26 January 2024 will surely be remembered as a great day for the staff of the European Union Delegation to South Sudan. On this day, the staff of the Delegation came together for a culinary experience; cooking and eating together.

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It was a great opportunity for intercultural exchange. The local staff demonstrated how to prepare South Sudanese cuisine and the expatriate staff presented different foods from their countries of origin such as Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

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"Cooking together was a great, almost spiritual achievement, and enjoying the fruits of our labour together was also great," said Lothar Jaschke, Head of the Political Section, after the meal on Friday afternoon.

Bassiko made from black-eyed pea leaves (popularly known as nyete) and crushed sesame paste, pasted pigeon peas and smoked fish from Terekeka County made the list of local sauces.

"It's good. It's even better and more motivating when we prepare and eat together as a team," said Alice Oleya, one of the staff representatives. "Working together as a team from different cultures and backgrounds helps to build a bond and we also learn to socialise away from the normal work routine. This kind of team-building should happen at least three times a year, with different chefs cooking at different times, so that we could taste each culture's food."

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The proof of the pudding was in the eating, and it was a real treat to sit around a table and enjoy a wide variety of ethnic cuisine!

The only challenge was overeating due to the variety of delicacies on offer. However, everyone managed to go home with a smile on their face and a full stomach.

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