Kenyan kid chef causes “internet storm”

SGGP 04/02/2023 09:41

At age 7, Alvin Keffa Liona of Nairobi, Kenya wanted to surprise his mother with breakfast in bed. It was his first attempt at cooking, so he imitated what she did every morning by cooking eggs.

Kenyan kid chef cooks breakfast for mom

Alvin's eggs were delicious. "My mother smelled the aroma coming from the kitchen. When she saw me cooking, she was very surprised. At first, she asked if I had burned anything that could burn the house. However, when she tasted the eggs fresh from the oven, she loved them and complimented me on my cooking skills," Alvin recalled with a smile.

Alvin has been teaching himself to cook for a long time with the encouragement of his mother. He is a master of many dishes. Apart from cooking traditional dishes, he also experiments and creates his own interesting dishes. When the Covid-19 pandemic forced schools to close all over the world and in Kenya, Alvin saw this as an opportunity to develop his talent.

“I researched recipes on YouTube and tried to see what ingredients could be found in Kenya,” Alvin explains. Scouring supermarkets, Alvin copied recipes. If ingredients were unavailable or too expensive, he would talk to vendors about alternatives. His resourcefulness helped him master the science of cooking and the art of flavoring.

“As parents, sometimes we think that our children can’t teach us anything, but the reality is different,” said Alvin’s mother, Perry Kanana. “I learned a lot from Alvin. There are many things I learned from him.”

Proud of this, Mrs. Perry filmed her son cooking, uploading the videos to social media and food blogs. Intrigued by Alvin’s talent, people began reaching out and news of the talented young chef quickly spread to the people in charge of the Kiboko Club, a talent show for children on the Kenyan television network. Although a little nervous, Alvin accepted the offer and began showing off his skills on national television. “I was a little scared the first time I appeared on camera, but then I got used to it and just focused on my work,” he said.

Now 13, Alvin’s talent has made him one of Kenya’s most celebrated chefs. But he still faces social challenges stemming from the old belief that men should not be in the kitchen. Alvin has set up a cooking club at his school in Nairobi to change the community’s mindset. “In the cooking club, I teach the kids how to cook, I teach them techniques, I teach them how to prepare food, I teach them how to make delicious food, I believe that cooking belongs to both genders,” the young chef says with conviction. The cooking classes have been a huge success.

Nearly half of the boys at the school have applied to join the club. Teacher and club sponsor Judith Ochido has had to limit the number of boys who can join. “There may be a stereotype that boys don’t like cooking, but they are actually very enthusiastic about learning more about cooking and really want to know how it is done,” Judith said.

British celebrity chef, restaurateur and author Gordon Ramsay is Alvin's idol and he dreams of being as good as him one day. Alvin, also known as the Super Junior Chef, was the winner of the Kids' Kitchen Club Challenge and was named the 2020-2021 Teen Ambassador of the UK-based Global Food, Nutrition and Health Institute (NNEdPro).

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