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My Life in Food: Idris Elba on African Cuisine and Cooking with his Mum

For Idris Elba, African food, particularly the dishes from his father’s birthplace, Sierra Leone, factor prominently in the actor’s memories of home. Food preparation was a ritual in his household, one he learned from his mother, and a source of enjoyment for him to this day. “ Food from Sierra Leone, where my dad’s from, has been a big part of my life. Sweet potato leaf stew is something my mum would cook all the time, it was my absolute favourite. Coming home after school to those home-cooked meals is a fond memory.”

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC