From fufu to friendship: How African food shaped Yang Ki-sung’s cultural journey

Yang Ki-sung tries Kenyan food at his home, Oct. 7, 2025. Courtesy of Yang Ki-sung

Africa has been garnering growing global attention in recent years from governments, businesses and individual cultural explorers alike. Much of this interest has been driven by the continent’s vibrant cultural expressions, particularly in food, music and fashion. In Korea, this shift is increasingly visible through the rising popularity of African-themed festivals, pop-up events and culinary gatherings that introduce African culture.

Among those drawn into these cultural exchanges is Yang Ki-sung, whose journey into African culture began not in a kitchen, but in a university classroom and eventually found its deepest expression through food.

Yang’s first encounter with Africa came while he was a university student majoring in French at Gachon University. As part of his coursework, he enrolled in a compulsory class on Francophone Africa. What began as an academic requirement soon turned into genuine curiosity. Learning about African countries shaped by French colonial history prompted him to look beyond textbooks and explore the continent in more personal and tangible ways.

This newfound curiosity later opened professional doors where he went on to work as an intern at the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), where he was responsible for creating content about the agency's aid projects across Africa. He also supported press and communication efforts during official events, experiences that deepened his exposure to African societies, development issues and cultural narratives.

Yang Ki-sung poses during his internship at the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) / Courtesy of Yang Ki-sung

While his academic and professional experiences laid the foundation, it was food that truly transformed his interest into a lasting passion. To date, he still remembers his first taste of African food and how it left a lasting impression on him.

“The first African food I ever tried was Nigerian food — fufu and egusi soup, I remember it very clearly," he said. "I was impressed by how rich and flavorful it was. After that, I made it a habit to try foods from other African countries.”

What began as a single meal soon evolved into a food journey. He started seeking out African restaurants, attending cultural food events and experimenting with recipes at home. With time, he began documenting these experiences on his personal blog, allowing him to turn casual tastings into thoughtful reflections on culture, identity and connection.

Today, African food is no longer just something he eats; it has become a full-fledged hobby. In his free time, he is either researching recipes, cooking African dishes himself or meeting friends from African countries who have helped shape his understanding of the cultures behind the cuisine.

Through food, he found a way to experience Africa beyond stereotypes or secondhand narratives. Trying Ethiopian injera flatbread, Kenyan stews, Tanzanian dishes and flavors from Côte d’Ivoire have each expanded his perspectives on Africa.

“Food is an interesting way of experiencing culture," he said. "Eating African food has opened my perspective and become a way for me to make friends.”

To Yang, meals are more than sustenance: They are conversations, shared experiences and points of connection. Each dish carries stories of geography, history and community, offering insights that books alone cannot provide.

His growing involvement in African culture eventually extended into public cultural spaces. In September 2025, he joined the content creation team for the Seoul Africa Festival, where he was responsible for writing blog posts and documenting the event. The experience exposed him further to African music, art, fashion and, unsurprisingly, food, reinforcing his appreciation for the continent’s cultural diversity.

His journey mirrors a broader trend in Korea, where interest in Africa has been rising steadily, highlighted by major diplomatic and cultural milestones, including the Korea-Africa Summit held in 2024, which brought African heads of state to Korea to discuss strengthened partnerships and cooperation.

Looking back, Yang sees a clear thread connecting his academic choices, career experiences and culinary interests. What began with a compulsory class eventually inspired him to immerse himself in African food culture as a powerful expression of identity and cultural exploration.

For Yang, African cuisine is more than a personal interest. It is a gateway to understanding people, building friendships and participating in a growing cultural exchange between Africa and Korea, one plate at a time.

Nashon Owano is a freelance journalist and content creator based in Korea. He is passionate about sports, culture and human interest stories. Follow @owanohnashon on X and Instagram.