Ethiopia with Marcus Samuelsson: cooking as a love language, cultural contrasts, and connecting to our roots

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The Trip That Changed Me

Society & Culture


Our guest today is one of America’s most beloved chefs, Marcus Samuelsson. Marcus is a man of many accolades; he’s the youngest person ever to receive a three-star review from the New York Times and the winner of multiple James Beard awards including one for his PBS show, No Passport Required. He’s been a judge on the Food Network’s Chopped and authored several books including a best-selling memoir, Yes, Chef, and 2020s The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. When Marcus is not busy running multiple restaurants around the world, including his latest Baha Mar Fish + Chop House, he also hosts a podcast called This Moment with Swedish rapper Timbuktu. In this week’s episode, Marcus shares a truly unique and personal story surrounding a trip to Ethiopia to meet his birth father. Esme and Marcus discuss his early experiences of cooking with his adoptive family in Sweden, how the diversity of New York City opened up possibilities for him as a young Black chef, and the importance of establishing a connection with our roots – be it a person, a place, or an idea.    You can find Marcus on Instagram @marcuscooks, listen to his podcast This Moment wherever you find podcasts, and be sure to grab his books including his latest, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. Learn more about Full-Time Travel by visiting fulltimetravel.co and follow us on Instagram @full_time_travel. Be sure to rate, review, and follow so that you don’t miss out on travel tips, inspiration, and your potential next adventure!