UNTOLD CRACKS THE CHEF’S CODE PART I
Posted by Stephen
Reading time: 5 minutes
Hi there. We’re back again. In this journal, we’ve been sharing our numerous exciting encounters with the fascinating wildlife on our adventurous road trip that led to our book ‘A Taste of Tanzania.’ And rest assured, we will continue to do so.
But today we take a little side-track. In this entry, we will focus on an entirely different animal, our great friend, and your guide in our book, Chef Axel Janssens. We will unravel the mystery. Untangle this conundrum wrapped in a riddle. Decipher the complex code.
Ok, spoiler alert, it’s actually quite simple to understand what makes Axel tick. Passion. Period. There. Mystery solved. This fiery passion is the throbbing heartbeat in everything Axel does. Of course, other ‘pinches of this,’ and ‘soupçons of that,’ all mixed together result in what Axel is. As a chef. As a guy.
So, let’s get down with the breakdown. Let’s have a look at all the ingredients that make Chef Axel a mesmerizing melting pot. Of course, first of all, we have to talk about Axel as a chef. Axel’s cuisine is what we, and other fellow hipsters and foodies, would call fusion kitchen. The blending of the best of several worlds, the combination of various influences, aromas, and tastes. But there is a difference between marrying and pairing ingredients with skill and knowledge and doing outrageous ‘exotic’ stuff. Creating food alliances that work wonders, is not the same as chucking random elements together. So, drop that pineapple you were going to put on your pizza, step away from the kitchen counter, sit down, and listen. Much obliged.
There are mainly two reasons why a chef like Axel can mix things up and turn up an excellent dish. A duo of cornerstones that makes that he can prepare a fusion dish everybody raves about. The absence of these cornerstones in mere mortals like us, makes that our guests run away in horror. Retching and dry heaving at our ‘beef stew with strawberries.’
First of all, you have to know the rules to break them. And Axel knows the rules. He was trained in one of the most famous and prestigious culinary institutes in Europe. From the tender age of 14, he learned all about the ingredients, the numerous preparations, and everything else there is to know about the legendary French-European culinary tradition. So, there is that. Axel knows his stuff. He is a trained professional.
The other thing that is very important to explore the wonderful world of fusion cuisine is curiosity. An unquenching thirst for discovering new tastes. An insatiable hunger for trying out unique ingredients. A constant wonderment at influences from all over the world. Since Axel has moved to Tanzania, almost 15 years ago, his curiosity was tickled continuously. Whether it be by strange-looking local vegetables, fragrant, spicy aromas from the islands, inspiring ideas from his Tanzanian staff, or his guests from all corners of the globe. With his traditional upbringing as a firm foundation, he always wanders into the unexplored lands of the world’s kitchen. And that is why Axel successfully combines the ‘gamey’ taste of duck with the sweet nectar of mangos. Or the earthy flavor of peas with the fresh and exotic tones of mint and coconut. Or comes up with a sorbet of baobab powder paired with sugary apple juice, because the zesty tang is so acidic it would make your gums retreat half a mile. The list is endless. And if you are ever in his neck of the woods, we can strongly recommend a visit to his restaurant, Machweo, in Arusha. The next best thing is trying some of his recipes in our book ‘A Taste of Tanzania.’ This concludes our first part of the analysis of Axel. All the bits and bites in his chef software. Next time we will unravel more and put all those other elements into the mix that make him the genuinely great guy he is.