Obioma Faison shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Obioma, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Definitely. As a mother of 3 year old and 17 months old , there are always unexpected moments that make me smile. Recently, they did something that had me laughing in pure joy and right after, feeling this deep sense of pride. It reminded me of the balance I need everyday between growing my passion for food, striving to be a great mother, and a lovely wife.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Obioma Faison, originally from Nigeria, a home cook, content creator, and food innovator exploring the fusion between different food cultures. I love taking the traditional dishes I grew up with and reimagining them in fun, creative, and sometimes unexpected ways. One of my favorite dishes from back home is Egusi & Fufu, which I recently remade as Egusi stuffed Fufu dumplings. My brand is really rooted in honoring my heritage by making Nigerian flavors approachable and exciting for everyone.
Cooking is my love language, my testimony, and my creative outlet. I want people to feel joy, nostalgia, and discovery every time they watch one of my videos or try one of my recipes. Right now, I’m working on expanding my Afro-fusion recipe collection and building a space where people, especially busy families, can feel inspired to play with their food and embrace culture through flavor.
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?
One moment that really shaped how I see the world was becoming a mother while still trying to hold on to my Nigerian roots and navigate life in America. It made me see how powerful culture, food, and storytelling truly are. It pushed me to create a world where my children and anyone watching my content can taste both identities and feel seen in both.
Being a mother in a place with a culture different from which I grew has taught me that we don’t have to choose one version of ourselves. We can blend our heritage with our new environment and create something new, beautiful, and meaningful. That realization has shaped not just my cooking, but the way I show up in the world.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self: You are allowed to take up space. Your voice, your culture, your ideas they’re not ‘too much.’ They’re your superpower. Keep going, keep creating, and don’t dim your light just to make others comfortable. One day you’ll look back and realize that every part of you the Nigerian girl, the American girl, the dreamer, the cook was always meant to shine.
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?
One of the biggest lies in the food and content-creation industry is that you have to fit into a very specific box to be successful, that you must cook a certain way, sound a certain way, or present yourself in a way that feels ‘safe’ or familiar to the masses. As a Nigerian-American creator, I’ve learned that authenticity is actually what people connect with the most.
Another lie is that cultural food has to be watered down to be ‘marketable.’ That’s not true. People are hungry for real stories, real flavors, and real personality. When you lead with your identity and creativity, your community finds you.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Today, I can confidently say I’m doing what I was born to do not what I was told to do. For a long time, like many children of immigrants, I followed the path I thought was expected: stability, predictability, something ‘respectable’; to become a lawyer, doctor, or engineer. But cooking, storytelling, blending cultures on a plate, that has always been where my spirit felt the most alive.
Stepping into this space wasn’t my first option, but it is the truest decision I’ve ever made. Creating food that carries my heritage, my joy, my testimony…that feels like purpose. I’m finally walking in the thing that chose me long before I had the courage to choose it back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@obiomacooks?_r=1&_t=ZT-922MwJQ4iyr
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/obiomacooks?igsh=MWk5MDM3ZTZ4Y3UxdQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C1HAYRMz6/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@obiomacooks?si=X9lMWg7pqBk8uenS
Image Credits
All photos by @obiomacooks
