The chef, known for combining African culinary traditions with contemporary techniques, has developed signature dishes for passengers on selected Qatar Airways routes.
Qatar Airways has selected Congolese chef Dieuveil Malonga as the first African chef to join its international culinary collaboration programme, bringing dishes inspired by African food traditions to passengers on selected routes.
The partnership falls under the airline’s Flavours to Fly For initiative, which features menus developed with internationally recognised chefs. The guest-chef menus are available in business and first class on selected flights, according to Qatar Airways.
Malonga has developed signature dishes for the airline using African ingredients and culinary influences, combining traditional approaches with contemporary cooking techniques.
The chef draws on his travels across 48 African countries to develop what he describes as Afrofusion, an approach that brings together different African culinary traditions while incorporating modern techniques.
Building Africa’s culinary industry
Malonga was born in Linzolo, near Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, and trained in Germany before working in Michelin-starred restaurants. His work has focused on raising the international profile of African cuisine while supporting emerging culinary professionals.
In 2016, he founded Chefs in Africa, a social enterprise that connects and supports chefs and aspiring culinary professionals across the continent and its diaspora.
The network has grown to more than 4,000 members, according to the Basque Culinary World Prize, which recognised Malonga’s work promoting African culinary talent. The initiative has also received support from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, now known as UN Tourism, and UNESCO.
His work also includes Meza Malonga, a restaurant and culinary laboratory in Rwanda focused on African gastronomy and the use of local ingredients.
Malonga is developing the Culinary Innovation Village in Musanze, Rwanda, an integrated project combining farming, culinary training and restaurant operations. The initiative aims to strengthen the links between local food production, culinary skills and African gastronomic traditions.
International recognition
Malonga’s work has received recognition from several international culinary organisations. He was included in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ 50 Next list in 2021 in the Empowering Educator category and named a Champion of Change in 2022 for his efforts to support emerging culinary talent. He was also a finalist for the Basque Culinary World Prize in 2018.
The Qatar Airways partnership provides another platform for presenting African ingredients and cooking traditions to international travellers.
The airline has used its guest-chef programme to introduce passengers to different culinary cultures through menus developed for selected routes. Malonga’s participation adds an African-focused collaboration to the programme, linking his work in promoting the continent’s food heritage with the airline’s premium onboard dining service.
