i. Biography
In Accra, the seasonal pantry is the point of departure. At Midunu, Selassie Atadika builds from local ingredients, biodiversity, and the practical role of the table as a place where conversation belongs alongside the food. New African Cuisine, in her hands, is not a slogan; it is a working language shaped by place, memory, and what can be carried forward.
The Path
Training at the Culinary Institute of America gave Selassie Atadika a formal base to work from, while time with the United Nations at United Nations added a global frame to that technical grounding. Those influences sit beneath Midunu, founded in 2014, where the structure of the kitchen reflects a clear proposition: African ingredients are not a category to be explained away, but the center of the plate and the logic of the menu.
The Work Today
New African Cuisine is the method here: indigenous ingredients are brought forward, flavor profiles are pushed with care, and the source of the ingredient is not treated as incidental. In the Accra kitchen, Selassie Atadika works with restraint, letting the ingredient, the place, and the conversation set the pace. Local, seasonal, and underutilized ingredients — including traditional grains and proteins — stay central, with biodiversity and sustainability built into the practice rather than added as afterthoughts. The meal also carries a social function. It is designed to gather people, not just to serve them, making room for memory, exchange, and connection around the table. Preservation, in this frame, is active work: not nostalgia, but a way of keeping culinary heritage usable, present, and alive. "Beyond celebrating Africa’s culinary heritage, I want to look at preserving Africa’s culinary heritage."
Signature
Selassie's signature dishes include waakye and avocado panna cotta topped with honey and papaya and basil. The pairing shows the range of the kitchen: one dish grounded in familiarity and foundation, the other moving in a lighter register, with neither losing contact with the system of the work behind it.
In Their Words “I know the flavors of the continent. I want to have the vocabulary and fundamentals, so I did that course to apply some of those techniques and ideas into the food that I know and love.” “Beyond celebrating Africa’s culinary heritage, I want to look at preserving Africa’s culinary heritage.”
Acclaim
Selassie Atadika has received TIME Earth Award (2025). The recognition sits squarely with the values already present in the Accra kitchen: biodiversity, sustainability, underutilized ingredients, and a culinary vocabulary built from African heritage rather than imported assumptions.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Selassie
What is Selassie Atadika's current role?
As of 2026, Selassie Atadika is Chef and Owner.
Where did Selassie Atadika train or study?
Selassie Atadika trained at Culinary Institute of America.
What is Selassie Atadika known for?
New African Cuisine.
