invited to prepare these authentic Namibian dishes at the Bengal Business Summit taking place from 19 to 22 April.
“I have to make dishes that represent my country. I can choose between a snack, main course or dessert. I decided to prepare kapana and salsa, chicken legs with peri-peri sauce, and mahangu cookies with spinach, tomato and peanuts. I also wanted to dish up mopane worms, but I am not allowed to take them with me through the countries I have to travel on my way to India. I have to buy all the ingredients in India and I will not get mopane worms there!” Jenkinson joked.
One thousand delegates and more than 10 000 visitors will attend the summit. The chefs from the different countries will also cook dinner for 750 guests before the event as one culinary world family.
Jenkinson is an experienced chef with both local and international experience at lodges, family restaurants, 4- and 5-star hotels, VIP catering on exclusive hunting grounds, training in the workplace as well as the teaching and training of students.
He is currently the head of the culinary arts program at the Silver Spoon Hospitality Academy in the capital.
“I served on the Namibian Chefs' Association’s board in the roles of vice-chairperson and chairperson, during which I planned and organised national chef competitions. I have also been to national tourism and hospitality councils, such as the annual Tourism Expo Council. Among other things, I competed internationally in the 1995 World Pastry Cub. More recently I have mentored young Namibians who participated in the Alan Thong Coffee Pot Challenge in Abu Dhabi 2016 and Young Chef Olympiads.”
In 2018, his participant in the Young Chef Olympiad finished 13th, in 2019 he was 15th, in 2021 seventh and in 2022, the participant finished 20th. He was also the winner of the award for best knife skills. During the 2021 Olympics, Jenkinson received the award for best mentor.
It was due to his involvement in the Young Chef Olympiads and his relationship with the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in India that he was invited to the Bengali Business Summit.
“We will prepare our dishes in IIHM's kitchen and then finish in the Bengal Business Council’s kitchens with the help of the chefs of the IIHM and their senior students. The summit is a fantastic platform to inform delegates from all over the world about the diversity and beauty of Namibia as a travel destination and to promote the country.” - [email protected]