Pierre Thiam

Pierre Thiam is a celebrated NY-based chef, restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author, and entrepreneur. His second cookbook, “Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl,” was a 2016 James Beard Award finalist. A native of Senegal, Pierre is known for his innovative cooking style, at once modern and eclectic, yet rooted in the rich culinary traditions of West Africa. In 2017 he launched a social venture, Yolélé Foods, connecting the developed world to fonio, a nutritious ancient grain grown in the Sahel, one of the world’s most vulnerable regions. Through his many media appearances, including CNN’s popular “Parts Unknown” with Anthony Bourdain, Pierre has become a culinary ambassador dedicated to promoting West African cooking throughout the world.