Amber D. DoddSpecial to the AFRO
On the backside of Northeast Washington, D.C.’s hilly terrain, you will discover Motherland Kitchen housing Cameroon’s culinary treasures infused with hints of the Caribbean.
With grand success in Frederick, Md., proprietor, Sabina Jules, is celebrating six months within the nation’s capital on the Ivy Metropolis Meals Works station, and appears ahead to bringing the wholesome life-style to D.C. residents with tasty spins of her personal.
“Some name us ‘Flavorland’ as a result of I imagine meals is all about herbs,” Jules stated. “You may eat and be a vegan and revel in your meals..”
Motherland Kitchen is how Jules embodies her household’s love for cooking. Her mom, aunties and elder sister handed down cooking traditions of the Nso tribe. Along with her mom’s personal ardour for cooking, meals turned a distinguished line of earnings.
“On Saturdays, we’d go to the native market, which the equal right here in America is a farmer’s market,” Jules stated. “You took drinks and meals there for the complete day. She’d promote extra throughout the weekends however, throughout the week, she’ll be promoting from our dwelling.”
Nonetheless, Jules attended Cameroon’s high boarding college, Our Girl of Lourdes Faculty Mankon, a Roman Catholic personal college established in northwest Cameroon on Oct. 15, 1963. Round this time, Jules entered the kitchen on her personal accord, as she cited her cooking days relationship again to when he was simply 9 years outdated.
“I found out that if I may begin promoting meals roadside by frying plantains, making my signature greens and frying fish as folks walked by, then I can increase a bit cash in order that after I once we return to highschool, I ought to solely fear about paying my charges I’d have cash to purchase my provides,” Jules recalled.
In 1982, Jules would ultimately go away Cameroon for the College of Pennsylvania the place she’d earn a level in laptop science. She returned to Cameroon in 1999, however ultimately immigrated again to the States the place she spent 20 years as a database administrator all through the East coast. However ultimately, her ardour for meals would return to her in 2020, when COVID ravaged by communities coping with well being and pre-existing situations, amplified by poor consuming diets and sedentary life.
“Then I stated, ‘Possibly I can begin cooking wholesome meals and educating folks,’” Jules stated. “Possibly I’ll have one or two folks get away from consuming their common American weight loss program and incorporate issues that they’d in any other case not even dream of consuming.”
In 2021, Jules established Motherland Kitchen’s first location in Frederick. Because the group flocked to the recent African and “Jahica” cuisines, alternatives of service quickly adopted. Her Cameroonian roots reminded her of the significance of recent components and meat, often.
“My mother must save as much as purchase meat, due to this fact we ate it on particular events like Christmas, New Yr’s Easter Sunday as a result of we’re Catholics,” Jules stated. “In any other case, each single day our meals was vegan, however guess what? Mighty tasty. We had all of the herbs….plus the herbs that come from the rainforests that we’re blessed with in Cameroon. I’ve my very own spice enterprise which is known as Motherland Spices which might be a mix of these herbs that I deliver from Africa and purchase regionally.”
Jules doesn’t commerce style for well being, a masterful stability that promotes her aim of showcasing African and Afro-Caribbean cuisines whereas encouraging clients to eat clear. On Motherland Kitchen’s vegan-vegetarian-gluten-free menu, okra stew, pumpkin seed patties and vegan meatballs made out of chickpeas as a substitute of floor meat are a number of favorites.
“At Motherland, now we have about eight several types of fufu (a floor meal dough),” Jules stated. when the shopper is available in, I sit down with them to clarify the vitamins, and clarify the totally different ones which might be tremendous wholesome and which of them are excessive in sugar.”
“Possibly I can begin cooking wholesome meals and educating folks. Possibly I’ll have one or two folks get away from consuming their common American weight loss program and incorporate issues that may in any other case not even dream of consuming.”
Jules’ meals IQ is embedded in her culinary genius. Every chunk is a special expertise. The meals is extremely flavorful whereas additionally fulfilling, as Jules navigates the culinary wonderland of African and Afro-Caribbean fare.
The usage of creamy coconut milk in jollof rice, for instance, pairs nicely with curry hen marinated in acidic tomatoes, garlic and different spices.
For these in search of more healthy options, eradicating meat isn’t any subject for the reason that seasoning supplies the savory tastes. Motherland Kitchen’s vegan egusi soup, for instance, makes use of the well-marinated, spongy texture of mushrooms to supply the savoriness that meat may provide. Jules prepares the three-greens combine with collard, spinach and turnip or mustards with flavors from onions, herbs and spices.
Throughout, the vegan substitutions don’t miss a beat, giving Motherland Kitchen its status of being tasty, wholesome and culturally satisfying.
“Each dish has its personal mix, the cabbage, rice and beans, jollof rice, my hen, my oxtails, every little thing,” Jules stated. “My conventional approach of cooking and consuming has influenced my cuisines as we speak, so my meals may be very flavorful.”
Jules’ distinctive culinary fare has opened doorways for her enterprise in numerous market areas. For example, Hood Faculty’s International Pupil Affiliation invited Motherland Kitchen to be an on-campus vendor to supply wholesome meals choices to their scholar physique in a spot the place, Jules stated, meals choices is probably not the healthiest or in shut proximity.
“I give them a reduction as a result of I get plenty of success and pleasure when folks eat my meals and may really feel good due to the work and energy that I’m placing into making the meals,” Jules stated. “I could also be ‘dropping cash’ however then I’m therapeutic anyone as a result of I’m ensuring you don’t must go to the physician and get drugs for ldl cholesterol.”
This opened the door to protection from Frederick’s native paper, The Frederick Information-Submit, prompting media inquiries and work for Jules’ daughter, Sandra Sendze, who serves because the restaurant’s advertising and marketing and communications supervisor out of Raleigh, N.C. Since partnering, Jules has penned her personal articles concerning the historical past and dietary worth of fufu within the Information-Submit.
Sendze says her roles and duties are promoting the magic of her mom’s cooking, how, by authentic fusions, Jules is “experimenting with creating new meals and cooking out of affection.”
“Even when there have been no clients, she by no means stopped. She’s at all times enthusiastic about how she will be able to get tasty and wholesome meals.” Sendze stated of her mom. “After they style our meals folks say ‘Oh, I can really feel the love, I can really feel that the prepare dinner put their all into it.’ They’re one of the best compliments for her as a result of she actually put her all into it.”
Right this moment, Jules expressed that Motherland Kitchen’s subsequent objectives are to strengthen its branding all through the D.C. vegan scene.
“Her long run aim is to face out within the vegan and vegetarian communities of D.C.,” Sendze stated.
A vegan version of Motherland Kitchen’s menu is the subsequent step because the restaurant already has a cookbook for its conventional menu. Although Ivy Metropolis Meals Works has given Jules a rented house to deal with Motherland Kitchen, she nonetheless needs to return to the intimacy of sit-down eateries.
However, Jules, Sendze and Motherland Kitchen’s returning clients know that they’re forward of their instances. To keep up each tradition and healthiness is one thing that transcends each COVID-19 protocols and veganism. Motherland Kitchen speaks to Jules’ potential to deliver her Cameroonian lineage along with her in all she does, and that itself speaks to Motherland Kitchen’s potential to feed the hungry, fulfill the soul and nourish the physique.
“Doing a brick-and-mortar in Washington, D.C, it’s arm-and-a-leg-expensive. is sort of a stepping stone,” Jules stated. “Simply give me a few years. I’m hoping a godfather comes and says, ‘Oh, wow, I like your idea. I like your meals. Why don’t you come out and expose and develop right into a brick and mortar a much bigger place the place extra folks will probably be accessible and see you?”
