Cuisine from the Arabic Peninsula dates back to 500BC. Wheat, barley, pistachios, pomegranates, figs and dates are just some of the staples in this region. The question of the origin of coffee was left unresolved on day one of the Taste of Dubai tour. We settled on the original population of coffee being in Ethiopia with the Arabs cultivating it in the 14th century. The earliest evidence of drinking of coffee is traced to the Sufi Monasteries in the region of Mocca in Yemen and the World has never been the same ever since. You cannot appreciate food in the Emirates and not consider the history and the origins of that cuisine. Land and politics are integral to the development of the diversity of the food we enjoy from the Arabic Peninsula. Whether you are a first time visitor to Dubai or have been living in the Emirates for a number of years now, I strongly recommend that you pay a visit to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. The centre is in a traditional Emirate house courtyard and the afternoon starts with the serving of the Arabic coffee with hints of cardamom and saffron. What follows is an exploration that satisfies both the mind and the stomach. Not only are you introduced to a traditional meal of the region with the rituals and the story around the meal deliciously explained, you are encouraged to ask any question from the very informative guide about the history of the region, the cultural practice of the Emirate, and even matters of religion and politics. I don’t know enough about the Muslim faith. This was my admission when I walked out of the centre. Despite the fairly influential Muslim population in Cape Town. After a short break at my exquisite suite at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City, we were off to what turned out to be nearly six hours of a walking food marathon. This walking food tour took us to the authentic side of Dubai where you truly appreciate the influences that are permeating through Dubai. It’s not glitzy and it’s not glamorous. But it’s full of energy, pulse and humanity. The tour covered food and experiences from the regions of Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Persia amongst others. Delicate, subtle yet explosive flavours gloriously danced around my mouth. With my favourite meal being the mansaf, which is lamb cooked very slowly in a special kind of yoghurt. Walking food tours are still a novelty in Dubai. The chief executive muncher and our guide Arva Ahmed was a delight. And now I need to place an order for the World’s most expensive cupcake the Golden Phoenix.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 05:34:19 +0000