Chef competition brings taste of Africa to Windsor

Munch Africa – an Ontario culinary tourism food competition featuring African cuisine – was recently hosted at the Fogolar Furlan Convention Center.

Nada Ayad, of the most popular chefs in Ontario specializing in Middle Eastern and North African cuisines, was among the competitors. Ayad was a diplomat in Libya but started making food when she moved to Ontario.

“I do have many activities around the town, I have a business first name Nadaa’s Fine Food. They know me as organizer of most of the festival event around the town,” Ayyad said.

Munch Africa chose her to be one of the competitive chefs since she’s a member of the Arab community in Windsor and caters many events, Ayad said.

“I’m very proud to be one of the African women as I represent Libya,” she said. “I’m from Libya and I’m presenting the North African country in Africa as I am a member of the Arab community in Windsor.”

Fuseinat Brimah is the CEO and founder of Cangro Agrifoods as well as the director of Munch Africa. For the past 25 years she has been a key supplier of cultural African-Caribbean groceries in the Windsor-Essex area.

“The reason why we are here today is for the chefs that we have seven chefs that are competing, each chef it has a full meal that people are going to come and taste the meal,” Brimah said.

Brimah explained people who taste the food can vote for the best chef or food that they like.

“If they win, then we get to commercialize that food,” Brimah said, who was crowned the winner of the event.