Maria Bradford is an exciting and innovative UK-based Sierra Leonean chef whose mission is to put Sierra Leonean and West African cuisine on the food map and introduce the world to both new and familiar flavours. Her Afro-fusion food business ‘Schwen Schwen’ (which means ‘fancy fancy’ in Sierra Leonean creole or Krio) has been a core part of that and is inspired by her family and national heritage. Her imprint now includes the launch of her first cookbook, ‘Sweet Salone’, which was published in July. It is a comprehensive recipe book that weaves together Sierra Leone’s cultural and historical food and how it fits into the wider culinary heritage of West Africa.

Adama Juldeh Munu: This book is a labour of love for you. With your catering business and other ventures, how did you manage to fit in writing a book?

Maria Bradford: I don’t know.  It was tough. That I cannot deny. Writing a book is a significant time commitment, and it requires a lot of discipline and dedication to complete. Meeting self-imposed or publisher deadlines can add pressure.  Fitting in writing, measuring, and cooking to make sure was stressful with a day job and family obligations to contend with.  I was certainly saying ‘never again’ at various points.

AJM: What would you say is quintessential Sierra Leonean cooking? Is there such a thing and if so, how does the book reflect this?

MB: It’s got to be a traditional main (dish) such as "Plasas sauce" or "Palava sauce," which is a traditional West African dish.  It’s a hearty and flavourful sauce made with a variety of ingredients, including leafy vegetables (such as potato leaf, cassava leaf or bitter leaf), palm oil, groundnut (peanut butter), ogiri (a flavouring made from either fermented sesame or egusi seeds), onions, and various spices.  The sauce is often served with rice, fufu (a starchy side dish made from cassava, plantains, or yams), or other staple foods in Sierra Leonean cuisine.

AJM: How is Sierra Leonean cuisine distinctive within West Africa?

MB: Sierra Leonean cuisine shares some similarities with other West African cuisines but also has distinct characteristics that set it apart. Rice is dominant and Sierra Leoneans have a unique way of preparing it.  We use peanut butter in a lot of our traditional dishes.  We have the C-bomb!- Cassava leaf plasas.  We eat a lot of leafy greens too like sweet potato leaves, jute leaves, okra leaves etc...There are plenty of other differences too in street food and the influences of our colonial history and migrations of people who have Lebanese heritage.

AJM: At the heart of cooking is the importance of connection, and that has been central to your work so far. What kind of connection would you like Sierra Leoneans and non-Sierra Leoneans to have with this book?

MB: For Sierra Leoneans, I’d be pleased if it could strengthen that sense of belonging and community we have.  Or reignite an interest or pride in the cultural heritage and traditions of our nation.  For non-Sierra Leoneans I want to promote a bit of understanding about our past, where we come from and that we are not simply a small West African nation that went through a civil war.  That was almost 20 years ago. 

AJM: Sierra Leone is a multiethnic country with a rich history- so how did you come about reflecting on this in the book? It must not have been easy.

MB: Sierra Leone is a country with significant ethnic diversity, reflecting the multitude of cultural groups that have inhabited the region for centuries.  It was easy to talk about the three largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone i.e. Mende, Temne, and Limba, however, I am still learning about many of the smaller groups.

AJM: Are there any traditional recipes or foods that you wish to keep ‘alive’ through this work that you would like to talk about?

MB: Palm oil holds cultural significance in many West African communities and is often used in traditional rituals and ceremonies.  While palm oil is widely used and appreciated for its flavour and cooking properties. Its production has raised environmental concerns in recent years, particularly regarding deforestation and habitat loss due to unsustainable farming that began in Asia.  In Sierra Leone, by and large, our farming has been small-scale sustainable farming. Palm oil is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree, and it is rich in flavour and nutrients, making it a popular choice for cooking and food preparation across the region.  I share concerns for the environment and the practices that arose to mass farm this valuable commodity but to tell us West Africans we cannot eat it is like telling an Italian he cannot enjoy olive oil.  Big businesses farmed in Asia and put it in countless supermarket products, from soap and toothpaste to chocolate and pot noodles.  West Africans have enjoyed the fruit of this homogenous plant in plasas for centuries, without damaging our environment.

AJM: What do you want readers, regardless of their background, to take from what is supposed to be an introduction to Sierra Leone’s foodways?

MB: Sierra Leone offers a unique and enriching travel experience that combines stunning natural beauty, vibrant cultural heritage, and warm hospitality.  It is still an emerging tourist destination, which means that travellers seeking off-the-beaten-path experiences might find it appealing.  If Africa's culinary scene can be considered a frontier of food, then Sierra Leone has its place firmly on that map!

‘Sweet Salone’ is now available to purchase on Amazon. You can find out more about Schwen Schwen here.

This piece is originally published on Pin-Africa