Top 30 Marcus Samuelsson Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

2. “Hard work IS its own reward. Integrity IS priceless. Art DOES feed the soul.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

3. “Just like keeping a healthy diet is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating the right foods is just as important for getting the most out of your workout.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

4. “Cooking with your kids and engaging them in hands-on activities are two ways to begin to educate children about the healthy eating, and kick start the important task to help change how the younger generation looks at food and nutrition.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

5. “I love Thanksgiving because it’s a holiday that is centered around food and family, two things that are of utmost importance to me.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

6. “Clean water and access to food are some of the simplest things that we can take for granted each and every day. In places like Africa, these can be some of the hardest resources to attain if you live in a rural area.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

7. “Getting to a place of comfort can be uncomfortable.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

8. “You know that old expression “It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game”. That line was definitely not coined by a chef. Because for a chef, it’s only about whether or not you pull through. If you fail, nobody cares how hard you tried.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

9. “As a chef and activist, I’m particularly concerned with food politics issues such as the farm bill.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

10. “In Ethiopia, food is often looked at through a strong spiritual lens, stronger than anywhere else I know. It’s the focal point of weddings, births and funerals and is a daily ceremony from the preparation of the meal and the washing of hands to the sharing of meals.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

11. “We struggle with eating healthily, obesity, and access to good nutrition for everyone. But we have a great opportunity to get on the right side of this battle by beginning to think differently about the way that we eat and the way that we approach food.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

12. “In Africa, you have no clean water, but you have good food options. In Harlem, everyone can shower and get fresh water, but you often have bad food options.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

13. “Chocolate is one of the world’s most beloved discoveries, and when we need a quick boost of energy and endorphins, chocolate is the go-to treat.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

14. “I feel very fortunate that I was raised in a multicultural family, and it came through food.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

15. “That gave us enough time to get a shot of Ethiopian coffee, espresso style. Nothing tastes better than Ethiopian coffee; almost everywhere you go, it is roasted right before it’s brewed. In the United States, we think it’s a big deal if you wait to grind the beans before you make coffee. Here, the benchmark for freshness is miles higher.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

16. “While I hold my own views, it’s important not to get too wrapped up in individual candidates and personalities, but instead to focus on the real issues.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

17. “If you get hungry mid-day, a banana is the best snack at your desk, after a workout, or in between classes. Fruit is a very good snack in general.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

18. “Cooking is in an honest profession where you cannot hide and let others do the work for you. You have to show up, work hard and prove you can do it faster and better. And find a mentor who will recognize your talent and push you in the right direction.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

19. “One of the first things my father taught me was that the library was made for and available to me. It’s a place where you not only learn from books but you learn responsibility – how to borrow, take care of, and give back.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

20. “Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday – it’s a day that’s American to the core and it’s a day that’s all about what and how we eat.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

21. “Larousse Gastronomique has always been the first and last word on classic European techniques and recipes. I love that it has expanded its reach to cover world cuisines and modern culinary innovations, making it more indispensable than ever.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

22. “People come up to me all the time and ask how I stay the way I am, and it’s no secret. The first lesson a chef needs to learn is how to handle a knife; the second is how to be around all that food.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

23. “In Ethiopia, where I was born, all the cooks are women. When I grew up in Sweden, my mom and my grandmother did predominantly all the cooking. Then I changed to restaurant kitchens, where all of a sudden there were just more men than women, and I always thought that was weird.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

24. “If you’re cooking for someone important – whether it’s your boss or a date – never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

25. “In Europe I couldn’t be anything but a black cook working for somebody. My inspiration was to own, to be the chef.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

26. “We can all agree that government cant solve the obesity crisis alone. Its an ongoing issue that will require a collaborative effort across private and public sectors if we want to see some long-term success.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

27. “It will always be trendy to do the right thing with food.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

28. “America has been very open to immigrants in terms of laws, getting loans – it has been helping immigrants more than it’s been helping African Americans in starting a small business. That’s key, whether you’re starting a restaurant or a laundromat.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

29. “People might not protest for overtly political or social causes, but when they can’t feed themselves and their family, they will take to the streets.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

30. “If only my love was a net that could keep the flies out. If only my love was a net full of food for all the hungry bellies. I understand why so many people have given up on Africa – no one wants to say we are leaving a continent of people behind to tough it out in a hundreds-of-years-old war of survival, but we are, and the reason is because the level of change it would take to make a difference, to heal past wounds and chart a new path is mammoth, gargantuan, almost unimaginable.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

31. “I happen to love coconut, particularly for that sweet and crunchy texture it adds to any dish.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

32. “Bookstores are a giant present waiting to be unwrapped, full of stories and discoveries and lives.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

33. “Where is the stretch? Where is the perfect fit? Where does it make sense? You have to be a Baryshnikov.”

— Marcus Samuelsson

34. “I’m a big believer in the negligee, that nearly invisible screen standing between you and the object of your desire.”

— Marcus Samuelsson