Explore every episode of the podcast Matbakh | Food of the Arab World
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ziyad Ayass | Innovation & Nostalgia in F&B Startups | 09 Dec 2024 | 00:47:20 | |
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 food and health space, this conversation explores Ziyad’s journey from financial consulting to food entrepreneurship. He tells us how he transformed a midnight craving into a thriving business, balancing tradition and innovation, creating emotional connections, and delivering nostalgic wonder. Discover how thoughtfulness and community fueled his brand’s growth, why every detail matters in crafting immersive spaces, and how a clear mission can guide success in even the most saturated markets. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Leen Al Zaben | Building a Real Arab Culinary Community | 22 Nov 2024 | 00:29:39 | |
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 highlight regional talent and shed light on local culinary traditions, particularly those that have been overshadowed by Western narratives, reclaiming and celebrating their original names. Leen also emphasizes the need to tell our own stories and celebrate original recipes, especially amidst our ongoing regional challenges. She reflects on the role food plays in bringing people back to their traditions and modes of living despite the pressures of globalization. Finally, the interview explores Leen's work in promoting Arab food culture globally, stressing the significance of mentorship, cultural advocacy, and creating a space for collaboration and dialogue within the culinary world. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Arak-Making & the History of Vineyards in Lebanon | Ramzi Ghosn | 22 May 2023 | 00:45:50 | |
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 Lebanese Civil War in 1975 forced the family to leave the estate and both Sami and Ramzi Ghosn left Lebanon to study abroad. In the early 1990s Sami and Ramzi returned to Lebanon and decided to work on revitalisating the war-ravaged estate.
Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Palestinian Home Cooking Community | Haya Bishouty | 05 Apr 2023 | 00:57:15 | |
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 people to feast communally. While she began with friends, word began to spread and eventually she would have strangers join her traditional Palestinian feasts where she would share the context and stories behind the dishes she was serving.
Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Nadir Nahdi | Telling Global Stories Through Local Flavors | 22 Mar 2023 | 01:01:54 | |
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 influential Londoners'. His videos articulate the unique experience of children of the diaspora. His work has acquired 10 million views and has since been selected as a YouTube Creators for Change Ambassador. He is also the founder of BENI, a ‘Culture Lab for innovative Ideas’, providing an online and offline community with engaging events, content and unique products that address social issues.
Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| المطبخ النوبي بين الذاكرة والإبداع | محمد كمال | 17 Mar 2023 | 01:09:41 | |
يتحدث الشيف محمد كمال عن أساليبه في الطهي النوبي في مصر وكيف يحافظ عليه بين الذاكرة والابداع. إعداد مايكي مهنا تقديم سلمى سري إنتاج رمزي رمان موسيقى طارق يمني https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Egyptian Flavors, French Pastries | Farah Elcharkawy | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:50:54 | |
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. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Bringing Iraqi Food to the Mainstream | Philip Juma | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:54:31 | |
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’ of his. He worked for an energy consultancy company and after 18 months there, he made the leap in becoming a chef. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Mysa Kafil-Hussain Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Food, Community & Social Justice | Reem Assil | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:57:38 | |
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 communities that surround them.
Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Future, Not Fusion, in Lebanese Food | Karim Haidar | 16 Jan 2023 | 01:08:42 | |
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 the international scene, the academy will contribute to their development and will become a long-term repository for culinary knowledge. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Palestine on a Plate | Joudie Kalla | 06 Dec 2022 | 00:49:32 | |
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 featured in venues like The New York Times,The Guardian, and Al Jazeera. Although she identifies the food in her cookbooks as Palestinian, some of the recipes reflect British influences, such as her za’tar scones. Others include new ingredients in the Palestinian repertoire, such as chocolate. In some cases, as she acknowledges in Palestine on a Plate and Baladi, her recipes are for dishes that she improvised when she was running her restaurant and supper clubs in London.
Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Sami Zubaida | Ethnicity of Arab Food | 03 Nov 2022 | 00:54:46 | |
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 Politics, Religion and Law, Nationalism, Food and Culture. Professor Zubaida is a regular contributor to the LMEI’s The Middle East in London magazine and has published extensively on the Middle East, most recently an article in openDemocracy on Islam and Reform. He is also a Professorial Research Associate of the Food Studies Centre, SOAS and has published widely on food and culinary cultures including 'Drink, meals and social boundaries', in Jakob A. Klein and Anne Murcott (eds), Food Consumption in Global Perspective: Essays in the Anthropology of Food in Honour of Jack Goody (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) and A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East (ed. with Richard Tapper, Tauris Parke, 2001). Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What Is Armenian Food? | Aline Kamakian | 30 Aug 2024 | 01:16:45 | |
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 she paints a picture of the food she grew up eating. She explains how she's on a mission to spread Armenian cuisine and combat common misconceptions about "Armenian food" at large, and how she turned her idea for Mayrig into reality. As each dish is served, she explains its flavor profile and key ingredients: from Kebab Karaz, Basterma and Sujuk, to Mante and the unique characteristics of fenugreek. Warning: don't watch while hungry!
Connect with Aline 👉https://www.instagram.com/alinekamakian/?hl=en Get Aline's Cookbook 👉https://www.kamakian.store/products/armenian-cuisine-cookbook Mayrig, meaning "little mother" in Armenian, is one of the Lebanon's first, full-fledged Armenian restaurant. Through the dishes it serves, it pays tribute to all Armenian mothers who guard over their rich culinary heritage. Follow Mayrig 👉https://www.instagram.com/mayriglebanon/?hl=en Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Halal Food | Febe Armanios | 12 Oct 2022 | 01:00:16 | |
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 and media studies. She has been awarded fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Luce Foundation-ACLS, and Fordham University, among others. In 2015, she was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School (ILSP), and in recent years, she’s served as an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Middle East Studies, as well as on the Steering Committee for the Middle Eastern Christianity Unit at the American Academy of Religion. In 2021-22 academic year, she was the Bennett Boskey Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at Williams College. She currently co-Directs Middlebury College’s Axinn Center for the Humanities. Armanios is the author of Coptic Christianity in Ottoman Egypt (Oxford UP, 2011) and co-author with Bogac Ergene of Halal Food: A History (Oxford UP, 2018). She’s now completing a book-length project on the history of Christian television (terrestrial and satellite) in the Middle East (ca. 1981-present) and has also begun research for another book project, which looks at the comparative history of Christian food practices in the Eastern Mediterranean and Southern Europe.
Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Mediterranean Perception in Cookbooks | Claudia Roden | 18 Sep 2022 | 01:00:45 | |
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. Besides her numerous cookery volumes, Roden has also worked as a journalist and a cooking show presenter for the BBC. Food writers and chefs such as Melissa Clark and Yotam Ottolenghi have credited her with playing a large role in introducing the food of Egypt in particular and the Middle East and North Africa in general to Britain, the United States and the English speaking world. She has been involved with Yale, University College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies and is President of The Oxford Symposium of Food. Her latest book MED, contains recipes from the Eastern Mediterranean.
Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Tony Tahhan Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Migrant Kitchen | Nasser Jaber | 30 Aug 2022 | 00:53:13 | |
Originally from Ramallah, Nasser Jaber came to the United States as a university student in economics and finance. Working in restaurants to pay for his degree, Nasser soon found that his true passion was food, and that his talents would take him from waiting tables to training under the best chefs in New York City. Nasser broke into the New York food scene when he opened Mazeish, a Palestinian-South American fusion restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, he decided to use the restaurant as a space for chefs to try new concepts, celebrate heritage, or host dinners to address social issues. It was this concept that gave rise to Nasser’s acclaimed project Komeeda, an online platform that helps people connect, taste exciting new foods, and meet the passionate chefs behind their meals. Komeeda is also dedicated to social impact through culinary diplomacy, sharing the values of entrepreneurship, private enterprise and food security to the world. Komeeda has been working with the U.S. government in Turkey and Sweden to provide real solutions to the refugee crisis through food hospitality and farming. Nasser is also the co founder of the Migrant Kitchen with renowned chef Daniel Dorado. The Migrant Kitchen is all service catering company that highlights migrant food through catering and food entrepreneurship. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Ancient Egyptian Food | Mennat-Allah El Dorry | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:28:37 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Mennat-Allah El Dorry about her career in archaeobotanical analysis. Much of her research has revolved around food and trying to reconstruct how people in the past cooked and ate. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Mama Ghannouj | Dima Adra | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:46:28 | |
Dima Adra talked about her new cookbook "Mama Ghannouj" which includes recipes from the Lebanese cuisine. Dima Adra is the author of Mama Ghannouj, a self-published and crowdfunded Lebanese cookbook. She focused on gathering recipes from 10 moms who are excellent cooks in the community, to have a written record of their recipes (that are usually shared orally) as a way to preserve the cultural traditions and ensure that they are passed down and live on. Her passion for food has always run deep, so after working for a few years in advertising, she made the switch and attended culinary school in Boston. She loves to feed everyone that crosses her path and is obsessed with cookbooks. Created and hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Bahraini Cuisine | Tala Bashmi | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:51:41 | |
Tala Bashmi talked about her culinary approaches at Fusions and her chosen single ingredient: Mehyawa. Born in Bahrain, Tala Bashmi is making a name for herself as one of the most promising stars of the culinary world. The MBC Top Chef finalist and winner of MENA’s Best Female Chef award 2022 is on a quest to not only modernize Arabic cuisine but also create a culinary journey like no other in her restaurant, Fusions by Tala. Created and hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Eat Like a Sultan: Medieval Arab Cooking | Daniel Newman | 22 Aug 2022 | 01:02:39 | |
Daniel Newman talked about his work on travel, geography and food in the 19th century. Daniel Newman holds the Chair of Arabic Studies at the University of Durham (UK). His research and publications have centred on Arabic geographical and travel literature, 19th-century reform movements in Egypt and Tunisia, and medieval Arab culinary history. In 2009, he was the co-recipient of the World Award of the President of the Republic of Tunisia for Islamic Studies for the book entitled Muslim Women in Law and Society. His research interests also include translation studies and mediaeval Islamic medicine. His other books include An Imam in Paris; Account of a stay in France by an Egyptian cleric (1826-1831) and The Sultan’s sex Potions. Arab Aphrodisiacs in the Middle Ages. His latest book is entitled The Sultan’s Feast. A Fifteenth-century Cookbook, which was longlisted for the Peter Mackenzie Smith Book Prize 2021. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Vice President of the British Association of Teachers of Arabic (BATA). He also maintains a blog (http://eatlikeasultan.com/) where he shares his passion for bringing medieval Arab dishes to life by recreating recipes. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry, Kitchen Sufra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| A Movable (Arabesque) Feast | Reem Kassis | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:57:06 | |
Reem Kassis talked about her work on the intersection of food, culture, and politics, notably in Palestine. Reem Kassis' debut cookbook, The Palestinian Table (2017), won The Guild of Food Writers Award and Gourmand World Cookbook award, was nominated for a James Beard Award, was short-listed for the Andre Simon Award and the Edward Stanford Award, and was picked as one of NPR's best books of 2017. Her second cookbook is The Arabesque Table (2021). You can find some of her writings in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry, Sufra Kitchen Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Evolution of Moroccan Cuisine | Nargisse Benkabbou | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:51:13 | |
Nargisse Benkabbou talked about her approaches to Moroccan Cuisine and her chosen single ingredient: Tagine. Nargisse Benkabbou was raised in Brussels, where she grew up in a strongly food-oriented family that continually nurtured her connection with her roots and country of origin, Morocco. After living in Brussels and Paris, Nargisse moved to London to pursue her education in Politics only to realize that her love for cooking and food was a real passion. After training at Leiths School of Food and Wine, she started sharing her Moroccan recipes 'with a twist' inspired by her home country. Nargisse is currently Executive Chef at L'Mida Marrakech, her work involves recipe and menu development, cooking classes and hosting supper clubs. Each recipe that Nargisse produces is a celebration of her heritage and a care for simplicity and modernity.
Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Marketing Egyptian Cuisine | Moustafa Elrefaey | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:24:55 | |
Moustafa Elrefaey talked about his culinary philosophy and passion that reflect the growing trend towards a healthier and natural lifestyle. Chef Moustafa creates cuisine that pleases the senses and enhances the natural flavors of food. He had recently won at the London Falafel Festival. Chef Moustafa Elrefaey is the Executive Chef, Cofounder and Partner of Zooba Home Grown in Egypt. He is a proud Board Member and the Treasurer of the Egyptian Chefs Association. He is also a certified Executive Chef of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Recently he was selected by the Egyptian Chefs Association to be the Egyptian Ambassador to “Chefs without Borders”, the humanitarian division of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). His culinary philosophy and passion reflect the growing trend towards a healthier and natural lifestyle. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Mahdi Blaine Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The History of Coffee From Yemen to the World | Mokhtar Alkhanshali | 25 Jul 2024 | 00:56:35 | |
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 also established the Mokha Institute. Explore the Port of Mokha 👉 https://portofmokha.com/ Connect with Mokhtar 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mokhtar_alkhanshali/?hl=en Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra #coffee #yemenicoffee #historyofcoffee #MokhtarAlkhanshali #monkofmokha #Mokha #portofmokha FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Medieval Arab Cookery | Charles Perry | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:28:54 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Charles Perry about his career as a translator of several medieval cookbooks from Arabic to English and published widely on the history of food. In 2005 Perry translated from Arabic A Baghdad Cookery Book, also known as Al-Baghdadi’s Kitab al-Tabikh, the only medieval Arabic cookbook known to the English-speaking world. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Antonio Tahhan Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Palestinian Chef Behind Ottolenghi | Sami Tamimi | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:25:22 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Sami Tamimi about his career as a Palestinian cook in London. Sami had won several awards such as International Award and the Best Cookbook, James Beard Award, Cookery Book Award, and Dun Gifford Award for ‘Jerusalem.’ Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Egyptian Food on Social Media | Wesam Masoud | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:22:54 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Wesam Masoud about his creativity in developing and enhancing cooking techniques and flavor pairings. Chef Wesam is known for teaching the basics of cooking techniques, food history and food science in an engaging and idiosyncratic style. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Antonio Tahhan Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Celeriac Shawarma & Other Lebanese Roots at Noma, Copenhagen | Tarek Alameddine | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:27:58 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Tarek Alameddine about his experiences in the culinary field between Copenhagen, Egypt, and Lebanon. Tarek believes that Levantine flavors and seasonal produce should be celebrated in the fine dining scene. In the process of creating dishes and designing menus, the ingredients he uses should be in season, wildly foraged, and in synchronization with the time and place. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Bethany Kehdy | Lebanese Cuisine From Baskinta to the World | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:26:45 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Bethany Kehdy about her writings on cuisines of the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. Bethany was elected one of the four Mediterranean Food Ambassadors in 2012 and won several awards for publishing “The Jewelled Kitchen” in 2013. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Souk El Tayeb | Kamal Mouzawak | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:28:53 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Kamal Mouzawak about how he founded the first farmers market in Lebanon, leading a social and environmental change and transformation. Kamal, through Souk El Tayeb, had the vision of celebrating food and traditions that unite communities and promoting small-scale farmers and producers and the culture of sustainable agriculture. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Anissa Helou | Feast: Food of the Islamic World & Other Cookbooks | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:30:01 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Anissa Helou about how her work and writings on cuisines and culinary heritage of the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa. She is the author of award-winning cookbooks “Sweet Middle East”, “Levant”, “The Fifth Quarter”, “An Offal Cookbook,” and more. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Sumac & Cooking in Bethlahem | Fadi Kattan | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:28:42 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Fadi Kattan about how his cuisine and savoir-faire combine worldly influences, a desire for perfection and a passion for the local terroir. When Fadi started his Fawda Restaurant in 2016, he created a cuisine honoring Palestine’s best produce with a modern twist, raising to the challenge of rendering this traditional kitchen into a gourmet dining experience. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Jameed and Other Jordanian Delicacies | Omar Sartawi | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:26:42 | |
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Omar Sartawi about his creations and subtle blend of flavors from his travels to Europe and the Arab Gulf with his heritage and Jordanian roots. Omar’s popular consecration came in 2017, when he took the local food scene by storm with the launch of Jameed Chocolate, acclaimed as “a great twist on the symbol of the Jordanian cuisine”. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| How Did the Emirates Evolve Into a Food-Loving Country? | Sahar Parham Al Awadhi | 11 Jun 2024 | 00:48:01 | |
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. Connect with Sahar 👉 https://www.instagram.com/saharyp/?hl=en Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Al-Tujibi's 13th Century Andalusian Cookbook | Daniel Newman | 14 May 2024 | 01:03:47 | |
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 in the Middle Ages", "The Sultan’s Feast: A Fifteenth-Century Egyptian Cookbook", and "The Exile’s Cookbook: Medieval Gastronomic Treasures from al-Andalus & North Africa". Connect with Daniel👉 https://www.instagram.com/medieval_arab_cooking/ Eat Like A Sultan 👉 https://eatlikeasultan.com/bibliography/ The Exile’s Cookbook brings together 480 recipes, including roasts and stews, breads, condiments, preserves, sweetmeats, and even hand-washing soaps. It offers a fascinating insight into the cuisine of Muslim Spain and North Africa in al-Andalus – its regional characteristics and historical antecedents, but also its links to culinary traditions in other parts of the Muslim world. Read more 👉 https://saqibooks.com/books/saqi/the-exiles-cookbook/ Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra #AlAndalus #FoodHistory #CulinaryHistory #ArabFoodStories #ArabicFood FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Iraqi-Jewish Food Culture & the Jews of Baghdad | Awafi Kitchen | 02 Apr 2024 | 01:00:51 | |
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 use food as an invitation for deeper conversations about cultural heritage and identity. They describe — in tantalizing detail — the contours of Iraqi-Jewish cuisine, listing their favorite dishes and recipes, and why it's important to understand that Iraqi-Jewish food is simply Iraqi food. Finally, we dive into Iraq's agricultural landscape and the politics of cultural preservation through seeds. The Awafi Kitchen is a Boston-based pop-up culinary space dedicated to sharing Iraqi-Jewish food and culture. Its menus are recreations of the meals that the founders grew up eating as children, and the stories they heard of food in the old country. They are cooking to preserve the lesser known pieces of Jewish and Iraqi histories. They also share some delicious recipes with their community. Connect with The Awafi Kitchen 👉https://www.instagram.com/theawafikitchen/ The Iraqi Seed Collective are people of Iraqi heritage and seed growers devoted to preserving Iraqi culture and the genetic legacy of crops through saving heirloom seeds. The Iraqi Seed Collective 👉https://www.instagram.com/iraqiseedcollective/ Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra #Iraq #Baghdad #IraqiJewishCuisine #MiddleEasternFood FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What the Mesopotamian Kitchen Passed On to Modern-Day Iraqi Food Traditions | Nawal Nasrallah | 14 Mar 2024 | 01:03:14 | |
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", recounts her experience translating Kitab al-Tabikh, details the influence and trade of certain ingredients, and describes what a kitchen looked like in Mesopotamia. Finally, we discuss the surprising similarities between our present-day dining and eating etiquette and decorum and 10th century Iraq's, as well as debate who best cooks Sambousek. Nawal Nasrallah is an independent US based Iraqi food writer, historian, English literature scholar and translator. Nasrallah’s best known work is Delights from the Garden of Eden, a cookbook showcasing Iraqi cuisine which won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Nasrallah’s translation of the Abbasid-era cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq – titled Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchens – also won Gourmand World Cookbook Award’s “Best Translation in the World” and “Best of the Best of the Past 12 Years” awards. Connect with Nawal 👉https://nawalcooking.blogspot.com Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Palestine & The Politics of Seed Preservation | Vivien Sansour | 12 Jul 2023 | 01:05:44 | |
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 Vivien’s work in preserving bio-cultural heritage. Vivien Sansour is an artist, storyteller, food historian, researcher and conservationist. Vivien is the founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library which finds and reintroduces threatened crop varieties and also collect stories to assert the ownership of seeds by communities. She also established the Traveling Kitchen, which is an extension of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. This project seeks to engage people in conversations around bio-cultural heritage, agrobiodiveristy and the process of coevolution between human activities in the field and kitchen. She uses image, sketch, film, soil, seeds and plants to revive old cultural tales in contemporary presentations and thus advocate for the protection of biodiversity as a cultural and political act. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Voicenote Chef | Homesick Cooking & a Love Affair With Tabbouleh | 26 Jun 2023 | 01:00:42 | |
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 various aspects of content creation, and how Kareem stays true to no-frills and simple cooking. Kareem, better known as The VoiceNote Chef, is a New York based Lebanese-Kuwaiti content creator. Kareem launched his now viral platform in April 2020 when he was feeling homesick due to the global pandemic. Now, together with his mom, Kareem creates viral recipe videos that feature audio instructions from his mom in voicenote form. Before launching his viral platform, Kareem worked in advertising. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom. Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -Twitter Support About afikra: afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Palestinian Ingredients Through Time & Space | Fadi Kattan | 25 Apr 2025 | 00:57:41 | |
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 locally in modern settings outside of Palestine. They discuss how these traditions intersect with issues of occupation and colonialism, and the dynamic role of food as both sustenance and cultural heritage. The conversation touches on challenges in the Israeli-occupied territories, the significance of local ingredients, and how Palestinian cuisine adapts through time. They also explore initiatives like the foundation of new restaurants in diaspora communities and efforts to maintain authentic culinary practices. FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Exploring Omani & Zanzibari Food With Chef & Cookbook Author Dina Macki | 18 Jul 2025 | 00:49:23 | |
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 the influence of various cultures – including Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Swahili, and Portuguese – on the region's food, and how it transcends national borders. She also talks about the challenges of preserving traditional recipes, and offers her recommendations for must-try dishes for anyone interested in exploring the vibrant and diverse culinary landscape of this particular geography.
00:00 Introduction 00:19 Exploring Omani Cuisine 02:57 Cultural Identity and Background 04:43 Food Influences and Personal Journey 07:50 Dina's Culinary Path 12:06 Historical and Cultural Insights 24:58 Reviving Swahili Influence 25:20 Experiences in Zanzibar 26:54 Classic Dishes from the Book 29:29 Traditional Drinks and Variations 30:01 Unique Eid Dishes 32:30 Coconut in Omani Cuisine 38:02 Running Farsha: A Culinary Venture in Muscat 40:27 Omani Food Culture and Traditions 42:09 Guilty Pleasures and Essential Ingredients 47:49 Travel Recommendations for Oman
Dina Macki is a British-Omani food writer, presenter, and recipe developer with a strong focus on her Omani and Zanzibari heritage, as well as influences from the wider Middle East, East Africa, and her upbringing in the UK. She is known for exploring the unique foodscape of Oman and sharing personal recipes and stories, often bringing a fresh perspective on how food connects us to our past and communities. Her debut cookbook, "Bahari: Recipes From an Omani Kitchen and Beyond," showcases the rich flavors and history of Omani cuisine, which is shaped by its coastlines and maritime history with origins and influences spanning Pakistan, Iran, India, the Swahili coast, and Portugal. Dina works with various brands for recipe development and presentations. She also works for The Anglo-Omani Society. Connect with Dina Macki 👉 https://instagram.com/dinewithdina
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns
FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH: » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-matbakh/id1646402301 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GuszMVmvx0XM2zYLmVQK2 » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1035528225
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Sudanese Kitchen | Omer Al Tijani | 27 Oct 2025 | 00:57:55 | |
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 cultural influences from the Levant, the Mediterranean, and East and West Africa. Al Tijani discusses his journey to document these recipes, highlighting the activism inherent in preserving Sudan's culinary heritage amidst political turmoil and aiming to place Sudanese food in public consciousness beyond just Sudan. He also shares insights into regional variations, the historical timeline of ingredients and influences, and the challenges and triumphs of archiving Sudan's vibrant food culture. The book is available to ship internationally and the website sudanese.kitchen is a massive resource to use freely with a recipe archive and important information that's accessible to all.
0:00 Documenting Sudanese Food and Its Regional Distinctions 1:07 The Genesis of "The Sudanese Kitchen" Project 2:11 Travel in Difficult Times and Changing Perspectives 2:46 The Challenges of Archiving 3:37 Five Iconic Sudanese Dishes 3:54 Why Sudanese Restaurants Are Not as Common as Ethiopian 4:28 Culinary Identity: Unity vs Fragmentation 4:56 Sudan's Agricultural Potential 5:10 A Historical Culinary Timeline 5:31 Hopes for Sudan's Future 7:04 Similarities with Levantine Food: Ta’mia and Fuul 9:44 Sudanese Cheese: Influences from Syria and Greece 10:36 West African and Indigenous Sudanese Influences 12:32 Navigating Regional Terminology in Sudanese Cuisine 14:19 Identifying Sudanese Spices and Preparation 15:47 The Importance of Peanuts in Sudanese Food 18:34 Discovering Regional Dishes Beyond Khartoum 19:48 Geographic Influences on Sudanese Cuisine 22:04 The Journey of a Food Archivist: Travel and Oral Histories 24:43 The Start of the Project and Revolutionary Challenges 28:18 Public Reception to Documenting Sudanese Food 29:47 Mom's Feedback and Recipe Selection 31:06 The Five Strongest Dishes from Sudanese Cuisine 31:41 Dish 1: Mullah Na'emia 32:59 Dish 2: Salatat Aswad (Salatat Banzenjan) 34:02 Dish 3: Agashe (Spicy Peanut Meat Dish) 35:00 Dish 4: Hilu-Mur (Fermented Sorghum Drink) 36:14 Dish 5: Kunafa Malfouf (Rolled Kunafa with Peanuts and Dates) 37:43 Why Sudanese Restaurants Are Less Prevalent Globally 40:53 Food as a Form of Activism and Resistance 43:00 Shedding Light on the Famine in Sudan 44:48 Sudan's Potential as Africa's Breadbasket 45:47 Exploring Sudan's Culinary and Historical Timeline 50:47 Pre-Columbian Sudanese Cuisine 51:50 Nomadic Lifestyles and Portable Foods 52:38 Hopes for the Book: Highlighting Sudan's Richness and Diversity 53:30 Awareness of Sudan in the Arab World 54:47 The Importance of Self-Criticism and Addressing Blind Spots 56:19 The Sudanese Kitchen Website: A Comprehensive Resource
Omar Al Tijani is a food archivist from Sudan, based in London. He's the author of an unique book and website project called The Sudanese Kitchen which he's travelled across Sudan to document, mainly through oral histories. Connect with Omer Al Tijani 👉 https://instagram.com/sudanesekitchen
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns
FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH: » Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-matbakh/id1646402301 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GuszMVmvx0XM2zYLmVQK2 » Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1035528225
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ FOLLOW & RATE THE MATBAKH PODCAST: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||