A woman left viewers shocked after revealing how her colleague reacted to her workplace lunch – saying her “African food stinks”.
The 34-year-old, who would prefer to be known only by her handle, Ashantiiqueeen, went viral with over 938,000 views and 64,400 likes.
The worker is Ghanaian of Ashanti heritage, with roots in Kumasi.
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The lunch she ate on the day her colleague made a comment is one of her favourite dishes: Momoni (fermented fish).
But ths isn’t the first time Ashantiiqueeen has been told her “exotic” food has a strong scent – she once received a similar remark when she brought in a tub of spaghetti bolognese.
“It [the meal] included cooked plantain and momoni (dried fermented fish),” she told Need To Know.
“I want to be honest: momoni has a very strong smell.
“That was partly the point.
“Over time, I’ve experienced repeated comments in the workplace about my food – even when I bring something like spaghetti bolognese, I’ve been asked, ‘Is that African food?’ or my meals have been described as ‘exotic’.
“Often, people don’t even know where in Africa I am from, yet assumptions are made.”
Ashantiiqueeen says she shared her video to raise awareness of workplace discrimination that may not always “look extreme or aggressive”.
She said: “Sometimes it shows up in small, repeated comments that make people of African descent feel uncomfortable over time.
My goal was not to attack anyone, but to encourage awareness and reflection.
“No one should feel embarrassed about their culture, their food, or their identity in a professional environment.”
Online, viewers have been left horrified by the incident.
“The speed in which I’d send this vid to HR,” one person said.
Nori added: “It kills me that people expect everyone to eat processed meat on processed bread for lunch.”
“What’s wrong with it that’s her culture what she suppose to bring a bologne sandwich,” someone else commented.
Another user said: “I fear everyone is missing the point. You should be allowed to eat food from your culture even if it smells different! And y’all, she wasn’t bringing in fish every day.”
“Get a proper contain cause what,” Kortney added.
Ashantiiqueeen, who lives in Hanover, Germany, believes that many of the remarks may not actually be “intended to harm” – but is part of “everyday racism” that is important to highlight.
She added: “In Germany, we call this Alltagsrassismus — everyday racism.
“It’s subtle, often normalized, but it still creates a feeling of being ‘othered.’.
“When someone repeatedly labels your food as strange, smelly, or exotic, it sends a message that you don’t fully belong.”
