You Won’t Want to Stop Eating Yewande Komolafe’s Spice Blend
Suya spice hails from Nigeria
I recently suggested to people at Columbia’s School of Public Health, where I’m a lecturer, that I set up a series of cooking classes. So on the last couple Fridays, I’ve been meeting with grad students at International Culinary Center — the cooking school that’s been extremely accommodating in helping us coordinate space.
When I first began teaching how-to-cook classes 30 years ago, I started the series with roast chicken and how to make it last through various dishes throughout the week. But over the years, I realized that’s not how I cook, and that’s not how most cultures of the world cook. So several years in, I decided to start my basics classes with beans — the most important source of protein in the world. And my second class would be focused on all root vegetables.
In tweaking the lesson for that second class, I reached out to my friend Yewande Komolafe to ask her about a seasoning blend-slash-salsa, suya spice. Quick aside: Originally from Lagos, Yewande is a terrific cook, food stylist, writer, and spokesperson. She’s behind the dinner series, “My Immigrant Food Is…” and so many other cool projects. Her career has really taken off.
