Claude Bigayimpunzi, also known as Chef Claude, discovered his love for cooking and the various opportunities it comes with, something that has earned him a wealth of experience in reputable kitchens. He shared with Sunday Magazine’s Sharon Kantengwa about his experience, passion for cooking, favourite ingredients and culinary tourism. With a career spanning over 15 years in the culinary industry, what can you say your experience has been like? It has been a fulfilling journey and it all started when I attended Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute of Dallas, Texas for a three-year program that focused on culinary but as soon as I started my program, within the first month I was hired by Sheraton Dallas Convention Hotel. It has 11 separate kitchens and part of the program was that you had to spend a month in each kitchen and at the end of the cycle you were selected by the head chef of one of the kitchens. I was eventually selected by the Chef of the American restaurant and retained, that’s when I started working professionally in the kitchen. Claude Bigayimpunzi is one of the most sought-after chefs in Rwanda. I did quite a few things within that company in order to grow and since it is a chain of hotels, I had to move to different locations whenever there was an opening. It also exposed me to different aspects of the culinary arts in a variety of different cuisines and duties, it kind of broadened my world of culinary and hospitality. What motivated you to join the culinary field? It was a passion that came later in life. As soon I discovered and started cooking, it just exploded because it felt like something I was always looking forward to but didn’t know what it was, and once I found it I just went with it. Till this day, I still have the passion burning but the more time I spend in it, the more possibilities, I see. There are more opportunities in hotels, restaurants, education, being personal chefs for big personalities, culinary tourism, culinary events, the possibilities are endless. What is the one thing about running a kitchen that regular clients or employers don’t know about? When you run a big kitchen and you have chefs doing different things at the same time. If you have to make a big dinner for like over 400 people and you have six teams working in different parts of the kitchen but you’re orchestrating them to be synchronized at one point for a particular theme, some chefs from one section will be doing something without understanding the whole concept and will not see the whole picture that you, as the head, have. It’s a lot of work that goes into orchestrating them to put one big vision onto a plate. What ingredient or trend is currently inspiring you as a chef and why? I’m very drawn to using local ingredients and apply them to different techniques, especially modern culinary techniques. Not long ago I had a TV segment where I was making chicken that is marinated into tree tomato. People were wondering how I can marinate chicken in tree tomato, but that’s exactly the point. I want to show people that the ingredients we have known for a long time can be used for different things and they keep evolving. What we used to do years ago doesn’t need to stay the same, even French cuisine is famous because they keep trying new things. We have to be open-minded to be able to try out new things. Do you have a favorite cookbook that you can share? Actually, one of my dreams is to write a cookbook because I couldn’t find a cookbook on Rwandan cuisine in the library. I’m part of the Rwandan Chefs Association and we have talked about it on our platform. I found other chefs interested in the project and would like to contribute where each one has a section where they can write to help young chefs and Rwandans in general. Outside cooking, what issues worry you most as a chef? I would like to see professional chefs more localized, especially the youth because to this day, people have stigmatized the profession. They think you’re failure in this profession. I would like them to know that there are a lot of opportunities and possibilities that can help you make a good living and support your family. Plus, it’s a noble craft because when you think about it, you are feeding people, and there is personal satisfaction derived from that. Rwanda is also currently doing a lot to promote its tourism, what can you say of its culinary tourism? There are lots of places to visit in the countryside, and the volcanoes, but also there are a lot of people in the world that travel for food and want to try different foods. I think we should really tap into that and try to attract that kind of tourists. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
