Chef marcus samuelsson biography
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Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian-Swedish chef and restaurateur. Samuelsson was born Kassahun Tsegie on January 25, 1973, in Ethiopia. His father was president of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His unnamed mother died during the Ethiopian tuberculosis epidemic of 1974. Samuelsson and his sister, Fantaye, were separated from their father during the Ethiopian Civil War and adopted by Ann Marie and Lennart Samuelsson from Gothenburg, Sweden in 1974. During the Civil War and resultant famine, numerous European, Canadian, and American couples adopted Ethiopian orphans. Because of their adoption, Kassahun and Fantaye took the couple’s last name, Samuelsson. Kassahun also adopted the name Marcus.
Samuelson’s adopted Swedish grandmother Helga taught him how to cook which helped him develop his passion for cooking. In 1989, 16-year-old Samuelsson enrolled at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden. He was later an apprentice in Switzerland in 1989 and in France from 1992 to 19
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Marcus Samuelsson
Ethiopian Swedish chef
Marcus Samuelsson | |
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Samuelsson at the 2012 götet Book Fair | |
| Born | Kassahun Tsegie (1971-01-25) 25 January 1971 (age 54) Ethiopian Empire |
| Education | Culinary Institute Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Spouse | Maya Haile |
| Children | 3 |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurant(s)
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Award(s) won
• Marcus SamuelssonMarcus Samuelsson was born into an eclectic culinary existence. Born in Ethiopia, he grew up in Sweden, where he started cooking from the country’s abundant local pantry at a young age alongside his grandmother, a professional chef. After graduating from the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, Samuelsson apprenticed in Switzerland, Austria, and France before coming to the United States – bringing with him an already well-traveled palate. In 1995, he was hired as the Executive Chef at New York’s Aquavit, earning it three stars from The New York Times in just three months. Four years later, he was James Beard’s “Rising Star Chef,” and in 2003 the “Best Chef, New York City.” As plaudits came in, Samuelsson evolved from the wunderkind of Scandinavian cuisine, at a time when “Nordic” didn’t carry nearly as much weight as today, to exploring his roots. Again, his work didn’t go unrecognized. The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Afric | |