Michelin Chef Brings African Flavors to Air France Skies

Passengers flying first and business class from Abidjan to Paris are now enjoying a culinary first: Michelin-starred African dishes designed by chef Mory Sacko.

The French chef of Malian and Senegalese heritage has become Air France's first signature chef on African routes. His creations blend the West African flavors he grew up with and the refined techniques that earned his Parisian restaurant, Mosuke, its prestigious star.

"I'm getting loads of photos from people on the plane with their meals, and it's great because I can tell people are enjoying my food in the air," Sacko says. The collaboration started when Air France approached him about developing recipes for their West African routes, an initiative they run on flights worldwide.

From his Paris kitchen, Sacko crafted a menu that honors his roots. He included mafé, a beloved West African peanut stew with chicken, and attiéké fish, an iconic Ivorian dish. "I thought it was cool to have an image of someone eating mafé with rice on a flight from Abidjan to Paris, in business or first class," he explains.

But Sacko didn't just recreate traditional dishes. He reimagined them through his own lens, presenting familiar flavors in new ways while keeping their soul intact. He also created fusion dishes he describes as "a bridge" between cultures, like beef with Madagascan peppers served alongside cassava gratin.

Air France's Fabien Pelous says Sacko was the obvious choice. "He possesses that quintessentially French savoir-faire and a passion for African flavors," Pelous notes. The menu will expand to flights from Dakar and Nairobi soon.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership marks something bigger than elevated airplane food. Food writer Verane Frediani, author of "L'Afrique, cuisine en France," calls it a new chapter in global gastronomy. African chefs with international acclaim are transforming perceptions of the continent's cuisine and inspiring restaurant scenes across West and Central Africa.

Chefs like Georgiana Viou in Benin, Dieuveil Malonga in Rwanda, and Sélassie Atadika in Ghana are creating modern, revitalized African cuisine that attracts international attention. Their work is changing what the world sees when they think of African food, moving it from the margins to the spotlight it deserves.

Sacko's mafé served at cruising altitude is more than a meal—it's African culinary heritage taking its rightful place on the global stage.