Ghanaian chef Abraham “Araji” Oppong has worked in Japan for more than 25 years in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. For the past 19 years he has been working at the Crossroad Cafe, a cafe and art gallery in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture.
1. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Obuasi, a very small gold-mining village in the Ashanti region of Ghana. It’s about two hours from the nearest city. My family is part of the Akan people, my mother is from Fante and my father was born in Ashanti.
2. Why did you decide to become a chef? It was all because of my mother, she was always cooking. I was the eldest of seven children so I helped her in the kitchen from a very young age. That’s how I learned all the basic skills.