By Nita Bhalla in Addis Ababa

Marcus Samuelsson may not sound like an Ethiopian name - but the chef's culinary creations have a distinctly Ethiopian flavour.

Orphaned at the age of three when his parents died of tuberculosis in Ethiopia, Marcus was adopted by a Swedish couple in Goteborg, Sweden.

There he quickly discovered that, unlike most young boys his age, he preferred to stay in the kitchen and help his grandmother cook, pickle and preserve.

He carried this passion with him into adulthood and after studying at some of the best culinary institutes in Europe, Marcus, 29, is now part owner and executive chef of the successful Aquavit restaurant in New York.

But throughout his life, he has carried with him the dream of returning to his country of birth.

Blend of cuisines

Marcus recently returned to Ethiopia after an absence of 26 years, and brought with him an unusual blend Ethiopian and Western food.

"Returning to Ethiopia, I wanted to create something new and different. So, I thought what is Ethiopian to me? It's the tibs [meat dishes], the tej [mead], the Ethiopian tea, the coffee and the Ethiopian spices.

"Ethiopian food has distinct unique flavours and so I decided to combine them with food from Europe and America," he said.

At a lunch at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, Marcus presented his unique creations of cosmopolitan cuisine combined with pure Ethiopian favours in the form of four-course meal.

The first course was smoked salmon wrapped in injera - the pancake-like bread made from fermented dough.

This was served like a sushi roll with a yoghurt jelly.

"Yoghurt is used in many Ethiopian dishes," Marcus explained.

Lamb and lentils

The next course was Duck Breast with Foie Gras and an Ethiopian tea parfait. It also included wat - an Ethiopian-style sauce, but this time in contained French onion jam.

This was complimented by the third course which was Berbere Crusted Lamb with Ethiopian lentils.

For desert, Marcus turned to the beverage which is a way of life in Ethiopia: Coffee.

"I served a white coffee with hot chocolate cake, caramelised banana and beets, which are often used in Ethiopian food, but not as a desert," he explained.

Cooking school

This tasteful combination of Ethiopian spices and beverages combined with Western-style cooking went down well with all the diners at the lunch.

One diner even commented that when he returned home, he would be asking his wife to cook similar gourmet dishes. Many others asked if Marcus planned to set up a restaurant in the Ethiopian capital.

"Not at the moment," he said.

"I don't think there is a need. I would much rather do something more useful, like set up a school for up-and-coming young Ethiopian chefs.

"I think there is a lot of potential here and I'm checking out possibilities."

Identity

Apart from showing off his unique cooking skill, he has been travelling around the country visiting the historical sites of Lalibela and Gonder.

He says many people asked him about his own history and if he plans to re-discover his roots while he is in Ethiopia.

"There is a reason why I was adopted and I've had a great life and great parents who raised me. I don't know if I am ready to know all the details of my origin yet.

"What I do know is that I'm Ethiopian and I feel it strongly and for me that's enough, to begin with."