Matbakh | Food of the Arab World

Discover an extensive amount of Sudanese dishes and ingredients (that you probably have never heard) shared by the author of The Sudanese Kitchen cookbook, who delves into them in nuanced detail. Sudan's culinary practices and history are extremely rich and diverse, changing from region to region in the country. This episode explores Sudanese food as a unique fusion cuisine, shaped by diverse cult...

In this episode of Matbakh, we're joined by Dina Macki, author of cookbook "Bahari: Recipes From an Omani Kitchen and Beyond," who shares insights into the unique flavors and culinary traditions of Omani and Zanzibari cuisines. Dina discusses her cultural heritage and diverse upbringing, and the intricate blend of spices and ingredients that define the dishes of Oman and Zanzibar. She dives into t...

This special episode of Matbakh is the first in a series of talks and special menu events called "dawaween al diwan" at restaurant, louf, in Toronto. Franco-Palestinian chef, Fadi Kattan, and Salma Serry, a doctoral researcher specializing in food history in West Asia and Egypt, dive into the heritage of Palestinian ingredients, histories behind key products, how they can be sourced and used local...

Join us for the second live episode of Matbakh in collaboration with What The Food, featuring Ziyad Ayass, the founder and managing partner of Wonder Restaurants, with Dubai F&B outlets like Ka'ak Al Manara – a Lebanese bakery specialising in kaak), and an upscale dining experience in the works which will be called Manaret Beirut. Guided by guest host Vanessa Zabi who is an entrepreneur in the foo...

Vanessa Zuabi interviews Leen Al Zaben in this one in two Matbakh special, recorded live on stage at What The Food by alserkal in Dubai. They discuss Leen's unexpected journey into the food industry, which began 15 years ago as a food blog and evolved into a full-blown career. The conversation touches on the importance of community-building through food, such as organizing food festivals that high...

Over a shared meal at Mayrig restaurant in Beirut, we sit down with Aline Kamakian, the restaurant's creator, to discuss and get a taste of Armenia's rich food history and the diasporic evolution of what she calls this "cuisine of contrasts". Aline shares her own family's history and lived experiences of the Armenian genocide and expulsion, and her relationship to her adopted home of Lebanon, as s...

Feeling curious and inspired to learn more about the history of coffee? Take a look through Mokhtar's coffee-themed reading recommendations 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/history-of-coffee Mokhtar Alkhanshali is a historian, community organizer, and coffee innovator. He is the founder and CEO of Port of Mokha, which seeks to reverse Yemen’s nearly lost art of coffee cultivation. He has al...

Sahar Parham Al Awadhi is an award-winning pastry chef who was the inaugural winner of the Best Pastry Chef Award of the 50 Best's Middle East & North Africa list. She started her career at La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie in downtown Dubai and in 2016, joined Burj Al Arab becoming the first Emirati to cook at the hotel, and a few years later, the first Emirati woman to be a pastry chef in Dubai. Con...

Daniel Newman is the chair of Arabic Studies at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures in the University of Durham. His main areas of interest include Arab food history and Arabic geographical and travel literature. He is the founder of eatlikeasultan.com , a website dedicated to the history of Arab cooking in the Middle Ages. He is the author of "The Sultan’s Sex Potions: Arab Aphrodisiacs i...

This episode of Matbakh features Annabel "Nibal" and Sam Rabiyah, the sibling duo behind The Awafi Kitchen: a Boston-based pop-up culinary space dedicated to sharing Iraqi-Jewish food culture. This conversation looks at using food as a platform for holding onto culture, heritage and histories. The duo talks to us about Iraqi-Jewish recipes, the erasure of their community's history, and how they us...

To kick off the new season of Matbakh, we sat down with iconic and award-winning food historian, researcher and educator Nawal Nasrallah. We travel back in time to Medieval Iraq and talk about inherited food traditions, social histories, and 10th century understandings of cuisine and cooking. Nawal delves into her book "Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of Iraqi Cuisine",...

In this episode of Matbakh, we’re joined by Viven Sansour, founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. This was a really compelling conversation about the politics of environmentalism, her work through the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, and the link between anxiety and agriculture.  We spoke about the importance of indigenous wisdom in farming, changing landscapes in the Middle East, and Viv...

In this episode of Matbakh, The VoiceNote Chef tells us about about transforming childhood memories into viral recipes, capturing his mom’s unique voice in voicenote form, and cooking to ease homesick hearts around the world. We discover how the account took off, how its changed his relationship with his mom, and his favourite videos to date. We also discuss the importance of authenticity, the var...

Ramzi Ghosn talks about the profession of wine and arak-making and its significance in the Levant, notably in Lebanon. From Massaya, he discusses the speaks about how Phoenicians valued viticulture and developed the finest wines that continues to be exported to the world. Massaya is a Lebanese winery and arak distillery owned and operated by the Ghosn brothers Sami and Ramzi. The outbreak of the L...

Haya Bishouty talks about her techniques in recreating traditional Palestinian food through Haya's Kitchen. She speaks about her favorite dishes and desserts such as Christmas Kaak, Rummaniyeh, Shush Barak Bel Laban and more. Haya Bishouty is the founder of Haya's Kitchen, a supper club that she started in order to revive the tradition of Palestinian grandmothers opening their homes and inviting p...

Nadir Nahdi talks about his exploration of the world's cultures through their different cuisines. He discusses his revelations in Morocco, Yemen, and Palestine through Bastilla, coffee steaks, and Jaffa cakes. Nadir Nahdi is a presenter, film-maker and producer from London with Yemeni, Indonesian, Pakistani and Kenyan heritage. Nadir was recently voted by the Evening Standard as one of 'the most i...

يتحدث الشيف محمد كمال عن أساليبه في الطهي النوبي في مصر وكيف يحافظ عليه بين الذاكرة والابداع. محمد كامل هو شيف نوبي متخصص في المأكولات النوبية الحديثة، يمزج تقاليد الماضي مع الأذواق والأساليب الحديثة. نظرًا لأن المطبخ النوبي غير معروف كثيرًا خارج المنطقة النوبية، يطمح كمال إلى الحفاظ على الثقافة حية من خلال تطوره في الأطباق التقليدية. كان أيضًا جزءًا من المنتخب الوطني للشيفات المصريين الذي حصل على...

What happens when you take a lawyer turned pastry chef trained in France and mix in Egyptian flavors and heritage? Listen to find out. Beware: don't listen while hungry!  After 10 years of experience in law (studying and working), El Charkawy first discovered her love of cooking while pursuing a Master’s degree in Law in France. Prior to her move, she had hardly ever stepped foot in the kitchen. C...

Bringing Iraqi food into the English food scene, Chef Philip Juma is keeping the essence of the Iraqi home alive with his Kubba, Quozi, and Dolma at Juma Kitchen. Philip Juma studied Economics for Business and started his career in finance. Throughout his time in finance, he always loved cooking – he would speak about food, restaurants, hospitality with such enthusiasm but it was just a ‘passion’...

Reem Assil talked about her culinary approach at her restaurant 'Reem's California,' in addition to her chosen single ingredient that can be used in different dishes and desserts: Ashta. Reem Assil is a Palestinian-Syrian chef based in Oakland, CA. She is the owner of Reem’s California, a nationally acclaimed restaurant, inspired by her passion for Arab street corner bakeries and the vibrant commu...

Karim Haidar talked about the future of Lebanese food in Europe through education and restaurant work. Haidar discusses traditional Lebanese food, devoid of fusion, and how he had developed the Academy of Arab Cuisine in Paris. Renowned chef Karim Haidar has founded the Academy of Arab Cuisine in Paris, a platform to promote Arab cuisine across the world. By offering a space for these cuisines on...

Joudie Kalla talked about her books "Palestine on a Plate" & "Baladi," how her work connects both food and politics, and her special chosen dish 'Fatteh.' Joudie Kalla is a Palestinian-British chef and food writer. She is the author of two prizewinning cookbooks,  Palestine on a Plate: Memories from My Mother’s Kitchen  (2016), and  Baladi: A Celebration of Food from Land and Sea  (2018), and has...

Sami Zubaida talked about culinary cultures of the Middle East, drinks and social boundaries, and the history of his chosen single dish: Koshari. Sami Zubaida is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck, University of London and has held visiting positions in Cairo, Istanbul, Beirut, Aix-en-Provence, Berkeley CA, Paris and New York. His research interests include Middle East Politi...

Febe talked about her work involving food and history, including writing her book with Bogac Ergene of  Halal Food: A History. Febe Armanios received her BA, MA, and Ph. D. from the Ohio State University. Her research interests have focused on the history of Christian communities in the Middle East, particularly on Egypt’s Coptic Christians, on Muslim-Christian relations, as well as food history a...

Claudia Roden talked about her new cookbook MED as well as her other work, and the process behind writing them. Claudia Roden is an Egyptian-born British cookbook writer with a special interest in the social, cultural and historical background of food. She is best known as the author of many cookbooks including A Book of Middle Eastern Food, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food and Arabesque. Besid...