The Culinary Historians of Southern California presents a lecture:

“Finding Africa in Your Pantry” by Kiano Moju — Culinary Historians of Southern California

  author of "AfriCali: Recipes from My Jikoni," on

Saturday, June 14, 10:30 a.m., free, at the Los Angeles Central Library

The Culinary Historians of Southern California presents an illustrated lecture, "Finding Africa in Your Pantry," with Kiano Moju, on Saturday, June 14, 10:30 a.m. Lecture is free, in person at the Los Angeles Central Library's Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., LA Calif. 90071. Kiano Moju is the author of "AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni," fusing African cuisine with California food culture.

In conjunction with the Central Library’s June Jubilee and Juneteenth celebrations, Kiano Moju showcases common African ingredients, many from Kenya’s culinary history, including influences of Arab traders who settled along the Swahili Coast, to today's shared international cuisine. Reservations are requested, link at: 

Kiano Moju, “Finding Africa in Your Pantry” Tickets, Sat, Jun 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM | Eventbrite

The Presenter:

Kiano was born in Oakland, California, to a Maasai-Kenyan mother and Nigerian father who both moved to the U.S. in their early adulthood. Her love for traditional foods of Africa stemmed from childhood summers on her grandparents’ ranch in Kenya. After graduating with a Masters of Publishing from the University of The Arts in London, she began her career in food media and launched her production company, Jikoni Studios, which has produced cooking videos and commercials for industry giants such as Food Network, Fox Studios, Tastemade, and the USDA. Kiano also founded the non-profit organization Jikoni Recipe Archive, a culinary beacon for African and Black cuisine that amplifies these food identities while preserving them for generations to come.

Central Library parking: 524 South Flower Street Garage. Saturday $1 flat rate with validation (9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.). Take your parking ticket with you. Parking validation available at the library's Information Desk (first floor) by presenting a valid library card. Credit card or debit card payments can be made at the exit gates. Cash payments can only be made in machines at the P-1 level of the parking garage before returning to your car.

About the event organizer, Culinary Historians of Southern California:

It’s our 30th anniversary! People with a passion for food beyond the knife and fork founded the Culinary Historians of Southern California in 1995 as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Public Library. Typical of library patrons, they sought an intellectual as well as gastronomic approach to food, but not at the expense of taking themselves so seriously that they would forget to have fun.

For more information or to join, visit chsocal.org.