Nzali Scales

Nzali Scales, affectionately known as Chef Za, translated her love for cooking into a business and founded Zaza’s Kitchen in 2018. Upon graduating from Spelman, she went to Northwestern University as a doctoral sociology student to research food-related health disparities in Black and Brown communities. Although this research sparked a passion, she felt led to use her love of culinary arts through Zaza’s Kitchen to continue to advocate for food equity. In 2020, she pivoted from a student to a full-time chefpreneur.

Chef Za combines her zesty personality with her love for travel and fresh ingredients to curate culinary experiences that drive impact. Through Zaza’s Kitchen, Nzali teaches cooking classes, caters events, and writes cookbooks. Chef Za holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Spelman College, a food & nutrition teacher’s certificate from Columbia University, and a health coaching certificate from the Integrative Institute of Nutrition.

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