Cuisine
Knorr Eativist Chef Fregz Shares Secrets to Healthier Nigerian Cooking
By Knorr
Meet Chef Gbubemi Fregene, popularly known as Chef Fregz, a maestro in the food world, whose exploits exceed the world of being a private chef and content creator now an Eativist, leading the charge for Knorr’s campaign to diversify diets with locally relevant plant-based foods.
In this exhilarating interview, Chef Fregz shares his passion for food, envisioning a future where he bonds over cooking with his kid, and, with the power vested in him as an ‘Eativist,’ declares his mission to revolutionize the Nigerian diet.
Get ready as he takes you on a tantalizing journey where he is not only a chef but a visionary who is shaping the future of food in conjunction with Knorr through the Eat for Good campaign.
What would you have been if you weren’t a chef, and why?
If I was not a Chef, I’d probably be an HR executive or doing something creative like being a writer for films.
HR because that was what I studied in school, and frankly I didn’t exactly hate it, and I had the opportunity at the time to start out at a good HR firm. For writing, I have a passion for words and how they move one, so why not harness it into money?
As a dad, are you looking forward to bonding with your kid over your love for cooking?
Oh Yes! One of my life-defining moments was cooking with my dad and how we made the special breakfast on Saturdays growing up. So, aside from recreating that memory, getting my children to cook with me would be the ultimate!
My son already likes to eat, but let me wait for him to be older so he can start blending the pepper mix for The Knorr Good Jollof! I imagine those would be moments when my children can feel safe and say anything to me and teach them things that would be valuable to them for life.
What’s the most expensive meal you’ve ever prepared?
The most expensive meal I have prepared would have to be a 13-course for a private client where I used A9 grade Wagyu Beef and Fresh White Truffle, and we made a seafood dish we served on iPads!
What can Nigerians add or remove from their diets to make them healthier, considering your stance as a Knorr Eativist?
The funny thing is the Nigerian ingredients are very rich and healthy. With our various leafy greens, organic yams, root vegetables, and a vast selection of legumes, pulses, and fruits, I find that the vast majority need to adjust their cooking techniques to keep the integrity of the ingredients.
A major example is that we overcook our greens! We need to reduce that or stop altogether. We want the nutrients to be as alive as possible, get them into our bodies and eat as much of those greens as possible.
We need to deep-fry and even shallow-fry less and opt for roasting with a bit more naturally occurring fats. Beyond fried rice, we should learn to incorporate vegetables as part of our eating experience and not see them as garnishes and what you eat when you are on a “diet”.
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