I packed my bag and got on a train to Oslo for one reason. Angola was participating in the African Food Festival Norway for the very first time, and there was no way I was going to miss it.
If you have not heard of the festival, it is exactly what it sounds like. Countries from across the continent set up stands in the middle of Oslo, cook their food, share their culture, and for one day the city smells like home. This year Angola finally had a seat at the table, and I needed to be there to see it with my own eyes.
Walking in
The moment I got there I understood the scale of it. The place was packed, and I mean packed. Barely any seating left, people standing shoulder to shoulder, lines curling around stands, the kind of crowd that tells you people came from all over Norway just to be there. It was not just an Oslo crowd. You could feel that people had traveled to be part of this.
Country after country had their stand up, their flags out, their food on full display. And in the middle of it all, Angola. Our stand, our flag, our food, right there next to everyone else’s for the very first time.
Seeing Angola on display
I will be honest, I got emotional watching it. This was Angola’s first year in the festival, and the pressure of a first impression is real. But our people did not hold back. The stand looked incredible, the food was cooked with so much care, and the energy around it pulled people in all day.
Watching strangers taste Angolan food for the first time, watching their faces when the flavors hit, that alone made the trip worth it. I was so proud standing there. Proud of the people who worked to put that stand together, proud of the food representing where I come from, proud to see Angola finally in a room this big.
The atmosphere
What I love most about my people is how we do community. We are warm. We laugh easily. We pull strangers into conversations like they have known us for years. That energy was all over the Angolan stand. People were sharing stories, sharing plates, sharing that easy kind of joy that comes so naturally to us.
And that spirit was not just at our stand. The whole festival had this feeling of unity. Countries that do not always get grouped together in daily life were standing side by side celebrating food and culture as one. Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Angola, and even Jamaican food had a place there too, all under the same roof, all welcomed with the same enthusiasm.
There was a fashion show running through the day, live entertainment keeping the energy up, and good vibes from every direction. People from all over Norway came out just to taste a little piece of Africa, and honestly, it showed them so much more than food. It showed them culture, pride, and community all in one place.
Why this mattered
Representation is not a small thing. Seeing Angola stand next to countries that have participated in this festival for years, holding its own, drawing a crowd, being tasted and talked about, that is a milestone. It means the next time this festival happens, more of us will know to show up. It means Angolan culture gets to exist a little louder in a country like Norway, where our community is not always visible.
I traveled to Oslo to support our stand, and I left with something bigger than a full stomach. I left proud, reminded of how welcoming and united we are as a people, and excited for what next year’s festival will look like now that Angola has officially arrived.
If you missed it this year, do not make that mistake again. Mark your calendar, bring your appetite, and come see what we are made of.
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