“My process always starts with tradition” — The Great American Recipe star Waigal Safi on showcasing Afghan cuisine

Waigal Safi, a participant on The Great American Recipe from San Diego, is creating a stir by offering traditional Afghan food, particularly his favorite macaroni dishes. He's competing to put Afghan food on America's culinary map through Season 4 of the PBS cooking competition, drawing on his ancestry by passing down recipes from his mother, who escaped Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion.

"My process always starts with tradition," he said. "I take my mom’s version of the dish, and then I add my own pizazz or twist to it... Some things stay the same, because they just shouldn’t be tampered with. … Most of all, it’s just what feels and tastes right in the moment."

From braised chicken to saffron-tinged rice, this attitude permeates every dish he makes and shows a profound regard for his heritage.

Safi's appearance also reflects a complex backstory: he turned childhood memories into a culinary passion by starting to cook at the age of 14 in order to replicate his mother's flavors when she was away. In addition to competing, he works for a foster care nonprofit and curates recipes with Afghan influences as a content creator.

The Great American Recipe star Waigal Safi: From Afghan roots to culinary courage

The Great American Recipe's Waigal Safi is bringing Afghan home cooking to a wider audience. Using careful invention to elevate a centuries-old macaroni meal at its heart, and he's not holding back. By fusing personal history with artistic flair, Safi's culinary adventure introduces viewers to Afghan cuisines they have never tasted before. His competition, passion, and legacy are revolutionizing the way that real cooking traditions may be incorporated into American kitchens.

Putting tradition first — with a twist

The Great American Recipe's Safi asserts his own voice while paying homage to his familial heritage in each recipe. When posting early creations online, he described a vulnerable moment,

"It was like all my fears and all my insecurities combined into one, and then I just stopped caring for a moment, and I posted it," he said.

His culinary style, which bridges the past and present via innovation, was validated by that leap of faith, which also generated a wave of encouragement.

Audacity that ignites connections

Safi was more approachable off-camera because of his self-assurance in the kitchen. He offered to discuss the show with a stranger after sharing a bizarre experience,

"This person asks to call me to talk about the show, and the last three digits of their phone number are 3‑3‑3,” said The Great American Recipe star. "At that point, I didn’t care if it was a scam or not. I was doing this, whatever it was."

His readiness to take chances shows that he is a chef who is at ease venturing into uncharted territory and interacting with people who are not his usual audience.

Waigal Safi's open description of letting go of perfection and trusting his taste sense reflects his development as a chef on screen. Viewers of The Great American Recipe saw him striking a balance between innovation and safety, respecting tradition while taking creative risks.

His story demonstrates how tradition and bravery can coexist to produce truly innovative cuisine. Safi will continue to push those boundaries as the tournament progresses, and she'll invite us all to sample the outcomes.

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Head to PBS to watch Safi on The Great American Recipe.

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