Matbakh | Food of the Arab World
Matbakh is a podcast about the food and drink of the Arab world. It explores eating, making, appreciating, and learning about Arab cuisine through conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, food historians, critics, and writers. Episodes cover beloved and overlooked dishes, ingredients, and flavors, as well as the history and future of food in the region. Guests share personal anecdotes and stories tied to Arab culinary traditions.
Episodes
Aleppo is One of the Greatest Culinary Cities of the Arab World | Michelin Star Chef Mohammad Orfali
Chef Mohammad Orfali grew up in Aleppo and now runs Orfali Bros in Dubai, one of the region's most talked-about restaurants. He talks about the street food he grew up on, why he built a Michelin-starred kitchen that plays hip-hop, and how he cooks without alcohol while still making food that feels rich and complete. He also explains why home cooking matters to him, and why he refuses to cook the s
The Sudanese Kitchen | Omer Al Tijani
Discover an extensive amount of Sudanese dishes and ingredients (that you probably have never heard) shared by the author of The Sudanese Kitchen cookbook, who delves into them in nuanced detail. Sudan's culinary practices and history are extremely rich and diverse, changing from region to region in the country. This episode explores Sudanese food as a unique fusion cuisine, shaped by diverse cult
Exploring Omani & Zanzibari Food With Chef & Cookbook Author Dina Macki
In this episode of Matbakh, we're joined by Dina Macki, author of cookbook "Bahari: Recipes From an Omani Kitchen and Beyond," who shares insights into the unique flavors and culinary traditions of Omani and Zanzibari cuisines. Dina discusses her cultural heritage and diverse upbringing, and the intricate blend of spices and ingredients that define the dishes of Oman and Zanzibar. She dives into t
Palestinian Ingredients Through Time & Space | Fadi Kattan
This special episode of Matbakh is the first in a series of talks and special menu events called "dawaween al diwan" at restaurant, louf, in Toronto. Franco-Palestinian chef, Fadi Kattan, and Salma Serry, a doctoral researcher specializing in food history in West Asia and Egypt, dive into the heritage of Palestinian ingredients, histories behind key products, how they can be sourced and used local
Ziyad Ayass | Innovation & Nostalgia in F&B Startups
Join us for the second live episode of Matbakh in collaboration with What The Food, featuring Ziyad Ayass, the founder and managing partner of Wonder Restaurants, with Dubai F&B outlets like Ka'ak Al Manara – a Lebanese bakery specialising in kaak), and an upscale dining experience in the works which will be called Manaret Beirut. Guided by guest host Vanessa Zabi who is an entrepreneur in the foo
Leen Al Zaben | Building a Real Arab Culinary Community
Vanessa Zuabi interviews Leen Al Zaben in this one in two Matbakh special, recorded live on stage at What The Food by alserkal in Dubai. They discuss Leen's unexpected journey into the food industry, which began 15 years ago as a food blog and evolved into a full-blown career. The conversation touches on the importance of community-building through food, such as organizing food festivals that high
What Is Armenian Food? | Aline Kamakian
Over a shared meal at Mayrig restaurant in Beirut, we sit down with Aline Kamakian, the restaurant's creator, to discuss and get a taste of Armenia's rich food history and the diasporic evolution of what she calls this "cuisine of contrasts". Aline shares her own family's history and lived experiences of the Armenian genocide and expulsion, and her relationship to her adopted home of Lebanon, as s
The History of Coffee From Yemen to the World | Mokhtar Alkhanshali
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-coffeeMokhtar 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
How Did the Emirates Evolve Into a Food-Loving Country? | Sahar Parham Al Awadhi
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.Conn
Al-Tujibi's 13th Century Andalusian Cookbook | Daniel Newman
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
Iraqi-Jewish Food Culture & the Jews of Baghdad | Awafi Kitchen
This episode of Matbakh features Annabel "Nibal" and Sam Rabiyah, the sibling duo behind The Awafi Kitchen: a Boston-based pop-up culinary space dedicated to sharing Iraqi-Jewish food culture. This conversation looks at using food as a platform for holding onto culture, heritage and histories. The duo talks to us about Iraqi-Jewish recipes, the erasure of their community's history, and how they us
What the Mesopotamian Kitchen Passed On to Modern-Day Iraqi Food Traditions | Nawal Nasrallah
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",
Palestine & The Politics of Seed Preservation | Vivien Sansour
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 Vivi
The Voicenote Chef | Homesick Cooking & a Love Affair With Tabbouleh
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 vari
Arak-Making & the History of Vineyards in Lebanon | Ramzi Ghosn
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 Le
The Palestinian Home Cooking Community | Haya Bishouty
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 pe
Nadir Nahdi | Telling Global Stories Through Local Flavors
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 in
المطبخ النوبي بين الذاكرة والإبداع | محمد كمال
يتحدث الشيف محمد كمال عن أساليبه في الطهي النوبي في مصر وكيف يحافظ عليه بين الذاكرة والابداع.محمد كامل هو شيف نوبي متخصص في المأكولات النوبية الحديثة، يمزج تقاليد الماضي مع الأذواق والأساليب الحديثة. نظرًا لأن المطبخ النوبي غير معروف كثيرًا خارج المنطقة النوبية، يطمح كمال إلى الحفاظ على الثقافة حية من خلال تطوره في الأطباق التقليدية. كان أيضًا جزءًا من المنتخب الوطني للشيفات المصريين الذي حصل على
Egyptian Flavors, French Pastries | Farah Elcharkawy
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.Cre
Bringing Iraqi Food to the Mainstream | Philip Juma
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’ o
Food, Community & Social Justice | Reem Assil
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 commun
Future, Not Fusion, in Lebanese Food | Karim Haidar
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 t
Palestine on a Plate | Joudie Kalla
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 featu
Sami Zubaida | Ethnicity of Arab Food
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 Politic
Halal Food | Febe Armanios
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
Mediterranean Perception in Cookbooks | Claudia Roden
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. Beside
The Migrant Kitchen | Nasser Jaber
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-So
Ancient Egyptian Food | Mennat-Allah El Dorry
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 SerryEdited by: Ramzi RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/About Matbakh:Matbakh is a conversation
Mama Ghannouj | Dima Adra
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 trad
Bahraini Cuisine | Tala Bashmi
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
Eat Like a Sultan: Medieval Arab Cooking | Daniel Newman
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
A Movable (Arabesque) Feast | Reem Kassis
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.
The Evolution of Moroccan Cuisine | Nargisse Benkabbou
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 rea
Marketing Egyptian Cuisine | Moustafa Elrefaey
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
Medieval Arab Cookery | Charles Perry
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
The Palestinian Chef Behind Ottolenghi | Sami Tamimi
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 RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/About Matbakh
Egyptian Food on Social Media | Wesam Masoud
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 TahhanEdited by: Ramzi RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.insta
Celeriac Shawarma & Other Lebanese Roots at Noma, Copenhagen | Tarek Alameddine
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
Bethany Kehdy | Lebanese Cuisine From Baskinta to the World
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 RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tar
Souk El Tayeb | Kamal Mouzawak
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,
Anissa Helou | Feast: Food of the Islamic World & Other Cookbooks
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 RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www
Sumac & Cooking in Bethlahem | Fadi Kattan
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.Crea
Jameed and Other Jordanian Delicacies | Omar Sartawi
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 Muh
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