Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Marianna Farag of Paris, France

Marianna Farag shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Marianna, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
In 2024, when I learned that my mother had been diagnosed with dementia, I made the difficult decision to close my restaurant in Kingston, Jamaica, and return to Paris, France—“home,” in its own way—to be closer to her. My restaurant had been an overnight success, everything I had ever dreamed of, but being there for my mom felt like the only choice that mattered.
This past year has tested me deeply, both mentally and emotionally, yet I am proud of my resilience and personal growth. Most of all, I’m proud that I never lost my love for cooking. Instead, I channeled it into caring for my mother, who can no longer cook for herself. From serving wonderful guests at my restaurant to cooking for the most important guest of my life—my mom—I’ve been humbled and have come to understand food and cooking in a far more personal, spiritual way.
While I’ve taken on a few cooking gigs in Paris and still dream of opening another restaurant one day, I’ve realized that cooking for my mother has taught me something no restaurant ever could: the true power of food when it’s prepared with love and intention. My journey, from running a successful restaurant to now cooking daily for my mother as she battles dementia, is what I am most proud of. While still trying to re-build my career in a much bigger city and starting again.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a self-taught plant based chef with an eclectic but culturally rich background. Born in Greece to Egyptian and Syrian parents, and raised between Switzerland, Greece, France, Jamaica, and the U.S., my culinary identity is as vibrant and layered as the life I’ve lived. I am the previous owner/operator/head chef of Marianna’s Kitchen (Kingston, Jamaica) and now a recipe developer & consultant, private chef, cookbook author and specialist in food anthropology (certified by the end of the year) before I move onto my next food venture on this side of the ocean 🙂 My philosophy has always been FOOD CURIOUS, because I believe that food plays a role beyond sustenance. Every ingredient tells us something about history, culture, nature, politics, etc etc. It tells us something about humanity itself.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I think like most children of immigrant parents, it was the school lunchbox moment. When I was the only kid in class who was eating zaatar sandwiches with nuts and dried fruits, and because of the reactions I would get from classmates, I quickly understood that there was a lack of tolerance and curiosity towards cultural diversity in food in this world. This was in the 80s and 90s and it was very different from today, where zaatar is a coveted ingredient for many. That is why today I cook the way I do- a hyphenated cuisine where each dish builds bridges between different cultures. I deeply believe sharing a delicious meal is one of the most peaceful and powerful ways we can get to know the world around us, and become more tolerant of one another.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me that “no one can hurt me but myself”. While others can wound or disappoint us, the lasting suffering comes from how we let those wounds live inside us. It’s a question of self-accountability and self-preservation towards ourselves.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That a green juice or turmeric pill will fix everything. To get healthy, you have to look at your health as an actual system that is connected to many different things: from your thoughts, to your emotions, quality of sleep, environment, physical movement, your relationships, etc etc. There is absolutely no magic pill, there is no “one food” that will cure. It is a lifestyle and we need to make this lifestyle sustainable, affordable and accessible to all. I call it Healthy Food Justice.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m cooking. I find myself in a creative flow and a state of mindfulness, and the inner child in me comes out again. That state of seeing my inner child come to life connects me to who I really am.

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Image Credits
all photos taken by Marianna Farag

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