Nine Finnish students are currently cooking up a storm at Gatheman Restaurant in Windhoek. The young chefs from the Varia Vantaa Vocational College in Finland are in Namibia for two weeks.

Windhoek and Vantaa are twin cities and last year three chefs from Finland visited the Valombola Vocational Training Centre in Oshakati. Head chef Arno Peltonen, who brought the students to Namibia, hopes that in future the student exchange could go both ways with Namibian chefs cooking and learning in Finland. Urs Gamma, owner of Gatheman Restaurant, says Namibian chefs have no or very little exposure to international cuisine and thus such an exchange of ideas is important. Upon returning to Finland the students will host a Namibian week where they will treat their fellow students to Namibian delicacies like springbok, mopane worms and boerewors. While here the students are teaching Namibian chefs how to bake Finnish bread and cook salmon and desserts.

The visit will culminate in the celebration of the Finnish national day at the Gatheman Restaurant this Friday, where Finnish traditional dishes will be served.