Yamoussoukro, September 11, 2025: The integration of local products into Ivorian gastronomy takes another step forward. INADES-Formation Côte d’Ivoire, in collaboration with the General Secretariat of INADES-Formation, organized a one-day culinary training workshop for chefs and hotel staff. The workshop, held at the Lycée Hôtelier in Yamoussoukro, brought together twenty-three hotel and catering professionals.
Since 2017, the INADES-Formation network has been committed to promoting food systems based on family farming. This commitment is reflected in the emphasis placed on sovereignty foodstuffs, notably millet, fonio and sorghum in dietary habits. Through initiatives such as the creation of “Restaurants de proximité” and the publication of a recipe booklet, the organization encourages “Consommer local”. However, these products are still largely absent from the menus of large establishments, due to a lack of specialized training.
To fill this gap, the Yamoussoukro workshop enabled participants to learn how to prepare various dishes and beverages based on sovereignty foodstuffs. Ms Ly Banhoro Aïssétou, a bilingual assistant manager and trainer, led the session. Professionals were able to discover recipes such as fonio with fat and local chicken, sorghum macédoine, bean flour gratin, as well as innovative desserts based on millet and sorghum.
For Ms. Yao Marlène, a cookery teacher at Yamoussoukro’s Lycée Hôtelier, the training is a promising step for the future: “This initiative is very welcome. It allows us to rediscover products such as sorghum, fonio and millet that the new generation knows little about. Once integrated into our training courses and used by professionals, these local products will be able to compete with certain imported products thanks to their nutritional richness and culinary value”.
Through this approach, INADES-Formation Côte d’Ivoire intends to strengthen the place of local cereals such as millet, fonio and sorghum in the gastronomic offer, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable diet rooted in Côte d’Ivoire’s culinary heritage.
