Issuu

nourish

or igins

origin [ӋыrѢdҊѢnz] : noun (also origins [plural])

1. The point or place where something begins. 2. The story before the story. The farm before the feast. The hands behind the dish. The place that shaped the person. The traditions we carry and the journeys that change them.

VISUAL PROLOGUE

From our producer’s farms in Spain to your table, meet the brothers behind our Spinneys brassicas on pages 50–55.

VISUAL PROLOGUE

A craft shaped by place, protected by provenance. Discover why PDO matters and the people, landscapes and traditions behind some of Europe’s most renowned food on pages 20–27.

VISUAL PROLOGUE

It all starts with the soil as the foundation for ﬂavour, nourishment and everything that grows at New Leaf on pages 65–70.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

13 editor’s note

T H O UG H T 20 the geography of taste From cheese to aged balsamic, discover how Europe’s PDO system safeguards culinary craftsmanship.

P EOP L E 81 onions: the history of a global superpower Trace the remarkable rise of the onion and how it quietly conquered the world’s cuisines.

50 brothers in farms Spanish producer Agromark has spent four decades carefully nurturing exceptional brassicas.

32 roots of ritual Explore food anthropology to reveal how cooking turns everyday eating into art, memory and care.

65 soul soil A son’s determination sparked a local farming revolution rooted in living soil and nutrition.

38 living archives Beyond the ‘doomsday vault’: global experts are reviving forgotten crops to reshape the future of food.

96 the quiet power of clay Meet three UAE ceramicists shaping local dining with bespoke stoneware and unexpected second careers.

116 the forever fruit Mapping olive oil’s journey from ancient groves to a thriving global, culture-rich industry. 140 from green to gold Continuing a craft, transforming milk into a product woven into our food and everyday rituals.

44 talk food Uncover how language limits our ability to describe, perceive and truly experience taste and smell.

158 the taste of a nation At BRIX, chef Carmen Rueda reimagines Emirati ingredients through a progressive culinary lens.

celebrations.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

FOOD 56 greener plates Explore the flavour and versatility of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage in four dishes.

J OU R NEYS 120 the art of dressing The key to a perfect dressing lies in mastering ratios – starting with extra virgin olive oil as its foundation.

162 fortress of plentitude How a historic Omani home in Muscat became a regional epicurean hub and boutique hotel.

129 which came first? Adding lightness and structure, the egg has become one of the kitchen’s most indispensable ingredients.

72 harvest to plate Make the most of the discovery by Spinneys salad mixes, herbs and edible flowers with five recipes.

142 the butter effect Richness, flavour, flakiness, silkiness – few ingredients influence the final result quite like butter.

174 custodians of the land Celebrating Himalayan heritage at boutique sanctuary Amaya and culinary destination, NAAR.

86 layers of flavour Four essential recipes highlighting the pantry’s most versatile ingredient: the onion.

184 one bite at a time Spend 48 hours dining through Tokyo with every detail handled by Emirates Holidays.

104 earth & fire Traditional earthenware unlocks deep flavour and tenderness in four slow-cooked mains.

L A S T BI TE 190 tokens of esteem Unpacking the ancient customs, history and art behind Japan’s iconic gift-giving rituals.

EDITOR’S NOTE

The start of something new bring new conversations to the table, challenge our thinking – and yours – while introducing exceptional writers, photographers, producers, farmers and chefs from our region and beyond. For our Årst issue, Origins, we explore the relationship between food and place through Europe’s PDO system; the importance of seeds; and look beneath our feet at soil, including how a UAE vertical farm combines modern growing methods with one of agriculture’s oldest foundations. We consider the rituals and language that have shaped how we eat, and ingredients with histories of their own: onions that have appeared in kitchens for centuries, clay as one of our earliest cooking vessels, and butter, an ancient food still bound to place, memory and craft. Those stories lead naturally into the kitchen, with recipes inspired by the ingredients we explore. Dip in and out: Ånd an easy weeknight salad, spend an afternoon cooking, or discover something special for a dinner party. Nothing is here simply to look beautiful; we want you to cook it. Then there are the people taking history somewhere new. At BRIX, chef Carmen Rueda looks to native Emirati ingredients and traditions; in Muscat, Dina Macki draws on Omani, Portuguese and Zanzibari inÆuences; while high in the Himalayas, Amaya and NAAR remind us that innovation can begin by listening to the land.

I’ve always loved the sense of possibility that comes with September. Growing up in the Southern Hemisphere, it meant spring: longer days, new growth and that feeling of change in the air. Here, in the UAE, it signals the return from summer, a new school year and the city coming back to life. Either way, it’s a moment to begin again.

This is only our beginning. There are stories still to discover, places to visit, people to meet and questions we have yet to ask. That, perhaps, is the most exciting part of starting something new.

Which makes it the perfect time to introduce the new Nourish.

So here’s to new beginnings, to knowing where we come from, and to being excited about where we go next.

At Spinneys, we believe food is everything. It is colour and joy, discovery and health, connection and care. It is a language we all speak, carrying meaning far beyond what is on our plates. As we explore that idea, we wanted a magazine with space to do the same: to tell longer stories,

We’re glad to have you with us.

CONTRIBUTORS

Katelyn Allegra Which came Årst? – pages 129-139 Katelyn is an award-winning food photographer, stylist and professionally trained chef, and founder of Ireland-based studio The Kate Tin. With 20 years’ experience across editorial, television and commercial food content, she creates images that capture how food looks – and feels.

Ben Roberts Cover image and brothers in farms – pages 50-55 Ben is a British photographer based in Madrid, crafting travel and documentary stories for international magazines and brands. Recent adventures span the Surinamese jungle and Kyrgyzstan’s World Nomad Games. O‫ٺ‬-duty, he can be found (or lost) orienteering in the forest.

Sarah-Jane Knox Roots of ritual – pages 32-36 Sarah-Jane is a Dublin-based freelance director and art director of 3D-animated children’s Ålms. An avid illustrator, she also develops television pitches and children’s book ideas. Her weekends are spent scouting co‫ٺ‬ee spots and micro-bakeries, sketchbook in hand.

Ali Al Ajmi Fortress of plentitude – pages 162-169 Ali is an Omani photographer and creative director working across photography, art direction and visual storytelling. Drawn to tactile, cinematic and unexpected imagery, he likes making things look good, asking too many questions and owning more Ålm cameras than necessary.

Contributing writers Jo Davey, Devina Divecha, Stephen Phelan

Contributing photographers Camilla Hylleberg, Aasiya Jagadeesh, Anna-Maria Nielson

W E N

Enhanced Water

HYDRATE BETTER

HYDRATE FASTER

nourish CEO Sunil Kumar General manager of commercial Tom Harvey General manager of marketing & e-commerce Warwick Gird Creative and content director Ti‫ٺ‬any Eslick Deputy content editor Karen D’Souza

Design Lead designer Emily Evans Senior designer Coleen Estoque Designer & video producer Francis Gacer

WRITE TO THE EDITOR ti‫ٺ‬any.e@spinneys.com

Digital Digital marketing manager Ankiet Gulabani Digital content manager Lynn Soubra Senior social media manager Rasha El Saleh Social media manager & food stylist Jordan Farrell

FIND US @spinneysuae @spinneysuae @spinneysuae @spinneys_uae

Content assistant Dianna Acibar

For more recipes, stories and shopping visit spinneys.com

This journal is produced by

Published on behalf of Spinneys Dubai LLC by

© 2026 Spinneys Dubai LLC Spinneys Dubai LLC and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, howsoever caused. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permission. When you have ﬁnished with this journal, please recycle it

RECIPE INDEX

breakfast & brunch 137 cream fried eggs 171 tikka masala shakshuka small plates & snacks 61 baby cauliflower & harissa lamb phyllo parcels 78 wasabi mustard salmon tostada 78 charred corn, chorizo and golden mix soft tacos 115 tiger’s milk ceviche with crispy quinoa 132 crunchy ramen noodle scotch eggs soup 89 five-onion soup

baked good & desserts 30 tarte tatin with crème fraîche 30 crème brûlée 115 lychee coconut flan 138 black and white tart 145 lemon cream posset 146 buttermilk scones 152 tropical Pavlova with raspberry curd

salads & sides 73 orange sumac spice mix fattoush with za’atar pinenuts 77 lemon salad with vibrant mix, shaved fennel and crispy quinoa chicken 88 ember-roasted onions with salmoriglio 93 pickled onion petal salad 113 quinoa harvest salad with miso tahini dressing 151 maroulosalata with yoghurt-marinated chicken thighs

drinks 77 burnt honey, sage and lemon balm fizz 125 iced coffee tonic 125 frozen Dubai mocha 126 passion fruit sparkling coffee 127 almond coffee semifreddo 154 iced matcha colada 155 blueberry pancake 156 strawberry fields 157 caramel karak with saffron foam

mains 29 quiche Lorraine 29 poulet à la Normande 57 romanesco romesco 59 olive oil poached salmon with grilled Fioretto and Murasaki 63 baby cabbage souvlaki 92 stuffed onions in miso butter sauce 105 Sri Lankan fish ambul thiyal 106 Tuscan coccio beans with beef sausage meatballs 108 chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives 111 Bedouin clay-baked lamb shoulder 113 coconut-poached fish with lemongrass broth 132 risotto carbonara 171 mango chutney-glazed chicken with wedge salad and tikka masala dressing 172 bbq tikka masala prawns with charred corn and lime sambal 172 tikka masala potato slab pie with mango chutney

condiments 121 basic dressing 122 smoky salmoriglio 122 bagna cauda dressing 122 chipotle lime dressing 123 za’atar tahini dressing 123 yellow capsicum chimichurri 123 hot honey mustard dressing 137 hot honey cured egg yolks 144 home-made butter 148 whipped butter tower

RECIPES

Commitment to culture A century after the Chatzakos family arrived in Greece from Eastern Thrace, dairy making remains a family a‫ٺ‬air. What began in a small Thessaloniki galaktopoleio (dairy shop) is now carried forward by the third generation at Mevgal, where Spinneysfood Authentic Greek Yoghurt is made. Each morning, milk arrives from farms across Macedonia, an area founder Konstantin Chatzakos chose for its pastures and proximity to the dairy, before being cultured and strained using a process rooted in Greek tradition. The result is the thick, creamy texture and gently tangy character that deÅnes Greek yoghurt.

THOUGHT

the geog raphy of taste

THOUGHT

Behind wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano and Roquefort, blocks of authentic Greek feta and barrels of traditional balsamic vinegar lie centuries of history. Europe’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system safeguards the origins, craftsmanship and traditions that keep those stories alive. Written by Stephen Phelan | Photography by Camilla Hylleberg and Katelyn Allegra

THOUGHT

This spread, from top left Traditional balsamic vinegar can only be made using the must of Trebbiano, Lambrusco or Ancellotta grapes; Roquefort’s royal charter of 1411 granted exclusive production rights to local cheesemakers, laying the foundations for what would become today’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system. | Previous spread Wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano mature under strict Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) rules.

that these items were made a certain way, in a certain place and to a certain standard. “PDO is above all a framework that deÅnes the product itself,” says Julia De Castro of the French National Council for Dairy Designations of Origin (CNAOL).

King Charles VI did not achieve much of a lasting signiÅcance in his long and turbulent reign over medieval France. A few modest early successes were mostly undone by later bouts of psychosis that once caused him to attack his own troops. Dairy farmers, cheesemongers and lovers of Åne foods still hold a place in their hearts for “Charles the Mad”, however, as he was also the Årst ruler to pay proper respect and attention to the regional produce of his domain.

“It sets out strict speciÅcations regarding origin, raw materials, farming practices and production methods, which ensures that the product remains genuinely linked to its terroir and to local know-how.” In a way, and especially in the context of Gallic dairy culture, the EU has essentially adopted a concept that dates right back to the Årst royal seals stamped on wheels of Roquefort.

His charter of 1411 gave exclusive rights to the artisans of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as o‫ٻ‬cially licensed makers of that commune’s distinctive blue sheep’s cheese, matured in caves outside the village. Since known as “King of Cheeses”, Roquefort might be considered the abiding ancestor of what we now call Protected Designation of Origin (PDO): the modern system that extends similar rules and regulations to a wealth of products across the European Union.

“PDO is the modern continuation of a long French tradition,” says Julia. “Many regional cheeses have been governed for centuries by local customs, written rules and collective standards agreed between producers. The idea that a cheese must be made in a speciÅc way, from milk produced locally and according to shared practices, is deeply rooted in French rural history. So, the PDO system did not impose something artiÅcial; it formalised and protected something that already existed… a collective cultural heritage.”

Meats, breads, butters, honeys, oils, nuts, tomatoes, potatoes, spices such as sa‫ٺ‬ron and paprika… from the vineyards of central Spain to the Åsheries of coastal Sweden, an ever-growing continental bounty of comestibles has come under PDO protection since the programme was introduced in 1992 (soon after the Maastricht Treaty brought the EU itself into existence).

Before 1992, she admits, the situation was somewhat “fragmented”, across regional and national borders. Growers and sellers in distinct geographic areas had their own problems assuring customers of quality and

In France alone, some 700 regional delicacies now bear that stamp of approval, which e‫ٺ‬ectively assures the buyer 22

THOUGHT

This spread, from left Every barrel of traditional balsamic vinegar is monitored as it matures, preserving the authenticity and production methods protected under PDO; Spinneys producer Roussas still matures its feta in beechwood barrels, crafted by the few remaining artisanal coopers of Anillo village, balancing ancient traditions with modern production.

authenticity, especially where less scrupulous operators were selling cheap and inferior knock-o‫ٺ‬s of the real thing.

replicate the old handmade processes essential to PDO products, as we have done by use of automatic coagulation in our feta-making.”

Across the Med in Greece, for example, not everyone was abiding by the ancient recipes. According to Greek legend, that food had been a gift to mortals from the gods of Mount Olympus, and the long tradition of nomadic Sarakatsani farmers had dictated that feta be formulated on a baseline ratio of 70% sheep’s milk to 30% goat’s milk. Before the PDO system was introduced, however, “some producers were even making it with cow’s milk and still calling it feta,” says Yannis Terpitsas, business development manager for Roussas Dairy in Thessaly – a family business directly descended from tribal shepherds.

As Yannis sees it, the system ensures that the cheese remains essentially the same, even as the tools of the trade keep changing with the times. And so, the Roussas still mature their feta in beechwood barrels supplied by the few remaining artisanal coopers of Anillo village, high in the Pindus Mountains, while also deploying state-of-the-art pasteurisation units, sustainable packaging tech and a Æeet of trucks with chilled container tanks for transporting sheep’s milk. “Feta and Greece are synonymous,” says Yannis. “And provenance is a key driver of consumer choice. PDO clearly safeguards this.” In his business, he has found that 30-plus years of the PDO system have educated shoppers to look for the corresponding label “as a mark of authenticity”. This is not necessarily the case for every product that bears the same stamp.

This is not to say that those percentages were ever set in stone. While PDO rules allow for up to 35% goat milk in the mix, the Roussas keep theirs down to about 7%, having found that it makes the feta less sour and more agreeable on the palate, and easier to sell for that reason, especially in markets unused to the taste. And while they still stick to what Yannis calls the “ancient ways” as far as possible when manufacturing at industrial scale, PDO doesn’t bind producers to the past either, especially when it comes to today’s rigorous hygiene and safety standards.

Take the balsamic vinegar of Modena, Italy, for example, which is home-brewed in wood barrels across the rooftops of the city, using grapes drawn from the surrounding vineyards of the Emilia-Romagna region. PDO status was awarded to the delicacy in 2000, along with the slightly less stringent certiÅcation PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), which often allows at least one part of the production process to occur outside the designated area.

“Traditional methods and modern technology do not exclude each other,” he says. “Automation can often 25

THOUGHT

This spread, from top left Traditional balsamic vinegar is aged in residue-rich batteria – sets of barrels made from woods including oak, chestnut and juniper, each helping shape its distinctive character; the coopers of Anillo village continue to hand-build the beechwood barrels essential to the traditional maturation of authentic Greek feta.

of where their food is coming from, as so many residents of the UAE were born and raised abroad, and are so often shopping for favourites sourced straight from their own homelands.

According to Enrico Gatti, export manager of Grupo Olitalia, “the former remains something of a niche corner of the market, while the latter is more commonly seen on the shelves.” The average shopper, however, doesn’t really seem to know or care about the di‫ٺ‬erence.

The Spinneysfood selection is duly abundant in PDO products and similarly origin-focused goods, while the wider range extends to English clotted cream, South African rooibos and Vietnamese Åsh sauce. The European Union is not the only territory to respect and protect its own wares in the global marketplace of course, and other corners of the world have somewhat comparable systems in e‫ٺ‬ect. PDO is something special though, says CNAOL’s Julia, listing o‫ ٺ‬its beneÅts to “rural economies, sustainable farming models, biodiversity and the transmission of traditional skills”. She adds, “It’s not only about taste, it’s about meaning and responsibility.”

“CertiÅcation is certainly a guarantee for consumers in terms of origin and production methods,” says Enrico, “but unfortunately ignorance on the subject is quite widespread.” Even so, Olitalia has since built a hugely successful modern brand on ancient artisanal traditions – the Roman Empire had medicinal uses for boiled vinegar and balsamic became a symbol of family wealth in medieval Modena, often gifted in the dowries of aristocratic brides. PDO now enshrines the speciÅc concoction as using only the “must” of Trebbiano, Lambrusco or Ancellotta grapes, which are crushed and juiced before boiling to concentrations between 30% and 50%, and then aged in residue-rich barrels known as batteria, of varying sizes and wood types – oak, chestnut, juniper. “AÅcionados, and especially chefs, will accept nothing less, and it’s a lot harder to fake the good stu‫ ٺ‬than it used to be,” says Enrico.

From an EU perspective, she continues, the system has given rise to a kind of positive paradox, in that sharing regulations across many member states has also strengthened each individually. “By building a common framework, it helps protect local identity.” And this can only mean more of course, in such a globalised world. “Yes, and this may be PDO’s most important role today. In a food system where products can feel anonymous, PDO reconnects consumers with the idea of provenance. It reminds them that food is not just a commodity: it comes from a place, a landscape, a climate, a farm, a people.”

“PDO balsamic vinegar is exclusively packaged in Giugiaro bottles by the consortium, and each has a unique guarantee seal that makes fraud and counterfeiting more easy to detect than with other products.” It may well be that Spinneys customers are especially attuned to the question

•

THOUGHT

ADVERTORIAL

la vie en crème

From Normandy kitchens to pâtisseries across France, premium cream has long been the secret to silky sauces, delicate pastries and unforgettable desserts. 28

ADVERTORIAL

quiche Lorraine

poulet à la Normande

250g shortcrust pastry

1.5kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks

175g beef bacon

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt

1 brown onion, peeled and chopped

Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground

125g Gruyère cheese, grated

40g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter

2 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs

6 shallots, peeled and halved lengthways

250ml Elle & Vire Excellence Cooking Cream

2 sprigs Spinneysfood Fresh Thyme

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt

1 Spinneysfood Bay Leaf

Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground

400ml non-alcoholic dry cider

serves 8

serves 4

1 tbsp Spinneysfood Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly Æoured surface then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

20g Spinneysfood Salted Butter

Line the base and sides of a 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin with parchment paper and weigh it down with baking beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake the empty case for a further 10 minutes, or until the base is lightly browned.

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

3 firm Pink Lady Apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths 200ml Elle & Vire Excellence Cooking Cream

Heat the unsalted butter in a large heavy-based casserole over a medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down Årst, and cook for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly golden. Set aside on a plate.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, gas mark 4.

Add the shallots to the casserole and cook gently for 5–7 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Pour in the non-alcoholic cider and apple cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Place a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the beef bacon for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the cooled pastry case. Leave the juices in the pan. Place the chopped onion in the same pan and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes or until golden. Add to the pastry case and sprinkle over the cheese.

Return the chicken to the casserole, skin-side up. The liquid should come approx. halfway up the chicken. Cover with a lid and simmer gently over a low heat for 35–40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt and pepper, then pour into the pastry case.

Meanwhile, melt the salted butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the apple wedges in a single layer and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until lightly golden and just tender. They should still hold their shape. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and just set. Serve with a simple salad.

Remove the chicken to a warm serving platter and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Increase the heat beneath the casserole and simmer the cooking liquid for 5–8 minutes until reduced slightly. Stir in the cream and simmer gently for a further 2–3 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Return the chicken to the casserole and gently nestle the cooked apple wedges into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes, just until the apple wedges are heated through.

Elle & Vire Excellence Cooking Cream With 35% fat and a low reduction rate, this cooking cream

Serve with green beans and a crusty baguette on the side.

lifts and adds depth to sauces, mains and desserts.

ADVERTORIAL

tarte tatin with crème fraîche

crème brûlée

200g Spinneysfood Fine Grain Sugar

400ml Elle & Vire Whipping Cream

60g Spinneysfood Salted Butter

1 vanilla pod, split

1 vanilla pod, split and scraped

4 large egg yolks

4 apples, peeled, halved and cored (Pink Lady, Honeycrisp,

80g Spinneysfood Fine Caster Sugar, plus extra for topping

serves 6

serves 4

and/or Granny Smith)

Preheat the oven to 140°C, gas mark 1. Prepare a deep roasting tray with boiling water and place 4 x 100ml ramekins inside.

400g puff pastry

to serve Président Crème Fraîche

In a small saucepan, heat the cream along with the vanilla pod and seeds to just below boiling point.

Melt the sugar in a 25cm cast-iron pan over a medium-low heat, so that it melts evenly, but don’t stir it until at least half the sugar has melted and beginning to caramelise. Once this happens stir it and continue to cook until most, if not all, the sugar has melted.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl until pale and thick. Pour the warm cream into the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Strain through a sieve and divide between the ramekins.

Add the butter and vanilla pod and give it a good stir. Then add the apples. Cook over a medium-low heat until the apples are well caramelised, moving them around in the sugar to make sure they are cooking evenly. Once cooked, remove from the heat and prepare the pu‫ ٺ‬pastry crust.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre wobbles slightly. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7.

When ready to serve, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each custard, then brûlée using a blowtorch. Alternatively, preheat the oven grill to its highest setting and place the custards under the grill for 2–3 minutes until the sugar has caramelised.

Roll out the pu‫ ٺ‬pastry to 5cm beyond the width of the pan. (The pastry will rise and shrink in width, so be sure it is large enough.) Drape the rolled out pastry over the cooked apples and tuck it in around the edges. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the juices are thick. Invert the tarte tatin onto a serving plate. If any of the caramel is left in the pan, add a splash of water and deglaze it. Pour the caramel over the tart. Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche.

Président Crème Fraîche

Elle & Vire Whipping Cream

A rich, cultured cream with a mild tanginess, crème

Smooth, stable and high in fat (35%), this cream is ideal

fraîche pairs perfectly with fresh berries and tarts.

for delicate mousses, chantilly cream and pastries.

ADVERTORIAL

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or FranceAgrimer. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

THOUGHT

Ro o t s of ritual

THOUGHT

Whether we are recreating a grandmother’s cake or documenting a meal on social media, our relationship with food is rarely just about subsistence. We delve into the world of food anthropology to discover how our kitchens became sites of “culinary kinship”, turning the mundane act of eating into a powerful expression of care, memory and art. Written by Jo Davey | Illustrations by Sarah-Jane Knox

When the public watched Seamus’ experiment unfold, with his Bonne Maman jar of artefactual yeast, it wasn’t simply scientiÅc inquiry that had them enthralled. It was another moment of communion, this time with a pair of weathered hands from 5,000 years ago, which shaped and pounded dough as their Åery pit oven added to the Egyptian heat.

Six years ago, as COVID-19 lockdowns settled into a strange routine, many of us turned to our kitchens. The wholesome, homely smell of bread Ålled entire apartment buildings: swirled out in nostalgic, yeasted plumes from townhouses and villas alike. Online, chefs and YouTubers, historians and celebrities, all surrendered to the lure of the loaf. For just a moment, half the world found a crumb of peace and communion in the simple act of baking.

OZIQV XW_MZ

“There’s something so grounding about just getting your hands in there,” explains David Sutton. “But also when people were baking during COVID, they were making sourdough starters – making something alive.” David is a Professor of Food Anthropology at Southern Illinois University, who studies the cultural, social and historical signiÅcance of food.

Food anthropology isn’t all about bread and grains, but they are some of the most telling archaeological Ånds. Christine Hastorf, Professor Emerita at UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, is a paleoethnobotanist: she studies ancient human-plant interactions, and it’s exactly as niche as it sounds. Yet, grains in particular have played an extraordinary role in our history.

We often forget just how much our food reÆects the present moment: how it shapes our lives, identities and community. The pandemic became a time of culinary kinship for many of us: baking became a way to reach out across the lonely rift and feel the brush of Æoury Ångers reaching back.

Humanity’s shift from hunter-gatherers to farmers happened relatively recently, and from it sprung settlements, population booms, civilisations, animal domestication, tool development, food surplus, social hierarchy, politics, economies and governments. Incredibly, all of this can be read in the subtle shifts of grains and bones.

Å VLQVO P]UIVQ\a There’s no better epitome of that surreal, sourdoughed era than the headline “Xbox inventor bakes ‘nerd’ bread using 4,500-year-old yeast”. Seamus Blackley, an amateur Egyptologist, games console inventor and home baker, teamed up with an archaeologist and a microbiologist to revive yeast spores lying dormant in ancient vessels housed in museums. His aim was to create a modern-day, ancient Egyptian loaf. It would be easy to dismiss Seamus as the extraneous member of this academic trio, but he brought a muchneeded human focus to their adventure. Food archaeology has tended to neglect the human – it speaks of and interprets our ancestors’ food as ‘subsistence’ and ‘species’ rather than communal meals, favourite Æavours and ingredients. It inadvertently draws a line between us – that they ate for survival, while we eat for pleasure – when really our predecessors loved food just like we do. 33

THOUGHT

it sold 150,000 copies on its Årst day. It doesn’t matter if it’s 60, 600 or 6,000 years ago, we’re willing to go to great lengths to recreate bygone dishes.

Christine’s work isn’t always about the seminal moments; she likes to unearth the individual stories from the dirt, too. “Food archaeology lets us get below the skin,” she explains. “It can show the timing and tempo of people taking up an ingredient or style of cooking. That says a lot, not just about identity but how people make decisions about what they like, how they value things. It’s more personal.”

“We have this desire for the past,” explains David, “but we mostly experience it through words and images: reading books, watching TV. There’s an excitement in getting a more holistic, sensory experience of what it was like to smell the past. What it was like to taste the past.”

M^MZaWVM MI\[

Though we show an enduring interest in food, it has taken a long time for academia to catch up. Food has often been overlooked or diminished as an area of human study, seen as mundane women’s work – but food’s quotidian nature is its strength. It’s universal; everybody has to eat.

So what is it about historic ingredients, recipes and cuisines that fascinate us? Many look to the distant past as a rosy, organic time before the introduction of the ultra-processed, sugary, homogenised foods that plague today’s diet. However, a yearning for better ingredients doesn’t explain the popularity of vintage recipe cookbooks such as B. Dylan Hollis’ Baking Yesteryear.

Food forms a continuous line throughout human history: a connection to both our ancestors and descendants. It’s so integral to us that in our wildest imaginings of other worlds, in sci-Å and fantasy Åction, it’s near impossible to Ånd one where food is no longer necessary.

The book curates everyday American recipes from the 1900s to the 1980s, in all their powdered sugar, food colouring, g, jjellied meat gglory. y A New York Times Best Seller,

UMUWZa IVL ZQ\]IT Not all food stories are buried beneath the sand and soil. David has spent decades researching the connection between food and memory on the Greek Aegean island of Kalymnos. Here, food is an intrinsic part of life, remembrance and rituals. The Orthodox Christians on Kalymnos don’t have one funeral when someone dies. Instead, the deceased gets seven memorial ceremonies in the Årst year and another each subsequent year. Kollyva, a traditional sweet made primarily with boiled wheat berries, is integral to this commemoration. The wheat berries, which are symbolic of death and renewal, are mixed with raisins, sugar, almonds and pomegranate seeds then placed in front of the 34

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a feast for the i

deceased’s photo as if they are o‫ٺ‬ering it up to their guests. In Kalymnos, generosity is considered the most important value a person can have, so even at their own funerals, the dead feed you.

Food has proven an immensely powerful, collective identity creator, but it’s hugely inÆuential on an individual level, too, particularly today when food and eating have become an all-consuming Åxation.

Here, memorial food isn’t just for special occasions. Simply eating a Åg from a departed loved one’s tree is a kind of active, everyday remembrance: an extension of that relationship beyond death. This isn’t unique to this little island; we do the same when we bake a cake using a much-missed grandmother’s recipe, or make a beloved father’s favourite meal.

People are now obsessed with what they eat, how they eat and how it’s prepared. It’s a recognition that food changes us in a way no clothes, plastic surgery, tattoos, high heels or hair transplants can. Regardless of where you came from, you can eat yourself into a new body and identity. Today’s wealth of diets also acts as an identiÅer, much like cultural cuisine can. It deÅnes you as one thing rather than another – vegetarian rather than meat-eater, vegan rather than omnivore – and, unlike a hobby or career, your diet is a daily a‫ٻ‬rmation.

“The relationship of food and caring is pretty much universal,” says David. “If we’re going to express care, either directly or in more symbolic ways, food is one of the forms it’s going to take.”

food as art

“You’re constantly renewing your identity through eating because you have to,” states Christine. “Else you’re going to starve. It really is the ‘you are what you eat’ adage.”

Ever since we Årst made pigment, we’ve felt the need to capture food and its symbolism through art. Some of our earliest cave paintings depict scenes of hunting, though it’s not always clear if they were symbolic or functional, and if the animals were even eaten. In 2021, however, researchers discovered cave paintings in Castellote, northeast Spain, which deÅnitively depict food. They show an individual climbing a rope ladder to collect honey from a beehive, some 7,500 years ago.

The adage ‘you are what you eat’ is far truer than we ever gave it credit for. Food has never just been about subsistence. Over the millennia we have considered it a vessel for memory, an art form and artwork, a symbol, a springboard and an identity. Most of all, it’s our key to forming meaningful connections, whether we’re recreating an ancient baker’s loaf in lockdown, blowing out candles on a birthday cake, or weighing the di‫ٺ‬erence between a co‫ٺ‬ee date and dinner date. Food remains a comforting daily reminder in a dizzying world that some things don’t change.

From there, food has painted its way into Ancient Egyptian tombs and Pompeiian snack-bar menus. It’s graced Aztec sculptures of the maize goddess Chicomecoatl, Persian miniature paintings with spices as pigments, Arcimboldo’s disconcerting vegetable portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II titled Vertumnus. We’ve had Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, Kahlo’s Viva la Vida, Watermelons, Ai Weiwei’s politically charged SunÆower Seeds. Then, of course, there’s Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, the ultimate depiction of relatable, everyday culture.

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Much like Christine’s grains, artworks have inadvertently and intentionally documented social change through food. The 16th century Dutch and Flemish still lifes are hugely symbolic as they democratised art. There was no need for expensive models: anyone with food to hand like women and poorer folk could show their talents. The food itself held meaning, too. If exotic and expensive, like lobster, it signiÅed the owner’s luxurious lifestyle, whether real or imagined. Some critics think our artistic fascination with food lies in its impermanence and fragility. We see our mortality in food’s transience and seek to immortalise even the most commonplace meals. Today, we disparage those taking photos of food to share on social media, but they’re partaking in a human compulsion and grand tradition that’s aeons old. 36

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living archives

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the resulting grains (known as NERICA, or New Rice for Africa) are credited with lifting eight million people out of poverty and food insecurity throughout the continent.

Behind the Arctic’s famous ‘doomsday vault’ lies a global network of scientists, farmers and chefs working to revive forgotten crops, preserve biodiversity and reshape the future of food.

Luis can cite promising developments coming out of the worldwide network of genebanks run by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) – feats of agro-engineering that now produce sunÆowers with downturned heads that birds can’t get at so easily, or wheat that grows just short enough that the wind across the plains can’t knock it down. He says, “A lot of work has been done on biofortiÅcation, making crops better nutritionally by crossing the ones with more zinc, or more beta-carotene. We’ve done that with cassava, with beans, with sweet potato, and it’s all thanks to diversity.”

Written by Stephen Phelan

Much of this sounds like weird science practised in laboratories, and genebank hybrids might remain merely clever experiments if they don’t produce something scalable and sellable. Out in the Åeld there is the critical question of what works for farmers, especially in areas now seeing unprecedented droughts and Æoods.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has apocalyptic appeal – a cold storage unit for essential crops, half-buried in the ice near the North Pole. It is often described as a “doomsday bunker” and pictured in science-Åction terms: the remote base from which scientists in spacesuits might take what they need to re-seed the ravaged Earth. “I can see where people get that idea,” says Luis Salazar of The Crop Trust, the NGO that helps coordinate crop diversity.

This is where so-called “opportunity crops” come in, as genebanks produce new and improved variations on staple fruits, grains and vegetables that are resistant to heat, pests and diseases. Peach palm in Colombia, cowpea in Zambia, horse gram in India, jackfruit in Uganda… many such seeds are being tweaked and tested to compensate for recent under-utilisation, often because the resulting foods are tricky to cook, or harder to sell because of perception issues. In some cases supermarkets didn’t like the look of them, or some other vagary of globalised trade caused them to fall out of fashion. Certain dormant foods are being brought back to life in zones where new trials suggest they perform better in tough conditions than anything the farmers have raised within living memory.

“It’s in the Arctic, under a mountain and the architecture makes you think about the place a certain way. But it also sends the wrong message. Yes, we store 28,000 varieties of maize there, 40,000 varieties of beans, but they’re not necessarily edible, and you’re not going to grab them and start the world again. We want them for their genetic traits, and the options they give us for adapting our agriculture and improving the food we eat.” Apart from being defeatist, says Luis, Åxating on worst-case scenarios can divert attention from the urgent task of ensuring food security and the positive advances being made to that end. Operating from its HQ in Bonn, Germany, The Crop Trust is a key player in related projects. And while fortress facilities such as Svalbard capture the public imagination, “the real work is happening at genebanks, because they’re not just safeguarding this material, they’re sharing it.”

“I mean, this is their livelihood, right?” says Luis. “They’ll grow whatever pays the best and takes the least e‫ٺ‬ort. That’s why you get a lot of wheat and maize farmed around the world, to the detriment of other crops that might grow better in these lands. It could be barley or Ånger millet. And they are slowly making a comeback because there is now an opportunity in the market, but you need to raise awareness, you need the food sector interested.”

The AfricaRice genebank, for example, is sited at a research station in the Côte d’Ivoire village of M’bé, and houses more than 20,000 rice seed samples. Among its stores are genetic hybrids that splice the high-yield traits of Asian varieties with the resilience of African strains, and

What might draw that attention is another science-Åction notion: that future harvests might rise from seeds of 39

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Previous spread The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, buried deep within the Arctic permafrost, safeguards more than a million seed samples from around the world, preserving the genetic diversity future agriculture may depend on. | This spread, from far left Chef Virgilio Martínez champions Peru’s biodiversity – bringing forgotten native crops and indigenous ingredients back to the table through his cooking; finger millet is returning to fields as a climate-resilient grain, thriving in harsh conditions while helping restore crop diversity; the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens safeguards wild plant seeds, supporting conservation, research and future crop resilience; heirloom potato varieties preserve the genetic diversity needed to strengthen future food security – while keeping traditional flavours alive.

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the distant past. “If we have them, there is always the possibility of using them,” says Luis. Many historical varieties have already vanished. Humans have gathered seeds since the dawn of agriculture, but formal scientiÅc collections began in the late 19th century and took on greater urgency during the Green Revolution, when arable landscapes were blanketed with new high-yield, disease-resistant crops. “This meant spreading a single genotype over a wide area,” says John Dickie, Head of Seed and Lab-based Collections at the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) in London’s Kew Gardens. “There was concern that genetic diversity would be lost to these new varieties.” At around the same time, plant biologists began to think that seeds could have “considerable longevity… tens or hundreds of years”, if kept dry and cool.

Exploring his country from the Amazon basin to the upper slopes of the Andes, Virgilio’s recent activism is geared toward creating what he calls a “Perutopia”. He promotes abundance through Ånding rare or remote indigenous ingredients to use in his kitchen, while underlining to his diners, followers and viewers of his NetÆix documentary Virgilio, how much has been lost since the time of the Incas. As to the future of food, he believes it depends on encouraging people to eat local and return to certain plant species that are now so forgotten as to taste entirely unfamiliar: “It’s very simple. It’s something we know already – going back to our roots and to nature. We have what we need in front of us, we just don’t want to see it.

The MSB’s moisture-proof lockboxes and cryo-freezers contain dried seeds of plants now e‫ٺ‬ectively extinct, including the Æowering plant Interrupted Brome, formerly common to Southern English gardens but unseen in the wild since 1972. But, as with Svalbard, there’s a lendinglibrary element to the project, by which account-holding nations make withdrawals to research or replenish crops. West African banana plantations were recently scourged by Tropical Race 4, and the MSB’s reserves of wild banana seeds have been deployed to help “breed out susceptibility to that fungus”. “These are the nuts and bolts of conservation,” says John, “and it’s not just about biology. It’s philosophy, politics, economics. When it comes to climate change, food security, water security, there will be plant-based solutions and that is what we do.” The work isn’t always so dramatic, and his time is taken up with funding and research grants. “Public engagement can help us in that capacity,” he says.

And when it comes to how one consumer can contribute toward food security, he believes it can be as simple as being curious and adventurous in your purchases. “When people travel to Japan, or India, they eat all sorts of new things in a way they don’t at home. But if you grab a recipe, Ånd out what’s in season and use this weird vegetable grown 40 kilometres away that the supermarket is trying out to see how it sells, you’re basically helping preserve diversity.” The stakes are high, he reminds us, and the challenges are immense, “but there is also a component of enjoyment to this.”

At consumer level, people are catching on faster in some cultures. In Peru, chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz, whose Lima restaurant Central was ranked best in the world in 2023, has helped make crop diversity a subject of fascination. “We cook ecosystems,” he has said, “and there is no shortage of native ingredients to play with. We have hundreds of types of peppers, chillies, potatoes, corn, quinoa…”

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Facing page, clockwise from top left Conserved cowpea varieties help identify seeds better suited to local conditions, improving crop resilience for farmers; scientists at ICRISAT, India, study diverse lentil varieties to identify traits that improve resilience and productivity; the AfricaRice Seed Bank in M’bé, Côte d’Ivoire, conserves more than 20,000 rice seed samples to support breeding programmes across Africa; maize varieties conserved by the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center provide the genetic diversity needed to develop crops for a changing climate.

Photography by Gustavo Vivanco, Michael Major, Neil Palmer and supplied

“And when we accept the unease of ingesting something we have no reference for in our minds, I guess this is the basic form of learning.” Luis says much the same thing. He, too, has been to the Peruvian Andes, and seen local farmers grow 400 kinds of potatoes for their own consumption. “They know which to peel and eat in the Åeld, which to put in water, which to put underground and cook with Åre… so there’s all these culinary aspects to them, too.”

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ta l k food

English excels at colour and sound, yet fails at flavour. We uncover how language limits our ability to describe, perceive and truly experience taste and smell.

Written by Jo Davey | Illustrations by Sarah-Jane Knox

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about beef ? We similarly fall down when it comes to aroma. We don’t have a word for that strong odour Åsh gives o‫ ٺ‬as it begins to age: it’s simply ‘Åshy’.

The other day, as I snuck my godchild sweets behind his mother’s back, he popped a sour one into his small mouth. His face immediately scrunched up, eyes full of adorable betrayal, and he spat it out with the word ‘spicy’.

In a 2017–18 study on linguistic coding of the senses, a team of linguists led by Asifa Majid, Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Oxford and a leading researcher in language, culture and cognition, investigated how speakers of 20 diverse languages described vision, taste, touch, smell and hearing. English scored spectacularly low when it came to smell and taste codability; conversely, colour-poor Umpila was rated highest for describing smells.

At two-and-a-half, he could be forgiven for confusing the words ‘spicy’ and ‘sour’. After all, both produce similarly sharp sensations. He’s a toddler who doesn’t have quite the right word to describe his taste experience. What he doesn’t yet know is that, as an English speaker, that’s going to be a lifelong problem. In the hierarchy of the senses, Westerners tend to value vision and hearing most of all, and our language reÆects that. English, for example, has a huge and exacting vocabulary to describe what we see – a beautifully ornate, little, old, grey, stainless-steel serving spoon, for example. We have a wealth of onomatopoeia for sound. Instruments can veritably crash, boom, honk, toot and plink away, and English speakers will largely know which is doing which.

Much like my sweet-toothed godchild, English speakers can’t easily identify what we’re tasting and smelling – and those same questions then arise. Do we value those senses as much as other cultures? And if we can’t even identify them, how well do we really understand and perceive Æavour?

The extent to which speakers of a language agree on a word for something – a consensus on a sound, colour or smell – is called ‘codability’. The fact that a musical ‘bang’ makes us all think ‘drum’ denotes high codability, and it’s something English does remarkably well when it comes to sound and vision. Other languages aren’t quite so comprehensive in these two arenas. Umpila, a critically endangered Aboriginal Australian language, has just three colour words: red (pulpanchi), black (thungku) and white (pulpichi). The remainder of the rainbow is simply unnamed. When Umpila speakers were presented with an 80-shade colour chart in a study by linguist Clair Hill, the vast majority were left unlabelled. Some speakers tried to Åll in the gaps using objects from daily life: lips, night-time, Æower, shooting star, carpet snake. These are called ‘source-based’ descriptors, and they’re fascinating – beautiful, even – but far from objective. To English speakers, with their cascade of magenta, teal, crimson, viridian and taupe, having only three colour terms seems unfathomable. It also raises di‫ٻ‬cult questions, particularly about how little importance the culture places on colour, and how well Umpila speakers even perceive it. Keep that in mind, then, when we turn to taste and smell, because this is where English starts to give up the linguistic ghost. Much like the Umpila speakers using objects to name colour, English speakers primarily use foods to describe Æavours. We call things salty, cheesy, meaty, creamy, lemony, fruity and herbal. What, then, does cream taste like? How 45

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aren’t set in stone, however. Umami was accepted into the pantheon only in 1985 and, in 2023, researchers reported evidence suggesting a possible sixth taste – the rather less catchy ammonium chloride. Other languages have far more building blocks in their taste lexicon. Take Lao, the highest rated for taste codability in Majid’s study. Alongside the Åve basic tastes, Lao has seven ‘Æavour’ words encompassing textural and sensation dimensions. In a 2011 paper, Nicholas EnÅeld found Laotians reliably identiÅed caang (not salty enough, bland), hùn (hot, minty), khùùn (biting, tingly), faat (chalky, dry in the mouth), phêt (spicy, hot), man (oily, starchy, rich) and khêt (causing a so-called ‘itch in the teeth’ from certain sour foods). English speakers do have their own abstract Æavour words – those created to ‘capture’ the property, like astringent – but they’re uncommon and used with far less consensus. We simply don’t have a single term for other Æavours. Faat, for example, is an everyday Æavour in Laos; in English, we might describe it as the Æavour of unripe bananas.

a question of taste

What’s really interesting about Nicholas’ research is how Lao speakers discern these Æavours. He recounts hearing them use abstract terms like caang (not salty enough, bland) to describe foods he found ‘so overwhelmingly spicy’ he couldn’t distinguish any component Æavours. Even if he had the words, he didn’t have the ability to detect them.

Flavour is generally considered a combination of taste and smell. Yes, the look, sound and mouthfeel a‫ٺ‬ect our enjoyment of a meal, but chemically it comes down to the two, and languages love to confuse them.

The further down this linguistic rabbit hole you go, the more it starts to feel like a chicken-and-egg situation (both, one imagines, easily described as caang). Do I not have the words because I can’t taste the Æavour, or can I not taste the Æavour because I don’t have the words?

It’s often touted that smell accounts for around 80% of our Æavour experience. There’s no evidence to support this stubborn number, but we do know it plays a large part. Most researchers agree the more intricate dimensions of taste – those meaty, Æoral, smoky and fruity notes – primarily come from our noses.

scent and sensibility

“Taste and smell don’t necessarily function in the same way in language,” explains Asifa. “English has basic taste words (e.g. sweet, sour, bitter) but is more limited in smell vocabulary in everyday discourse.”

Although there are outliers, generally smell is poorly coded across the linguistic board. Of all the senses studied by Asifa et al., smell was the most likely to have ‘evaluative’ descriptions: nice, horrid, pleasant. Its interpretation is far less objective, more subjective.

For example, Farsi, Cantonese and Lao all show high codability for describing tastes, but not smells. Majid points out these languages are spoken in places that place a high cultural value on cuisine. Their dishes are also sophisticated when it comes to balancing aromatics and Æavour. In short, it’s possible a highly nuanced, highly valued cuisine results in an equally nuanced language.

The science behind olfactory Æavours is rich, dizzying and rather fun, but at a basic level we perceive smells in two ways, depending on airÆow. Think of it as preceding eating (inhale), or accompanying it (exhale).

English sticks to the Åve familiar tastes recognised by Western science: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. These

That inhaled smell is called orthonasal, coming from the bouquet of aromas on the air – the earthy nut and berry 46

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Both languages show astounding abilities to deÅne smells: the Maniq have words for the smell of the sun, millipedes, snakes and old shelters. The Jahai have a term for ‘a bloody smell that attracts tigers’, another for ‘a stinging smell’ like petrol, smoke or wild ginger.

notes of brewing co‫ٺ‬ee, the resinous sweetness of pine, the warm toastiness of freshly baked bread. Retronasal smell is when aromas from the mouth travel into your nasal cavity via your throat: an astonishingly unattractive way to describe the miracle of Æavour. It’s where most of that supposed ‘80%’ lies. It’s what molecular chefs experiment with, combining dissonant tastes, textures and retronasal aromatics to create Æavour blends.

Western scientists long assumed smell was universally di‫ٻ‬cult to describe. Back in 1916, psychologist Hans Henning even said that “olfactory abstraction is impossible”: no one could describe smell in the same way as colour. It turns out it wasn’t a limitation of language, but a limitation of our language. We just needed to think, and smell, outside our box.

However bad English speakers are at identifying taste, we’re far worse at aromas. You only need watch a perfume advert, or read scented candle names (‘Nature’s Paintbrush’ or ‘Sparkling Snow’ anyone?), to see how truly abysmal we are.

a new word order

Humans can di‫ٺ‬erentiate some 1 trillion smells, but English can name only a relative handful. Even wine and co‫ٺ‬ee experts struggle to describe smells outside their remit.

English certainly didn’t become a global lingua franca because it was the best at everything. Though it’s now spoken worldwide, it’s easy to forget it comes with cultural values, including how we think about the senses, baked in.

Plenty of languages outstrip English for smell codability, and some appear to have a direct cultural link. The same happens with sound; it’s hardly surprising that musical societies are much better at describing sound than nonmusical ones. Asifa and her team found the coding crown belongs to languages from hunter-gatherer communities, for whom smell is a vital part of everyday life and ritual.

Some languages have su‫ٺ‬ered from this. Research has shown Cantonese taste categories have deteriorated with increased exposure to Western society, while its colour/shape lexicon has expanded. Others have beneÅtted; Kilivila, from Papua New Guinea’s Trobriand Islands (the kind of colourful, tropical idyll the English language dreams of), has gained colour terms without losing taste in return.

The best examples are found around the Malaysian-Thai border. Asifa formed half of each team studying Malaysia’s Jahai and Thailand’s Maniq people. The research found that Malaysia’s rainforest-dwelling Jahai can describe colours and odours with the same level of speciÅcity, while the Maniq have 15 basic abstract smell terms – the largest number yet discovered.

Can English similarly learn and adopt values from other languages? The internet has made language dissemination relatively easy, and recent fascination with untranslatable foreign words has introduced us to Danish hygge, German fernweh and Japanese kuchisabishii, among others. The term for the smell, petrichor, was coined only in 1964, and umami was once a stranger to English speakers; now it peppers restaurant reviews, menus and food blogs. “When there is a lexical gap in a language, and the community develops a need to communicate about that concept, a new term can be coined or borrowed,” explains Asifa. “The main thing is that there has to be a communicative need to talk about that thing.” As our palates grow accustomed to cuisines from myriad cultures, to Æavours we’ve never been exposed to before, there’s always the possibility our vocabulary could grow alongside. Surely even highly codable words had to start somewhere, and with new linguistic research and the internet ready to provide them, the world – and its word – is our oyster.

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brothers

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in farms What began with one bold promise has flourished into one of Spain’s leading family-run growers. In Murcia’s fertile soils and Mediterranean sunshine, Spinneys’ exclusive grower Agromark has spent four decades nurturing exceptional brassicas from the ground up. Written by Stephen Phelan | Photography by Ben Roberts

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biological pest control. “We see a huge market potential in organics,” says Alfonso. “Young people love to eat healthy, and it’s good for the environment. It’s not easy to grow that way but we like to do di‫ٻ‬cult things, and I think we’re the largest company in Spain now producing organics.”

More than 40 years ago, Antonio Doménech was a broker for assorted goods around his native Alicante. Nicknamed “Tonito”, he would buy or sell whatever clients asked for, from toys to construction materials. One day he got a call from a British supermarket buyer looking to source broccoli from Spain. “Sure,” said Tonito.

Even “conventional” farming methods might now be classed as “semi-organic” given that European regulations have become so restrictive on the use of herbicides, fungicides and other such chemical aids. And while organic is sometimes sold as old-school – a return to pre-industrial agriculture – Agromark supports the practice with substantial investment in the latest tech.

“I can get you all the broccoli you need.” But it was all just businessman’s bluster – he knew nothing about broccoli. According to family legend, he didn’t even know what it was, and had to look the word up in the dictionary. “Then he took his car and travelled around Spain looking for broccoli, and found it right here in Murcia,” says Tonito’s son Alfonso Doménech, now commercial director of Agromark, the company that grew from that phone call. Alfonso’s brothers Ignacio (“Nacho”) and Carlos are CEO and director of operations, respectively.

Today at the company’s Murcia headquarters and processing plant, we watch a rank of robot arms with steel pincers and AI-augmented visual sensors sort through fresh organic broccoli as it passes along the conveyors, separating the heads by size, weight and even appearance. An even bigger robot lifts them into pallets. Yet there’s no sense of the machines taking over, as the human team seems busy and robust, evincing a pretty deep job satisfaction – Agromark is known in the business for very long tenures and low sta‫ ٺ‬turnover.

Murcia is about an hour’s drive from Alicante, across the coastal margins and low, rugged mountains of southeastern Spain. Sometimes called The Garden of Europe, it’s arid but fertile, with a mild Mediterranean climate, goodquality soil and a history of agricultural know-how that make it prime growing territory for broccoli and brassicas – cauliÆower, cabbage and kale. The region produces some 20% of Spain’s fruit and vegetable exports and more than 70% of its brassicas, with Agromark playing a leading role.

Quality control o‫ٻ‬cer Toñi Muela, for example, has been with the company 30 years, along with her husband Jesús Molina Pajares, the general manager of Åeld operations. On the loading ramp, Toñi checks everything dispatched from the warehouse to ensure it meets all required standards before it goes on the trucks. The couple has kids, says Toñi, “but Agromark is like another family for us. We’ve been here so many years, it’s a big part of our life together.”

Their father’s initial deals with local farmers yielded shipments of six or seven tonnes per week to UK supermarkets, says Alfonso. Today, the brothers run an enterprise that moves “around 700 tonnes a week” to 25 countries across Europe, and more recently to Spinneys in Dubai. Agromark partnered with Spanish importer José Luis Dolz Martínez to create Juicy & Fresh, with an o‫ٻ‬ce in the Emirates to ensure smooth operations.

Pride comes from getting the best of the crops out to distant supermarkets without delays or defects. “Customers receiving our product in prime condition, that’s what satisÅes me most of all.” As it happens, our visit comes at the busiest time of her working year. “We’re at full capacity right now, absolute peak performance,” she says, gesturing behind her to vast cooled chambers where crates of fresh veg are stacked to the rafters ready for shipping.

“It was di‫ٻ‬cult in the beginning,” admits Nacho, as initial logistics were based on sea freight, and sending broccoli by boat means “pushing the limit on quality”. They have since shifted to air freight, a costlier option that signiÅcantly improves shelf life. “It helps to guarantee service, security and regularity – the only way to work with a brand like Spinneys, whose customers in the UAE demand the freshest produce.”

Summer tends to be quieter, and that’s when Toñi takes her annual break, though changing weather patterns have compelled the Doménech brothers to expand their domain, planting or partnering with new farms from Castilla-La

More than 20% of Agromark’s output is now produced through carefully managed crop rotation, composting and

Faing page Every brassica is grown, harvested and handled with care by experienced teams, whose knowledge and careful crop management ensure consistently outstanding quality. | Previous spread Four decades of family expertise have shaped one of Spain’s leading brassica growers.

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Mancha to the northeast coast of Catalonia. Water is the biggest issue, says Nacho. Brassicas need a lot of it, and supplies have become inconsistent, so year-round production requires growing in “di‫ٺ‬erent regions, di‫ٺ‬erent climates, even di‫ٺ‬erent altitudes”.

patch of cauliÆower, he plucks one from the ground, pares back the leaves with his knife and cuts a piece for us to try. Straight out of the soil, it is crisp and delicious. “Más fresco imposible,” he says – you can’t get fresher than this. At the edge of the Åeld stands a packing platform, like a mobile marquee on huge truck wheels. A looping rail extends out the back, Åtted with yellow plastic receptacles that look like giant Æower petals. A head of cauliÆower goes into each one before being fed into the tented body of the platform, where a small team trims, checks and wraps each piece ready for shipping direct from farm to supermarket.

A few years ago, that search for secure water sources led Agromark back to its home turf. The company purchased a new site just outside Alicante for signature crops. On a spring afternoon, the vast plot stretches out in rows and banks of brassicas, their sizes, shapes and shades of green reÆecting each crop’s stage of growth. In the distance, we can just make out the silver glint of the Mediterranean. Overseeing the Åelds is technician Pedro Rodríguez, who manages the specialised teams assigned to each crop, and the threats inherent to farming: rabbits, moths and cabbageworm. Leafy greens such as kale and cavolo nero are especially challenging to keep clean of pests and diseases, says Pedro. “They’re the most complicated, from a phytosanitary standpoint.”

It is now just past lunchtime, and a full load can be en route to Spinneys before dinner this evening. Most of Agromark’s conventional crops are packed and sent this way, reducing mechanical damage in transit and maximising shelf life. “That’s one of our secrets,” says Nacho, “when it comes to quality and freshness. The idea, and the target, is to pack 90% in the Åelds, if we can.”

He has been with Agromark 26 years. “I couldn’t imagine doing this for so long if I wasn’t happy. Every day I’m learning something new, especially in the Åeld, and that’s the extra incentive to get up in the morning.” Standing in a

Their father, admit the brothers, could barely have conceived of the scale of their operation today. “He was the visionary who started this business,” says Nacho, “but he never knew how big it would get.”

•

This spread Murcia’s fertile soils, Mediterranean sunshine and cool winter temperatures provide the ideal environment for slow, even growth, helping every brassica develop outstanding flavour and texture.

greener plates FOOD

Broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco and cabbage take centre stage in four recipes that celebrate the flavour, texture and versatility of one vegetable family. Recipes, food styling and photography by Katelyn Allegra

FOOD

romanesco romesco serves 6

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and prepare a steamer basket.

6 baby romanesco

for the sauce

Place the romanesco in the steamer and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until just tender but still holding their shape.

2 roasted red capsicums 180ml Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 200ml chicken broth

Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if required.

150g toasted almonds 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Organic White Grape Vinegar 100g tinned Spinneysfood Organic Chickpeas, drained

Spoon the sauce onto 6 serving plates and place the warm romanesco on top to serve.

2 garlic cloves 1 tsp Spinneysfood Smoked Paprika Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

FOOD

olive oil poached salmon with grilled Fioretto and Murasaki serves 6

for the cauliÆower sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliÆowers and cook until very tender. Drain.

2 baby cauliflowers, chopped 200ml single cream

Heat the cream and garlic in a saucepan until just simmering. Add the cooked cauliÆowers. Using a hand-held blender, blitz until completely smooth. Pass through a sieve for a silky texture and season with salt and pepper.

1 garlic clove Spinneysfood Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

for the poached salmon

Toss the Fioretto and Murasaki Æorets with olive oil and grill or roast at 200°C, gas mark 6, until lightly charred and tender. Chop the green broccoli into tiny Æorets, toss with olive oil and roast in the air fryer at 180°C for 15–20 minutes until crisp and slightly charred.

6 salmon fillets, skin on 1 sprig Spinneysfood Fresh Thyme 2 garlic cloves Orange peel Lemon peel 500ml Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Place the salmon in a deep saucepan with the thyme, garlic and citrus peels. Pour over the olive oil so the Ållets are completely submerged. Heat gently until the oil reaches 52°C, then remove from the heat and allow the salmon to rest in the oil for 5 minutes. Alternative method: cook in the oven at 120°C, lowest gas mark, for 20 minutes.

to serve 3 packs Fioretto & Murasaki Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling 1 small green broccoli

Spoon the cauliÆower sauce onto plates. Place the poached salmon Ållets on top, add the grilled Fioretto and Murasaki, and Ånish with the crispy broccoli. 59

FOOD

baby cauliÆower & harissa lamb phyllo parcels makes 6

Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

6 baby cauliflowers 400g Spinneysfood Australian Lamb Mince 30g Spinneysfood Harissa Seasoning

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the baby cauliÆowers and blanch for 2 minutes until slightly tender. Immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry. Using a small knife, carefully carve a small cavity in the base of each cauliÆower.

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste 200g Spinneysfood Feta Cheese 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 lemon, zested and juiced 500g Sunbulah Frozen Gulash Filo Pastry, thawed

In a bowl, combine the lamb mince with the harissa seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and pack the mixture into the carved base of each cauliÆower to create a thick lamb layer.

200g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter, melted

to serve Spinneysfood Tzatziki

In a bowl, mash the feta with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice until creamy. Spread generously over the cauliÆower. Lay out three sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each layer lightly with melted butter. Cut into approx. 30cm squares. Place a cauliÆower in the centre of each square and fold the pastry up around it to form a parcel. Tie the top with kitchen twine. Brush the parcels with melted butter and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve the parcels warm with tzatziki. 61

FOOD

baby cabbage souvlaki serves 3–4

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

30g Spinneysfood Souvlaki Seasoning 100ml Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix the souvlaki seasoning with the olive oil. Using a small knife, make shallow incisions in each cabbage and insert the slices of garlic. Brush the cabbages generously with the spiced oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

3 baby cabbages 3 garlic cloves, sliced Spinneysfood Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste 6 pita breads

If using a rotisserie attachment, thread each cabbage onto the skewer and roast at 180°C, gas mark 4, for 20–25 minutes, brushing frequently with the spiced oil until tender and caramelised. If you don’t have a rotisserie attachment, place each cabbage on a lined baking tray and roast at 180°C, gas mark 4, turning and basting frequently with the oil for 20–25.

to serve 200g Spinneysfood Hummus 1 cucumber, sliced 1 tomato, sliced 1 small red onion, sliced 1 red capsicum, sliced 1 red chilli, thinly sliced

Slice the roasted cabbage and serve in warm pita bread with hummus, fresh vegetables, parsley and lemon wedges.

1 bunch of Spinneysfood Fresh Parsley 1 lemon, cut into wedges

RECIPES

PEOPLE

soul

soil

Born from a son’s determination to nourish his father through illness, New Leaf has grown into one of the UAE’s most innovative farms – proving that extraordinary flavour and nutrition begin with living soil. Written by Karen D’Souza | Photography by Aasiya Jagadeesh

him through that bleak period. “I started experimenting with soil and adding things like volcanic ash and red clays to it,” he explains. By introducing certain beneÅcial fungi and earthworms to increase microbial activity and nutrient content, he began developing a living medium. Today, the team at New Leaf continues to work with this lineage of soil – a highly specialised, carefully monitored and nurtured mix – to deliver a variety of nutrients to the root of every plant.

Sometime in 400BC, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates – widely accepted as the father of modern medicine – is believed to have said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Little could he have imagined how deeply his philosophy would resonate with a man in the UAE centuries later. Adam Pitts is the founder of New Leaf, an innovative and pioneering microgreens farm in Dubai, who has stood by this principle as he has built a 1,858 square metre facility alongside farm manager Ian Geronimo over the past eight years.

Small-scale trials of hydroponic farms began in the UAE in the 1970s, but a new wave of highly specialised vertical farms sprang up around 2008 as an answer to the region’s food security concerns. Growing plants without soil, using water as a medium to deliver nutrients to the root system was seen as the way forward. Undeterred, Adam surged ahead with his experiments, staying true to his conviction

Their story, however, didn’t begin within the last decade. It dates back to 2004 when Adam’s father was diagnosed with cancer, a time Adam admits left him feeling “lost and helpless”. In search of a way to add more nutrients to his father’s diet, Adam’s love for agriculture and the quiet act of growing plants proved to be the solution that ushered 65

PEOPLE

This spread, clockwise from left The plants “listen” to classical music all day as Adam and Ian believe the music’s frequencies help them relax; popcorn microgreens are grown in the dark to inhibit the production of chlorophyll; tender and crunchy tendril pea shoots have a fresh, delicate and sweet flavour; oxalis flower; sweet potato microgreens | Previous page Every shoot begins its journey in a living soil carefully nurtured over two decades.

PEOPLE

“The taste you experience is literally the minerals and vitamins from the soil”

that minerals absorbed by plants from the soil would act as medicine for the body. “You’ll get around 80–90 nutrients from a plant grown this way. That’s more than triple the amount you’ll get from plants sourced from a hydroponic system,” states Adam.

businesses such as Spinneys. Adam and his team have customised three microgreen salad packs for the discovery by Spinneys range, appropriately titled Golden Mix, Spice Mix and Vibrant Mix to indicate their properties and Æavour proÅles.

In 2017 Adam began sharing the microgreens he’d grown in his special soil mixture with friends and family. The feedback was positive with requests for more, which he took as a sign to turn his project into a commercial venture. “I read a lot and we do an incredible amount of research. We’ve worked with laboratories to test the nutritional content of these microgreens. If a microgreen tastes good, then it means it has a lot of minerals and vitamins in it, which also extends its shelf life,” explains Adam. The magic lies in their soil mix, rich in organic matter and beneÅcial microbes that form thriving colonies around the roots, helping plants absorb nutrients. “The taste you experience is literally the minerals and vitamins from the soil,” says Adam with pride.

The interior of New Leaf is set to a balmy 26°C, where rows of microgreens, edible Æowers and leaves thrive under white, pink and red lights. “We’ll put beetroot microgreens under red lights to encourage the natural pigment in the plant to come forth so that the stems develop a beautiful pinkish-red colour,” explains Adam. Others such as the golden big sun and popcorn are grown in a dark room to prevent the formation of chlorophyll and retain the vibrant yellow of the leaves. Ian recalls meeting Adam for the Årst time at a pet shop where he worked. The duo bonded over their shared interest in plants, animals and even art, though Ian’s knowledge of plant varieties then was limited. “I didn’t even know what microgreens were at that time,” he confesses. Fast forward to today, and Ian can spend hours talking about the characteristics and beneÅts of an array

The Æavour, nutrition and shelf life delivered by New Leaf have made its products popular with chefs as well as retail 68

PEOPLE

This spread, clockwise from far left Adam continues to study microgreens to find new varieties to grow at New Leaf; red amaranth leaves; the plants follow a circadian rhythm with 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of darkness; New Leaf’s soil mix contains more than 83 nutrients; nasturtium leaves have a distinct bold and peppery flavour. | Following page, from left All seeds are cast by hand; Ian has nurtured a lifelong love of plants.

PEOPLE

Like humans, the plants inside New Leaf’s facility follow a circadian rhythm

And like humans, the plants inside New Leaf ’s facility follow a circadian rhythm – 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of darkness. The team starts each day at 5am, selecting the trays that are ready for harvest.

of microgreens, edible Æowers and leaves that are grown under his watchful eye. His passion is apparent as he deftly cuts wood sorrel (purple oxalis) leaves and o‫ٺ‬ers them to me to try, waiting for the burst of bright, tart, green-apple like Æavour to hit my tastebuds.

A few microgreens are harvested before sunrise, “when they’re still asleep since they carry the highest density of nutrients during periods of rest” while others are collected throughout the day. “We harvest around 700 trays per day, and plant approximately the same,” says Adam.

And it’s not just the wood sorrel that impresses with its Æavour. From fennel, lemon balm, rock chive and Thai basil to mela blossom and the must-try buzz button, which leaves my tongue tingling akin to Sichuan peppercorns, New Leaf has opened up a world of culinary possibility.

Soil from the harvested trays is transferred to containers Ålled with the earthworms, which help reconstitute it by eating unwanted microbes. “And at the same time their skin and castings are nutrient rich, which help increase good microbial activity in the soil,” says Ian. “The soil remains healthy because we never spray chemicals, which can kill microbes or change the nutritional proÅle of the soil.”

Ian points out that while plants produced in a hydroponic facility “are spoon-fed nutrients”, at New Leaf they must work to Ånd nutrients due to the tray system in which they are grown. Seeds are carefully scattered over a tray Ålled with their special soil mix, then weighed down with another tray. He likens this to humans working out at a gym: “We do weight training to build muscles, the muscles in turn are stressed and have a build up of amino acids, but we end up becoming stronger and healthier. Similarly, the plants feel that good stress, the amino acids build up in the stems and leaves and that results in concentrated Æavour.”

Thus, New Leaf ’s organic soil mix is treated like a living entity, enriched with vermicompost, alive with microbial activity and constantly turning over a new leaf to feed communities across the UAE.

•

FOOD

har vest to plate 72

FOOD

Make the most of the discovery by Spinneys salad mixes, herbs and edible flowers, sustainably grown by New Leaf, with five vibrant recipes Recipes, food styling and photography by Jordan Farrell

orange sumac spice mix fattoush with za’atar pinenuts serves 4

for the nuts 30g Spinneysfood Fine Grain Sugar 2 tsp Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water 80g pinenuts Pinch of Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt 1 tsp Spinneysfood Za’atar

for the dressing 1 orange, juiced 2 lemons, juiced 2 tsp Spinneysfood Ground Sumac 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 tsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste

for the salad 115g discovery by Spinneys Spice Mix 6 radishes, sliced 1 cucumber, sliced 150g Spinneysfood Cherry Tomatoes, halved 1 green capsicum, diced 40g dried beetroot crisps Handful of Spinneysfood Fresh Mint Handful of fresh za’atar 80g Spinneysfood Fresh Pomegranate Jewels

In a small pan over a medium heat, combine the sugar and water and cook until dissolved and lightly bubbling. Add the pinenuts and keep stirring until the sugar crystallises on the nuts. Tip the pinenuts onto a sheet of baking paper. Season with a pinch of salt and za’atar. In a jar, combine the dressing ingredients, shaking until well combined. Place the salad mix in a large bowl with the prepared vegetables and beetroot crisps. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Tear the fresh mint and za’atar over the salad and top with the candied pinenuts and a scattering of pomegranate jewels just before serving.

FOOD

lemon salad with vibrant mix, shaved fennel and crispy quinoa chicken serves 4

for the chicken 4 Spinneysfood Chicken Breasts 120g cooked quinoa from Spinneys deli 40g breadcrumbs Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste 2 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs, beaten 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

for the salad 115g discovery by Spinneys Vibrant Mix 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

for the dressing 2 lemons, zest and juice 1 tbsp organic honey 4 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

burnt honey, sage and lemon balm Åzz

Handful of Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander

serves 4

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste

for the burnt honey syrup

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, gently Æatten them to allow for even cooking.

60g organic honey 80ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water

Spread the quinoa on a plate. Mix the breadcrumbs with salt and spread on another plate.

Handful of discovery by Spinneys Sage ½ lemon, juiced

to serve

Dip each chicken breast into the beaten egg, then coat in the quinoa, followed by the breadcrumbs, pressing gently so all layers adhere well.

Handful of discovery by Spinneys Lemon Balm Handful of Spinneysfood Pure Ice Cubes 500ml sparkling water

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side until golden, crisp and cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest before slicing.

In a small pan over a medium heat, add the honey and cook for 3–4 minutes until it darkens slightly and develops a deep caramel aroma. Carefully add the water and sage leaves, allowing it to bubble and loosen into a syrup, then remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, stirring until well combined. Add the salad mix and fennel and toss well to coat the leaves.

Divide the lemon balm leaves between 4 glasses and gently bruise to release their oils. Add ice cubes to each glass then top with the honey syrup and sparkling water, stirring to combine. Serve immediately.

Arrange the sliced chicken over the salad before serving.

FOOD

charred corn, chorizo and golden mix soft tacos serves 4

for the salad Ålling 2 corn on the cob 300g beef chorizo, diced 115g discovery by Spinneys Golden Mix

for the crema 2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced 1 jalapeño, finely sliced 2 limes, juiced

wasabi mustard salmon tostada

50g Spinneysfood Full-Fat Greek Yoghurt Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste

serves 4

to serve

for the salmon topping

8 small soft flour tortillas 2 limes, quartered

300g fresh salmon, cubed ½ red onion, finely sliced

Char the corn over an open Æame, turning occasionally, until deeply charred on all sides. Remove from the heat and slice the kernels o‫ ٺ‬the cob.

1 tbsp Spinneysfood Dark Soy Sauce 1 tsp Spinneysfood Sesame Oil 1 tbsp Spinneysfood White Sesame Seeds, toasted

for the wasabi mustard mayo

In a large pan, add the chorizo and cook over a high heat for 6–8 minutes until crisp and slightly caramelised. Remove from the heat and set aside for later.

60g mayonnaise Handful of discovery by Spinneys Wasabi Mustard 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Rice Vinegar

In a blender, combine the crema ingredients and blitz until smooth and creamy.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Fine Grain Sugar Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste

to serve

In a large bowl, combine the Golden Mix salad base, charred corn and crispy chorizo.

12 wontons, fried 12 discovery by Spinneys Wasabi Mustard Leaves

Warm the tortillas in a dry pan or over an open Æame until soft and lightly charred. Spread the crema onto each tortilla and generously spoon the salad onto the centre. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime before serving.

Handful of discovery by Spinneys Garlic Chives 1 tbsp Spinneysfood White Sesame Seeds, toasted

Combine the salmon topping ingredients. Toss gently and set aside. In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the wasabi mustard mayo. Blitz until smooth and vibrant green. Spoon the mayo onto each crispy wonton. Top with a wasabi mustard leaf and a spoonful of the salmon mixture. Scatter over garlic chives and toasted sesame seeds.

FOOD

onions THOUGHT

the histor y of a global super power

Long before the first cookbooks were written, onions were flavouring feasts, inspiring myths and crossing continents. From ancient Mesopotamia to modern kitchens, we trace the remarkable rise of the humble allium that quietly conquered the world’s cuisine.

Written by Jo Davey | Photography by Katelyn Allegra

THOUGHT

Tucked away in Yale University’s Babylonian Collection are four clay tablets containing some of the world’s oldest known recipes. To the untrained eye, the wedges, arrows and lines are di‫ٻ‬cult even to recognise as writing. It is cuneiform, one of the world’s earliest writing systems, carved so densely into the clay it resembles cracked elephant skin.

Ancient Egyptians were Årmly under the onion’s spell. Besides being a culinary staple, its concentric structure symbolised eternity. Onions were used in oaths and rituals, were sacred to Sokar, and have been found in tombs and the cavities of mummies.

Written almost 4,000 years ago, the tablets reveal little about the cooks behind the recipes. They were from Mesopotamia (a region encompassing parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria and Turkey), their instructions were succinct to the point of being passive-aggressive, and they really, really liked onions.

In Mesopotamia, some 2,000 years before the Yale tablets were written, onions were recommended for breaking evil spells. Divination by onion, known as cromniomancy, was practised across three continents. Onions were used to predict the weather, the prospects of marriage, learn about distant loved ones and choose between suitors.

The serried etchings contain dozens of recipes featuring an array of alliums. One – a lamb stew called tuh’u – features four: onion, Persian shallots, kurrat (Egyptian leek) and garlic. Mesopotamian cooks may have been curt, but they clearly knew a good ingredient when they saw it.

Ancient Greeks and Romans regarded onions as a natural performance enhancer. Greek Olympic athletes reportedly drank onion juice to “balance the blood” and increase strength, while Roman gladiators were massaged with it before entering the arena. Roman legionnaires similarly ate onions in the belief they encouraged power, courage, healing and sleep.

peeling back the layers It is di‫ٻ‬cult to determine precisely when or where onions originated. One obstacle is the onion’s extraordinarily large genome – around Åve times the size of the human genome – which has long made tracing its history through genetics di‫ٻ‬cult. Archaeological traces are also scarce, perhaps because much of the evidence was eaten.

Some folklore hints at the onion’s worldwide distribution. When Scottish explorer Alexander Burnes travelled through Peshawar in the 1830s, a local advised him to “eat onions in all the countries we visited; as it is a popular belief that a foreigner becomes sooner acclimated from the use of that vegetable”.

Onions are prehistoric and may predate agriculture. The ancestral wild species from which today’s bulb onions descended has never been conclusively identiÅed, but archaeologists have found evidence of onion cultivation dating back 5,000 years. Central Asia is widely proposed as part of the onion’s probable ancestral range, from where it spread through trade into Europe, Egypt, India, China and beyond.

The advice was probably unnecessary. Burnes was travelling through a region often proposed as part of the onion’s ancestral range and would have been hard-pressed to avoid the allium-laced dishes of Central Asia.

When European colonists arrived in the Americas, they brought cultivated onions, only to discover indigenous communities gathered and ate native alliums. Ramps, or wild leeks, grew so proliÅcally around the Great Lakes they eventually gave Chicago its name, derived through French from the Miami-Illinois word šikaakwa.

the family business

myth and magic

Onion cells keep sulphur-containing Æavour precursors and the enzyme alliinase in separate compartments. Only when the cells are ruptured – by a sharp knife or pointed tooth – do they meet, triggering a chemical reaction that produces unstable sulphur compounds.

The genus Allium, to which onions belong, is a culinary dynasty. It comprises more than 700 species, although only a fraction are cultivated, including bulb onions, shallots, scallions, rakkyo, ramps, leeks, chives and garlic.

Excellent PR played a deÅnite part in the onion’s global takeover. It developed a cultural mystique early on, appearing in religion, folklore, mythology and magic. 82

THOUGHT

the onion-eaters Although China and India are major producers, neither is necessarily the leading consumer per capita. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Tajikistan records one of the world’s highest levels of onion supply per person.

In onions, another enzyme – lachrymatory-factor synthase – converts one of these compounds into the volatile irritant that makes our eyes water. Garlic follows a di‫ٺ‬erent chemical pathway, explaining its distinct Æavour.

Tajikistan’s a‫ٻ‬nity for onions may reÆect its location within the crop’s Central Asian range, while their hardiness suits the country’s unforgiving terrain. Inexpensive and Æavoursome, they are a cornerstone of Tajik cuisine. Salads, stews, dumplings, noodles and pastries all feature onions.

“Once the second enzyme has done its job, the rest is straight chemistry,” explains Dr Meriel Jones, a research associate and allium expert at the University of Liverpool. “These volatile compounds interact with each other, with surfaces and fats, and with the atmosphere.”

Qurutob combines Æatbread, rehydrated qurut cheese and onion. Another, shared with neighbouring Uzbekistan, is osh, or plov – a rice dish of onion, carrot, meat, barberries and seasonings, cooked in oil or fat for a rich, silky texture. Great pots steam on street corners, sending their sweet-savoury fragrance into the air.

The reactions continue, producing di‫ٺ‬erent scents and Æavours as the compounds encounter air, other ingredients and, eventually, our eyes. These volatiles make us cry while giving onions their complex, versatile Æavour.

cultivation and cooking

Niger also records high per-capita onion consumption. In a country a‫ٺ‬ected by chronic drought, the tenacious crop is invaluable. It forms the base of stews such as dounguouri soko, made with lamb and white beans, and appears throughout couscous-based dambou, fried greens and rice dishes.

The Ånal advantage in the onion’s journey towards global domination is its practicality. Onions are ideal for longdistance travel. Their papery skins slow moisture loss, they preserve well and have impressive post-harvest longevity. Modern improvements in storage mean properly cured varieties can last for months after harvest.

world domination

They are also highly adaptable to di‫ٻ‬cult climates and poor soil. Whether in cold, sandy steppe, temperate pastureland or humid tropics, an onion variety is capable of growing there.

Julia Child famously said, “It is hard to imagine a civilisation without onions.” Historians, however, are unsure whether one has ever existed. These unassuming, soil-streaked bulbs are seemingly indispensable. We eat them raw; pickle, slow-cook, deep-fry, boil, roast and caramelise them; eat their leaves and seeds; and even throw their skins into stock.

Today, onion production broadly mirrors global population patterns, with India and China among the world’s largest producers. Except among Jain communities and certain Hindu populations that avoid them, Indian cuisine is renowned for its proliÅc use of onions. “Onions in Indian cooking play a huge part, much more than most people realise,” says Indian-born British chef and restaurateur Vivek Singh. “They’re often referred to as the ‘backbone’ of many gravies, or base sauces, used for Indian curries.”

Yet it is their place as an aromatic base that has proved pivotal to their success. Look at almost any major culinary tradition and some variety of onion lies at its foundation. They are a linchpin of French mirepoix, Italian so‫ٺ‬ritto, Portuguese and Brazilian refogado, Arabian kushnah, Filipino guisá and the aromatic “holy trinities” of Cajun, Chinese and Indian cooking.

They are among the most important ingredients in Indian kitchens, and knowing how to cook them correctly is key to a chef ’s success.

Today, the onion may no longer be worshipped as a symbol of eternity, but we still revere it in our own way – one mouthful of depth, sweetness and heat at a time.

•

FOOD

layers of flavour Sweet, smoky, sharp or deeply caramelised, the onion reveals a different character with every technique. These four recipes showcase the depth, versatility and flavour of one of the kitchen’s hardest-working ingredients. Recipes, food styling and photography by Katelyn Allegra

FOOD

ember-roasted onions with salmoriglio serves 6

Prepare a charcoal Åre and allow it to burn down to hot embers.

6 large onions (a mix of white, red and brown onions and shallots works well)

for the salmoriglio

Slice the tops o‫ ٺ‬the onions and score a deep cross into the centre of each.

100ml Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 lemon, juiced

To make the salmoriglio, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.

50ml water 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 small bunch of Spinneysfood Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

Nestle the onions halfway into the embers and spoon the dressing over them. Cook for 20–30 minutes, basting occasionally with more dressing, until the onions are completely soft. Remove from the Åre.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Dried Oregano Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Halve some of the onions so the dressing can soak into the layers. Spoon over extra salmoriglio and scatter with additional parsley before serving.

FOOD

Åve-onion soup serves 4

for the soup

Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3.

200g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter

Place the butter and all the sliced onions, shallots and leek in a large ovenproof pot. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply caramelised.

2 large white onions, finely sliced 2 large brown onions, finely sliced 2 red onions, finely sliced 2 shallots, finely sliced 1 leek, finely sliced

Meanwhile, bring the bone broth, Worcestershire sauce, Åsh sauce and black garlic paste to a boil in a deep saucepan. Reduce the broth by roughly one-third. Remove from the heat and add the dried chipotle chillies to infuse.

1L bone broth 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 tsp black garlic paste 2 dried chipotle chillies

Season the caramelised onions with salt and pepper.

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Place a slice of toasted baguette in the bottom of each ovenproof bowl. Spoon over the onions and ladle over the hot broth. Top each bowl with another slice of baguette and cover with grated Gruyère. Grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

for the cheesy bread 1 baguette, sliced and toasted 300g Gruyère cheese, grated Spinneysfood Fresh Thyme leaves

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves before serving. 89

FOOD

stu‫ٺ‬ed onions in miso butter sauce serves 6

6 large onions

Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3.

for the Ålling

Halve the onions horizontally and carefully hollow out the centres, leaving the outer layers intact.

300g chicken mince 1 bunch of Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

Finely chop the removed onion centres and combine with the chicken mince, coriander, soy sauce, shrimp paste, egg, Panko breadcrumbs and chilli Æakes. Fill the onion halves with the chicken mixture and place the tops back on.

1 tbsp Spinneysfood Dark Soy Sauce ½ tbsp shrimp paste 1 large Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Egg 4 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs 1 tsp Spinneysfood Chilli Flakes

Place the miso paste, butter, water, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a roasting tray and stir to combine. Arrange the stu‫ٺ‬ed onions in the tray. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes, until lightly golden.

for the sauce 100g red miso paste 100g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter 500ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water 1 tsp Spinneysfood Sesame Oil 4 garlic cloves

Strain the cooking liquid and blitz in a blender until smooth. Spoon the sauce over the onions.

to serve

Top with spring onions before serving.

1 large piece of ginger, sliced

2 Spinneysfood Spring Onions, finely chopped

FOOD

pickled onion petal salad serves 4–6

To make the pickling liquid, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaves and juniper berries. Divide the liquid between two bowls.

200ml Spinneysfood Organic Red Grape Vinegar 100ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water 2 tsp Spinneysfood Raw Sugar ½ tsp Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt ½ tsp Spinneysfood Mustard Seeds ½ tsp Spinneysfood Cumin Seeds

Stir the beetroot purée into one portion to create the red pickling liquid. Divide the onion petals and pearl onions between each bowl, then leave to pickle overnight in the refrigerator.

3 cloves 2 Spinneysfood Bay Leaves 3 juniper berries ½ cooked beetroot, puréed 6 small brown onions, halved and separated into petals

To make the whipped Camembert, cut the cheese into small pieces and place in the jug of an immersion blender with the olive oil and cream. Blitz until smooth and airy.

8–10 Melissa’s Pearl Onions (a mix of red, white and gold), peeled ½ ripe Camembert 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 100ml double cream

Arrange the pickled onion petals on a serving platter. Dot with small dollops of whipped Camembert, add the pickled pearl onions and scatter over the chopped chives and sea salt Æakes.

to serve Fresh chives, finely chopped Spinneysfood Natural Sea Salt Flakes

PEOPLE

the quiet power Three of the UAE’s most accomplished ceramicists never planned to work with clay. After careers spanning corporate IT, dog grooming and creative agencies, each found an unexpected calling at the wheel. Today, through Atelier Tartani, Born Free Ceramics and Cole & Cinder, they are creating everything from sculptural stoneware to bespoke tableware for some of the region’s leading restaurants.

Written by Devina Divecha | Photography by Anna-Maria Nielsen

of clay Atelier Tartani the transition was organic rather than carefully planned. Just before turning 40, Anna needed surgery. A stressful corporate career was no longer something she could justify, and clay, already attracting commissions, suddenly looked less like a hobby.

Ceramics was never part of Anna Tartani’s plan. There was no art school or early calling. For years, she built a career in corporate IT – fast-paced and high-pressure. Clay came later, almost by accident. Creativity, however, had always been part of Anna’s life, she says. She describes herself as someone who has always been “good with her hands” and, after the birth of her second son, began looking for something that would allow her to decompress. She tried crochet, but it didn’t quite stick. Then she signed up for a pottery class and something shifted. “I did a class and everything clicked. It fell together. I felt that this is it. This is me. I felt grounded because clay needs you to be there fully… it was almost like a meditation session for me,” she says.

Her earliest professional work came through small commissions from co‫ٺ‬ee shops and by showcasing her work at local markets. Markets, she says, are a fascinating space for observing how people connect with handmade objects. She remembers one moment vividly. A girl rushed across the room and picked up what Anna considered the ugliest piece on her table. Anna recalls, “I thought it was the ugliest thing I’d ever made. But she picked it up not because she thought it was perfect. It was because it reminded her of the mugs that she used to make as a kid in Scotland with her grandmother, who had a small kiln. It showed me that

With encouragement from her husband, she decided to pursue ceramics more seriously. What had begun as a creative outlet gradually became a profession, although 97

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days are more intuitive. She might sit at the wheel with an unmeasured lump of clay and allow the form to emerge naturally.

people don’t choose handmade ceramics because they’re perfect, but because of how they make them feel.” Perfection, in fact, is something Anna has had to consciously let go of. Years at the wheel have taught her to trade perfection for something she considers more meaningful: intention. “If the rim wobbles a tiny bit, it’s not the end of the world, but it has to be made with intention for whatever its intended purpose is.” She draws heavily on Japanese philosophy, speciÅcally the concept of wabi-sabi, but is careful to distinguish her use of it from the way the term gets casually thrown around. “It makes a piece feel a little more organic, but calculated at the same time. I will not have a crack and say, ‘Yeah, it’s handmade ceramics, let it be.’ I’m very strict in quality control, but perfection is not where I want to be.”

Yet even after six years, one part of the process remains unpredictable: opening the kiln. “Every single time is a surprise,” she says. Anna stresses that ceramics involves far more than shaping clay on the wheel. The science behind ceramics, for example, is something she takes very seriously. She mixes her own glazes rather than relying on commercial ones, partly to create distinctive Ånishes but also to ensure full control over what goes into them. “It’s all chemistry,” she says. This attention to detail becomes particularly important in restaurant collaborations, where food safety and functionality are paramount. Ultimately, though, her work is about something simpler: the quiet rituals of everyday life. Anna believes handmade objects o‫ٺ‬er a connection rooted in sensory experience.

Her work balances both structure and spontaneity. Commissions from restaurants – Anna has created pieces for Tezukuri in Dubai, among others – are highly technical. She works closely with chefs to understand textures, colours and even the logistics of service: how a waiter will clear a table, whether a sauce dish might spill. “It’s not about the ceramics, it’s about the food,” she says. Other

“When you’re holding something handmade, it grounds you. It beautiÅes the moment and turns a habit into a ritual. I want people to Ånd beauty in the little moments,” she says. 98

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This spread, from top left Anna Tartani in her Dubai studio; the simple tools used to shape, trim and refine each piece by hand; throwing clay on the wheel remains at the heart of every Atelier Tartani collection. | Previous page Handcrafted stoneware vase by Atelier Tartani.

Born Free Ceramics Her life took another turn when her husband relocated to the UAE, where she joined him a year later, in 2014. “I was pretty heartbroken, to be honest,” she says. “My life was in India, and I didn’t really want to leave my business.”

For Aneesha Rai, working with clay was never part of her career plan. But today, she is the founder of Born Free Ceramics, a UAE studio creating bespoke handmade tableware for restaurants across the region. The path to this point saw her winding through multiple careers and countries – from IT and dog grooming – before Ånding the tactile world of clay.

Rather than returning to IT or entering the local pet industry, Aneesha chose to start over. She went back to college to study graphic design and animation and began experimenting with emerging technologies at the time, such as 3D printing. The turning point, like many others, came during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve always been a creative person,” she says. “Any form of art, I probably did it.” That inquisitiveness was encouraged by her grandmother, who ensured Aneesha’s summer holidays were packed with learning and exploration. “She would enrol me in classes all day,” Aneesha says. “I loved it. I never complained.”

Aneesha started spending more time on pottery and what began as casual experimentation in her backyard soon turned into something more. A friend working in the hospitality industry asked if she could create custom barware for a venue. While she was initially unsure, she went ahead and word spread.

Among the many mediums she experimented with, pottery was one she returned to. She says, “Pottery was something that stuck because of its tactile nature.” However, it remained a hobby while she pursued other ventures. After studying IT and working in the Åeld for seven years, Aneesha made her Årst mark as an entrepreneur by opening a dog grooming salon in Mumbai, India, building the business into a successful venture before eventually embarking on an entirely di‫ٺ‬erent creative path.

“They loved it. And then it spread by word of mouth. From one bar manager to another, and co‫ٺ‬ee shops, too.” She soon formally launched Born Free Ceramics as a licensed business in 2021. By early 2025, the company had expanded into a larger dedicated space in Umm Al Quwain. 100

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“You can feel the rhythm of the hands that made it. There’s a soul to a handmade piece.”

Aneesha takes a few weeks each year to intern with ceramic experts around the world to deepen her understanding of the craft. This, combined with her curious nature, informs her ceramic style.

while others bring only a concept or a rough sketch. “Sometimes it’s literally a scribble on a napkin,” Aneesha says. “They might say, ‘We’re serving grilled Åsh… can you design something around that?’”

“I Ånd that I am able to draw from di‫ٺ‬erent ways of working. There was a time when I thought maybe I could have been a candidate for art school, rather than IT. But my mother said, ‘I’m glad you didn’t because sometimes when you go to art school, they box you into a certain way of thinking. Whereas right now, because you’re doing it out of experimentation, you have no bounds.’ Maybe that was one of the reasons for my success.”

Beyond tableware, the studio has recently begun expanding into interior elements such as lighting and bespoke tiles. “What we’re trying to do is now complete the story. We’ve been doing stories on the table, but now we are making it a complete experience.” In an age of industrialisation, Aneesha remains committed to the handmade nature of her work. “If you drink out of a factory-made cup versus a handmade one, there’s a massive di‫ٺ‬erence,” she says. “You can feel the rhythm of the hands that made it. There’s a soul to a handmade piece.”

That philosophy extends to the studio, which today employs around 45 people, many of whom did not come from a ceramic background: electricians, a carpenter, a former wall painter, even someone who ran a small grocery shop. She says, “All of us are artists; my team comes from di‫ٺ‬erent backgrounds but all have Åne motor skills and a love for art.”

The name Born Free reÆects Aneesha’s philosophy. Inspired by the book of the same name – about a lioness raised and returned to the wild – the title also refers to pottery’s dependence on nature. Creating ceramics, she explains, requires all Åve classical elements: earth, water, air, Åre and space. “If even one is o‫ ٺ‬balance, your piece doesn’t survive. It cracks. So, it was just apt as a name. Pottery is deÅnitely all about the balance of nature.”

Much of the studio’s work involves collaborating with restaurants to create bespoke items that reÆect their brand identity. Some clients arrive with detailed speciÅcations,

This spread, from top left Aneesha Rai, founder of Born Free Ceramics; shelves lined with hand-mixed glazes developed through years of experimentation; handcrafted ceramics created for restaurants, including Spinneys Kitchen, across the UAE.

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“I can sit for maybe 8–9 hours just to do one piece. I forget to eat. I just completely ﬁxate on that one piece.”

Cole & Cinder my Årst 100-Dirham sale when I thought I could actually do this full time.” She quit her job at a creative agency and never looked back.

Nicole Farrelly’s coiled vessels are instantly recognisable. Yet the artist behind Cole & Cinder never meant to become a ceramicist. She tried it once and didn’t think about it for years. Then came a single cracked bowl that changed everything.

Nicole’s journey is distinctive because she learned everything in reverse. “Normally, you start with an easier grogged clay. Porcelain is one of the hardest clays to work with. So, I actually learned my coiling in porcelain, which is really unique.” She didn’t learn other hand-building methods so, to this day, every piece she makes – from vases, cups, candle holders and olive oil bottles to ramen bowls – is coiled. “I don’t do anything other than coiling. I have just done what I did from the beginning and Ågured out how to make it stick better,” she explains. After three years working almost exclusively in porcelain, Nicole began experimenting with grogged stoneware clays. Today, most orders use a 0.5mm grog stoneware.

“I started ceramics accidentally,” Nicole says. Before COVID-19 lockdowns, she had dabbled in wheel throwing but “it wasn’t really for me”. What began as a way to get out of the house soon turned into something more. Introduced to coiling, one of the oldest hand-building techniques in ceramics, Nicole found herself keenly interested. She recalls: “I have quite bad ADHD so I didn’t complete the process of blending it in. I left it at the studio.” The result was a piece that was “cracked, and it was ugly, but it was coiled”. Her mother-in-law Åred the piece. When the studio reopened a month later, the little bowl sat among the other students’ work. Someone walked in and bought it. That Årst sale, for 100 Dirhams, led to more requests from the same customer. Soon, Nicole was spending her weekends creating, reÅning her process while holding onto the coiled aesthetic. Instagram became an outlet and people responded positively. “I think it was maybe six months after

Her days in the studio are long and focused: arriving around nine, working through orders with her assistant Carol, who has been with her for Åve years and whose skill at replicating Nicole’s shapes from drawings is, Nicole says, “insane”. “I can sit for maybe 8–9 hours just to do one piece. I forget to eat. I just completely Åxate on that one piece.” 102

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Nature, including the landscapes of the UAE and Oman, inÆuences her work. Rather than relying on glazes, Nicole prefers to work with raw clay, allowing its natural tones to take centre stage. “The reason that I don’t like using glazes is because I think that the colour of the raw clay is really beautiful,” she explains.

Her style remains personal and intuitive. Nicole rarely sketches her designs in advance, preferring instead to let each piece unfold organically. “If I have a piece, I start from the base and I just build what comes with the day – so it’s deÅnitely emotional.” The result is work that carries a trace of her state of mind. “I can see when I really wasn’t having a great day or that it was a really creative day for me,” she says.

Despite growing demand, scaling remains a challenge. “Ceramics is really hard to be scalable while keeping that unique element.” While some items, like cups, are made using moulds, she is careful not to lose the individuality that deÅnes her work.

These emotions might be part of what draws people to her work. “They usually say that it makes them feel calm. It’s a calming visual, I think, because of its continuity and the fact that it is a continuous coil that goes all the way around. It can also be hypnotic.” There is also a sense of familiarity in repetition. “The pattern of repetition is everywhere in nature… in Ångerprints, in trees. I think it really helps ground people.” That grounding quality has made her work sought after by notable F&B venues including Kinoya, Onda, San Beach and Ganache Chocolatier.

She concludes, “When I travel, the Årst piece I make after I come back is always therapeutic.” These pieces, she notes, are distinctive and are ones she plans to highlight through a dedicated collection. “That Årst piece that I make will be in the ‘Collector’s Item’ section of my website because they’re always so special.”

•

This spread, from top left Nicole’s sculptural vessels are built entirely by hand, each one formed through the ancient technique of continuous coiling; mood boards, photographs and found inspiration guide Nicole’s creative process, though every final form evolves intuitively in clay; every coil is carefully layered by hand, allowing each vessel to develop naturally before the clay is refined and fired.

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earth

fire

For thousands of years, clay has shaped not only the vessels we admire, but the food we share. These recipes explore how cultures around the world have long relied on earthenware to slowly develop flavour, tenderness and depth. Recipes, food styling and photography by Katelyn Allegra

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Ambul thiyal is a distinctive Sri Lankan sour ﬁsh curry, traditionally cooked in clay pots that gently concentrate ﬂavour as the curry simmers. Here, a prepared curry paste offers a simple shortcut.

Sri Lankan Åsh ambul thiyal serves 4

4 x 100g kingfish steaks Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for cooking 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp ginger, crushed 4 garlic cloves, crushed 10–15 curry leaves 2 tbsp Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Sri Lankan Curry Paste 1 tomato, chopped 4 green chillies, sliced 400ml Spinneysfood Organic Coconut Milk

to serve Steamed rice

Season the Åsh lightly with salt and set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a clay pot or heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the ginger, garlic and curry leaves and sauté brieÆy until fragrant. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and green chillies and cook until the tomato begins to break down. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the Åsh and cook gently for 10–12 minutes, until the Åsh is just cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Serve with steamed rice.

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In Tuscany, beans are traditionally cooked in a coccio – an earthenware pot that gently coaxes rich, rustic ﬂavour. Here, cannellini beans, tomatoes and sausage meatballs come together in a hearty one-pot meal.

Tuscan coccio beans with beef sausage meatballs serves 2

4 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 garlic cloves 6 discovery by Spinneys Sage 200g Spinneysfood Traditional Beef Boerewors, formed into meatballs 3 sweet Palermo peppers, halved 1 x 400g tin Spinneysfood Chopped Italian Tomatoes 1 x 400g tin Spinneysfood Cannellini Beans, drained Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

to serve Sourdough bread

Heat the olive oil in a clay pot over a medium heat. Add the garlic and sage leaves and cook until fragrant. Add the meatballs and brown lightly. Stir in the peppers and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the dish to rest overnight for the Æavours to deepen. Reheat and serve with crusty sourdough bread. 106

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Cooking in a clay tagine allows spices and aromatics to gently infuse the sauce, while preserved lemons and olives bring the bright, savoury ﬂavours synonymous with Moroccan cuisine.

chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives serves 4

for the spice mix

Mix the spices together and rub them over the chicken.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Cinnamon

Heat the olive oil and butter in a tagine or heavy pot. Add the onions, garlic, celery, tomato, parsley and coriander and cook until softened. Place the chicken into the pot with the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Add a small splash of water and bring to a simmer.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Ground Ginger 1 tsp Spinneysfood Cumin 1 tsp Spinneysfood Ground Paprika Pinch of saffron threads ½ tsp Spinneysfood Chilli Flakes Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground

Cover and cook gently for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste 1 whole Spinneysfood Free-Range Chicken, spatchcocked

Add the preserved lemons, olives and lemon juice and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.

2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 30g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter 2 brown onions, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed

Serve hot with Moroccan bread or couscous.

1 celery stick, chopped 1 tomato, chopped 1 bunch Spinneysfood Fresh Parsley, chopped 1 bunch Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander, chopped 2 Spinneysfood Cinnamon Sticks 3 Spinneysfood Bay Leaves 3 small preserved lemons, halved 100g green olives stuffed with almonds 1 lemon, juiced

to serve Moroccan bread or couscous

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Bedouin clay-baked lamb shoulder serves 6–8

for the spice mix 2 tsp Spinneysfood Coriander Seeds 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Cumin Seeds 1 tsp whole cloves 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Black Peppercorns

A traditional Bedouin technique, baking meat inside a sealed clay shell traps moisture while slowly intensifying ﬂavour. Crack it open to reveal exceptionally tender, aromatic lamb.

½ Spinneysfood Cinnamon Stick 1 tsp cardamom seeds Fresh nutmeg, finely grated 2 tsp Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt

for the lamb 150ml Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 200g pitted dates 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 red capsicum, finely chopped 1.2kg lamb shoulder, deboned 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

to serve Rice or flat bread

Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3. To make the spice mix, toast the coriander, cumin, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and cardamom in a dry pan until fragrant. Grind to a coarse powder. Stir in the nutmeg powder and salt. Combine the olive oil, ground spices, dates, garlic and capsicum. Using a hand blender, blitz until smooth. Rub the spice mixture generously over the lamb shoulder. Wrap the lamb in two layers of parchment paper, followed by two layers of foil. Roll natural terracotta clay to a thickness of roughly 2cm. Place the wrapped lamb inside and completely seal the parcel with the clay. Make a few small holes in the clay to allow steam to escape. Transfer to a baking tray and lightly moisten the clay with water. Bake for 5 hours. Allow the clay to cool slightly before cracking it open. Scatter over the parsley and serve the lamb with rice or warm Æat bread.

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ADVERTORIAL

In good taste Explore four versatile ingredients, each bringing its own texture, flavour and character to a collection of fresh, vibrant recipes.

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coconut-poached Åsh with lemongrass broth serves 2

Cook the quinoa in salted boiling water for 12–15 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to steam for 10 minutes.

100g Earth’s Finest Organic Tri-Colour Quinoa, rinsed 1 tbsp Earth’s Finest Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 2 limes, halved 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed

Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Place the lime halves cut-side down and cook until deeply charred then set aside.

1 garlic clove, sliced 400ml Earth’s Finest Organic Coconut Milk 2 tsp fish sauce

Add the lemongrass, garlic, coconut milk and season with the Åsh sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

2 white fish fillets 1 small red chilli, sliced Handful of Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander, chopped

Add the Åsh, cover and poach gently for 6–8 minutes, spooning the hot broth over the top.

1 tsp Spinneysfood White Sesame Seeds

Spoon the quinoa into bowls, top with the Åsh and garnish with red chilli, fresh coriander and sesame seeds. Pour the broth over and squeeze the burnt lime over the top.

quinoa harvest salad with miso tahini dressing serves 4

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

150g Earth’s Finest Organic Tri-Colour Quinoa, rinsed 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets

Cook the quinoa in salted boiling water for 12–15 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to steam for 10 minutes.

1 sweet potato, diced 400g tin Spinneysfood Organic Chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 tbsp Earth’s Finest Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, melted

In a roasting tray, toss the cauliÆower, sweet potato and chickpeas with the coconut oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes, until golden.

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste 300g kale, chopped

for the dressing

Whisk the dressing ingredients together, adding warm water until it reaches a pourable consistency.

1½ tbsp tahini 3 tbsp white miso

Toss the quinoa, roasted veg, chickpeas and kale with the dressing in a large bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

1 lemon, juiced 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Dark Soya Sauce 2 tsp Spinneysfood Sesame Oil 1 tbsp honey 2–3 tbsp warm water

Earth’s Finest Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Earth’s Finest Organic Tri-Colour Quinoa

Cold-pressed from responsibly sourced coconuts, this unrefined

A blend of white, red and black quinoa, offering nutty

oil retains its natural aroma, flavour and nutritional goodness.

flavour, texture and versatility to sweet and savoury dishes.

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tiger’s milk ceviche with crispy quinoa serves 4

for the crispy quinoa

Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and season with sea salt.

4 tbsp Earth’s Finest Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 50g Earth’s Finest Organic Tri-Colour Quinoa, cooked and cooled Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste

for the coconut tiger’s milk

Meanwhile, blend the cucumber, onion, jalapeños, coriander, ginger, lime juice and coconut sugar until smooth. Whisk in the coconut cream and season to taste with sea salt.

½ cucumber, roughly chopped ½ small red onion, roughly chopped 1–2 jalapeños, roughly chopped Handful of Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped

Spoon the coconut tiger’s milk into shallow bowls and arrange the sliced tuna over the top.

2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled 4 limes, juiced 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Organic Coconut Sugar

Finish with the crispy quinoa, sliced jalapeño and alfalfa sprouts. Serve immediately.

125ml Earth’s Finest Organic Coconut Cream Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste

to serve 200g sashimi-grade tuna, thinly sliced 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced Handful of Spinneysfood Alfalfa Sprouts

lychee coconut Æan serves 10

for the salted caramel

Preheat the oven to 165°C, gas mark 3.

200g Spinneysfood Fine Caster Sugar

Place the sugar and sea salt in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until a deep amber caramel forms, then immediately pour into a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin.

½ tsp Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt

for the Æan 400ml Earth’s Finest Organic Coconut Milk

Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk, coconut cream, condensed milk and vanilla pod until steaming but not boiling. Whisk together the egg yolks and lychee juice. Gradually pour the warm coconut mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly until smooth.

400ml Earth’s Finest Organic Coconut Cream 397g condensed milk 1 vanilla pod, halved, seeds scraped 14 large egg yolks 100ml lychee juice

Strain the custard through a Åne sieve into the caramellined tin. Place the tin in a deep roasting tray and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the tin. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centre still has a gentle wobble. Cool completely, then chill overnight. Earth’s Finest Organic Coconut Milk and Earth’s Finest Organic Coconut Cream

Run a knife around the edge of the tin, invert onto a serving plate and slice to serve.

Coconut milk offers light, everyday creaminess, while coconut cream delivers richer texture, perfect for curries, soups, desserts and drinks.

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The forever fruit 116

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One of the world’s oldest foods, olive oil has journeyed from the ancient groves of the Fertile Crescent to a thriving global industry, while remaining deeply rooted in culture, tradition and the land. Written by Stephen Phelan | Illustration by Coleen Estoque

Perhaps it would seem only right to that time traveller that his or her descendants should dominate the market for this commodity, given that the Romans developed the trade and transport infrastructure across Europe. In that sense, the present state of that ancient business “is less about where the best olives grow, and more about who built the systems to scale, market and distribute them”.

As precious commodities go, olive oil is at least as old as gold. The botanical and historical records trace its origins to the area later known as Bilad al-Sham, comprising modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Around 6,000 BCE, wild olive trees were domesticated by farmers of that region, who hand-pressed the fruit and extracted the oil for cooking, fuel, perfumes, soaps, medicines and religious rituals. It would later become known as “liquid gold” – a commodity almost as valuable as the metal itself.

So says Tala Hammash of Jenin, a premium olive oil company named for the Palestinian city, which is surrounded by small villages and farms whose holdings yield the core product. The land is “extremely fertile”, explains Tala – known for distinctive red soil and primeval Nabali trees that take all their water from rain and groundwater, with no need for artiÅcial irrigation. “This area has always been studded with olive groves.

Successive waves of trade carried it across the Mediterranean on Phoenician merchant ships, Greek olkas (round ship), and eventually Roman cargo transports, or corbitae. Those empires planted olive trees in their homelands and built their own industries on the oil, as did Spain over subsequent millennia, its agriculture developing under Romans, Visigoths and the medieval Islamic caliphates of Al-Andalus.

“We have trees that are hundreds of years old and still produce the same fruit we have in our bottles.” Those Nabali olives have been grown alongside watermelon and tobacco crops for much longer than living memory, the community so timelessly occupied with farming that the native traditional dress is much plainer than the intricate tatreez embroidery seen in other parts of Palestine. In such a strongly matriarchal micro-society, the women are generally too busy in the Åelds to make much fuss over tailoring, and the grandma, or teta, is “the big boss who guides the harvest”, says Tala.

Here in the 21st century, Greece, Italy and Spain are by far the world’s biggest producers of olive oil, their combined output accounting for around three-quarters of global production. Spinneys sources several premium brands from those nations, including the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) made by the Basso family in the regions of Puglia and Campania in southern Italy. The company goes back Åve generations and 120 years, but its legacy also rests on an even older, deeper inheritance.

The oil itself is peppery, highly viscous and moderately bitter, with grassy notes, a buttery mouthfeel and a Æavour she describes as “super bold”, delivering a peppery kick that has its own word, shaa’ta, in local parlance – and often causes the Årst-timer to cough upon tasting it. And, unique as it is, Jenin is one of many exemplary bottles now being produced much closer to the historical and geographical sources of olive oil, in that Fertile Crescent sometimes referred to as “the cradle of civilisation”.

“Long before the Basso family started their business, olive oil production had been deeply rooted in this area for well over 2,000 years,” says marketing director Novella Parziale. “So, when they began to bottle oil, they were stepping into a tradition that was already ancient, shaped by continuous cultivation and craftsmanship.” The intervening centuries have carried change and progress before them, as harvesting, crushing, extracting and storing oil became ever more e‫ٻ‬cient through technological innovation. But, if time travel were possible, a visitor from Ancient Rome might yet recognise the “overall process”, as Novella puts it.

In the beginning, of course, there were no political borders; the growing regions of what we now call the Middle East were deÅned only by culture and terroir. Zonal conÆict, international competition and latterly climate change have taken their respective tolls on the farming capacities of Palestine and its neighbours, and it’s tempting to imagine how the olive oil business might bloom across Bilad al-Sham without such opposing forces.

“They might be surprised by the speed, scale and cleanliness of modern production, but the transformation of olives into oil – the heart of the craft – would feel entirely familiar to them.” 117

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Maybe, says Tala, but it’s also worth bearing in mind the unwritten value system of the fallaheen – those whose lives and lineage have been shaped by the land, regarding the ground beneath their feet as “something to protect, and not a resource to capitalise on”. Born into that tradition, she and her husband see their relationship to farming in terms of respect and obligation.

Across the Levant in Lebanon, meanwhile, Hanan Wehbi is also relatively new to olive oil, and didn’t know much about it before founding her company Maknoon Åve years ago. Given the quality of Lebanese oils, she wanted to bring them to the UAE as a luxury option for gift-giving, and found herself increasingly invested in the farmers and traditions behind her product.

Meanwhile, many parts of the Fertile Crescent are not as fertile as they used to be. Eastern Jordan, once green, is now e‫ٺ‬ectively desert, which did not stop architect Ziad Bilbeisi from creating an oasis for olive oil production over 120 hectares in the Azraq Basin, more than 800 metres above sea level.

“The deeper I looked into it, the more I understood this industry is a 6,000-year legacy, so you can’t really play preferences. You have to be inclusive. Olive oil is much bigger than you.” Hanan, too, has since trained as a certiÅed sommelier, joined a global tasters’ club, and served as a judge at the Dubai Olive Oil Competition. But she’s also become a kind of believer, naming her brand Maknoon after the Arabic word meaning “well-preserved”, or “cherished”.

“Being a typical engineer, he researched it to death and found the right land, the right system,” says Ziad’s daughter Amelia, who helped him build the resulting company, Maida (also known as Onsuri in the US market). Even after tapping a steady Æow of natural water from deep underground, it took years of reÅning the formula for deÅcit irrigation to achieve a world-class extra virgin olive oil, using cultivars from Spain and Greece as well as Jordan.

“Because the oil needs to be kept away from light and heat,” she says, “but also as a tribute to these farmers who never leave their land. I wanted to create a bridge between the diaspora of tens of millions of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians, because olive oil is the essence of a culture, just like lavender and thyme and wood and amber. I have childhood memories of picking olives from trees, and my grandma putting oil on her hands as skincare or drinking a medicinal shot every morning. But I only recently realised just how rooted it is in our shared identity.”

Knowing nothing about the product when she came on board, Amelia has since trained as an olive oil sommelier and is something of a scholar, helping her demystify some of the more rustic-romantic conceptions of its origins. Recent DNA testing on the Mahras olive tree suggests it was an early ancestor of the kind grown around the southern Mediterranean basin, while the Rumi tree in Jordan is named for the Romans who took it from here and transplanted it to their empire.

And perhaps olive oil can seem so life-giving because the trees that produce it can endure for so long. A thousandyear-old tree can keep bearing fruit if treated with due reverence. At the far side of the Mediterranean lies an inland region of Catalonia so thick with these trees that it’s known as the Sea of Olives.

She is wary, however, of modern consumers who seem to think of olives as the fruit of some lost paradise. “This is a food-grade product, and we have such stringent standards to conform to, but some people still have visions of the donkey and the millstone. They come to our groves and expect to see me gathering olives in my skirt.”

Within that sea are specimens planted up to 1,700 years ago, in the time of Roman Emperor Constantine. Around the town of Traiguera, former carpenter Amador Peset Celma now devotes himself to restoring and cultivating those millenary trees to extract their oil. Flavour is dictated by climate and variety, says Amador, “so oil from a 100-year-old Farga tree tastes the same as from a 1,500-year-old Farga”.

To Amelia’s mind, centuries of accumulated science around the olive tree make a treasure of that knowledge. “One of the amazing things we’ve learned is that the tree has a sort of memory. So if the olives have been underwatered, or put in sacks where it’s fermented, or if the water in the mill was dirty, the oil records that information so we can detect it when we smell it. We know something is wrong before we even taste it.”

He adds, “But an ancient building does not have the same value as an apartment built in 2002, and when I am recovering an ancient tree, I feel as if I’m restoring the Roman Colosseum, or sphinxes in Egypt. Except they’re alive and producing edible fruit.”

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Generations in the making For more than 120 years, olive oil has been at the heart of the Basso family business. Founded in 1904 in Irpinia, Campania, it began by delivering oils around the local region. In the 1980s, fourth-generation Sabino Basso took the family name beyond Italy, building relationships around the world. Today, his sons Fabrizio and Federico represent the Åfth generation, overseeing their own olive farms while working with trusted growers across the Mediterranean. From growing and sourcing to production and bottling, quality is carefully controlled at every stage. This combination of family knowledge, close relationships with growers and Mediterranean provenance lies behind the Spinneysfood Extra Virgin Olive Oil range.

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The art of dressing A great salad starts with a great dressing, and extra virgin olive oil is its foundation, bringing richness, texture and depth of flavour. From there, a simple ratio is all you need to create endless combinations. The formula is simple: 3 parts fat for richness, 1 part acid for brightness and 1 part emulsifier to bind everything together. When a dressing uses two ingredients in one category, the ratio remains the same, split between the two. Master the ratio, then finish with herbs, aromatics and seasoning, adjusting to taste. Turn the page and let a handful of wild card ingredients inspire six bold and distinctly different flavour combinations.

basic dressing makes approx. 80ml

Whisk together the fat, acid and emulsiÅer in a small bowl until combined.

3 tbsp fat (extra virgin olive oil) 1 tbsp acid (vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice or lime juice) 1 tbsp emulsifier (mustard, mayonnaise, egg yolk or avocado)

Stir in the herbs and wild card ingredient. Season with salt and pepper and adjust the balance to taste.

1 tsp fresh herbs, finely chopped (thyme, coriander, mint, or dill) 1 tsp wild card flavour (anchovy, chilli, capers, olives, onion, garlic, spices)

Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

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smoky salmoriglio 3 parts fat: Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 part acid: freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 part emulsifier: none Herb: Spinneysfood Dried Oregano Wild card: Spinneysfood Smoked Paprika

bagna cauda dressing 3 parts fat (divided): Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter, melted 1 part acid: Spinneysfood Organic Red Grape Vinegar 1 part emulsifier: single cream Wild card: minced anchovy fillets, crushed garlic cloves

chipotle lime dressing 3 parts fat: Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 part acid: freshly squeezed lime juice 1 part emulsifier: mustard Wild card: crushed garlic, whole dried chipotle, soaked in hot water and blended

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za’atar tahini dressing 3 parts fat: Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 part acid: Spinneysfood Organic White Grape Vinegar 1 part emulsifier (divided): mayonnaise, tahini Herb: Spinneysfood Za’atar Wild card: finely chopped preserved lemon

yellow capsicum chimichurri 3 parts fat: Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 part acid: Spinneysfood Organic White Grape Vinegar 1 part emulsifier: none Herb: finely chopped fresh parsley Wild card: minced garlic, finely chopped red onion, finely chopped yellow capsicum

hot honey mustard dressing 3 parts fat (divided): Spinneysfood Pure Sunflower Oil and Spinneysfood Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 part acid: freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 part emulsifier (divided): egg yolk and Dijon mustard Wild card: Spinneysfood Jalapeño Honey,

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toasted black mustard seeds

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iced co‫ٺ‬ee tonic

frozen Dubai mocha

serves 2

serves 1

9 ClemenGold mandarins

200ml camel milk

2 tbsp Spinneysfood Demerara Sugar

50g date syrup

50ml NESCAFÉ ® Espresso Concentrate Black Coffee

1 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

400ml tonic water, chilled

1 tbsp pistachio cream 40ml NESCAFÉ ® Espresso Concentrate Vanilla Coffee

Zest and juice eight ClemenGolds and set the zest aside. Pour the juice into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Slice the remaining ClemenGold.

Combine the camel milk, date syrup and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, whisking until smooth. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then pour into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.

Place the sugar and half the zest in a shallow bowl and rub together. Rub a ClemenGold slice around the rim of two glasses. Dip the rims into the sugar.

To serve, spread the pistachio cream around the inside of a glass. Transfer the frozen chocolate cubes to a blender and blitz until slushy. Spoon into the prepared glass, pour over the NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Vanilla Co‫ٺ‬ee and serve immediately.

To serve, divide the NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Black Co‫ٺ‬ee between the glasses and add the ClemenGold ice cubes. Pour over the chilled tonic water, then Ånish with the reserved ClemenGold zest and slice.

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passion fruit sparkling co‫ٺ‬ee serves 1

Juice the passion fruits, reserving 2 teaspoons of the juice for the wafer.

2 ripe passion fruits, halved 50g honey Spinneysfood Pure Ice Cubes

To make the passion fruit wafer, whisk together the Æour, water, reserved passion fruit juice, oil and icing sugar to a smooth, thin batter. Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat, then spoon small amounts of the batter into the pan and panfry until crisp and golden. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

200ml sparkling water, chilled 35ml NESCAFÉ ® Espresso Concentrate Vanilla Coffee

for the passion fruit wafer 10g Spinneysfood All-Purpose Flour 70ml water 1 tsp Spinneysfood Pure Sunflower Oil

To make the sparkling co‫ٺ‬ee, combine the passion fruit juice and honey in a glass and stir to dissolve the honey. Add ice cubes, pour over the chilled sparkling water, then pour over the NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Vanilla Co‫ٺ‬ee.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Super Fine Icing Sugar, plus extra for dusting

Dust the wafer with icing sugar and serve alongside the sparkling co‫ٺ‬ee.

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almond co‫ٺ‬ee semifreddo serves 1

for the caramel almond sauce

Toast the Æaked almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden, then set aside.

20g flaked almonds 200g Spinneysfood Fine White Sugar

To make the caramel almond sauce, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat without stirring until the mixture turns a deep amber. Remove from the heat and carefully pour in the single cream – it will bubble vigorously – then return to the heat and stir until smooth. Add the almond extract and toasted almonds then set aside in a warm place.

100ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water 100ml single cream 2 drops almond extract

for the semifreddo 200g Spinneysfood Vanilla Ice Cream 100ml Spinneysfood Fresh Full-Fat Cow’s Milk

To make the semifreddo, blend the ice cream and milk together until smooth and creamy.

40ml NESCAFÉ ® Espresso Concentrate Black Coffee

Spoon the semifreddo into a serving glass, pour the NESCAFÉ® Espresso Concentrate Black Co‫ٺ‬ee over it, drizzle generously with the caramel almond sauce and serve immediately.

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THE FLAVOR ARSENAL FOR UPSCALE DINING GRILL

MARINATE

DIP

WHY CHEFS CHOOSE US? Elevated Flavor

Reliable Consistency

Clean-label Ingredients

SAUTE

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W hic h c am e f ir st ? Forget the age-old question. However it arrived, the egg has become one of the kitchen’s most indispensable ingredients, bringing richness, structure, lightness and flavour to dishes both sweet and savoury. Recipes, food styling and photography by Katelyn Allegra

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crunchy ramen noodle scotch eggs makes 12

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the eggs. Boil for 7 minutes then immediately place in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Peel the shells o‫ ٺ‬the eggs and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

12 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature 100g Spinneysfood Pure Ice 2 x 120g instant ramen noodles 400g Spinneysfood Free-Range Chicken Mince 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Dark Soy Sauce

Prepare the instant ramen noodles according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Sesame Oil 1 tbsp gochujang paste 3 dried nori sheets, finely crushed

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken mince, soya sauce, sesame oil, gochujang, nori, spring onions, garlic, ginger and seasoning. Divide the mince mixture into 12 meatballs. Flatten each into a rough burger patty shape.

3 Spinneysfood Spring Onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely crushed 5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Remove the eggs from the fridge and dust with the corn starch. Place an egg in the centre of each patty and completely coat it with the mince. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Wrap each egg in the cooked ramen noodles, pressing them into the mince so they stick. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

100g corn starch, for dusting Spinneysfood Pure Sunflower Oil, for deep-frying

to serve 100g kimchi

Heat the oil in a large deep pot until it reaches 180°C. Gently lower 2–3 eggs into the hot oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper towels. Serve the crunchy ramen noodle scotch eggs with the kimchi.

risotto carbonara serves 4

Place the stock in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and keep hot.

1L chicken or vegetable stock 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 130g Euro Gourmet Turkey Breakfast Slices, diced

Place a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the diced turkey until crisp. Remove from the oil and set aside.

250g arborio rice 50g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter 50g pecorino romano, finely grated 50g Spinneysfood Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

In the same pan, add the rice and toast it in the oil until it turns translucent. Stirring constantly, add a ladle of hot stock and cook until it has absorbed. Continue adding a ladle of stock at a time, while stirring until the rice is perfectly cooked – approx. 20 minutes. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste 4 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs, separated

Just before serving, add the butter, cheeses and seasoning. Adjust the consistency with more stock, if necessary. The risotto should have a loose consistency. Divide the risotto between 4 bowls and make a small indent with the back of a spoon in the centre of each. Carefully place an egg yolk in the indent. Serve with extra grated cheese and ground black pepper. 132

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hot honey cured egg yolks makes 6

To cure the egg yolks, pour approx. 2 tablespoons of the hot honey into the bottom of a small container with a lid. Sprinkle over ¼ teaspoon of salt.

150g hot honey ½ tsp Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt 6 egg yolks Pinch of Spinneysfood Chilli Flakes, plus extra for serving

Gently lower the egg yolks into the container on top of the honey. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and chilli Æakes. Pour over the remaining honey. Cover with the lid and refrigerate for 1 day.

to serve 6 slices Spinneysfood Sourdough Bread 150g Spinneysfood Ricotta Cheese 2 Spinneysfood Spring Onions, finely sliced

Carefully use a spoon to turn the egg yolks to make sure they are fully submerged. Replace the lid and refrigerate for another day. When ready to serve, toast the sourdough bread, spread with ricotta, then lift the eggs out of the honey and place on top. Scatter over the spring onions and Ånish with a sprinkle of chilli Æakes.

cream fried eggs serves 2–3

Pour the double cream into the bottom of a large non-stick pan or skillet. Season with the dried thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

50ml double cream ¼ tsp Spinneysfood Dried Thyme Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt, to taste Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Crack the eggs into the pan. Increase the heat to medium and cook the eggs until the cream boils and reduces. As the eggs cook, the cream will thicken and brown around the edges, creating a luxurious sauce.

3 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs

Once it reaches this point, remove from the heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow to stand for 2–3 minutes until it reaches your preferred doneness.

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black and white tart serves 8–12

for the date pastry

To make the date pastry, blend the Æour, almond Æour and cold butter in a food processor until a rough breadcrumb texture forms. Add the icing sugar, baking powder, date powder, salt, vanilla extract and egg. Blend in short bursts to combine until it forms a rough pastry – avoid overworking it. Add the milk, if needed, to bring the pastry together. Remove the pastry from the food processor, wrap in cling Ålm and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

250g Spinneysfood All-Purpose Flour 30g almond flour 120g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter, cubed and cold 50g Spinneysfood Super Fine Icing Sugar ½ tsp Spinneysfood Baking Powder 40g date powder Pinch of Spinneysfood Sea Salt ½ tsp vanilla extract

Grease a 20cm x 40cm springform Æuted tart tin. Dust a clean surface with Æour and roll the pastry out to 3–4mm thickness. Carefully lift the pastry and place in the springform Æuted tart tin. Using your Ångers, press it into the edges. Trim o‫ ٺ‬any excess with a sharp knife. Prick holes in the bottom with a fork and place in the freezer for 1 hour.

1 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Egg 4 tsp Spinneysfood Full-Fat Fresh Cow’s Milk, cold

for the black lemon curd Ålling 6 large lemons, zested and juiced 200g Spinneysfood Fine Grain Sugar 6 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs, separated 4 tbsp corn starch

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

120g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter, cubed and cold 2 small preserved lemons, finely chopped

Place a large sheet of baking paper over the tart and Åll the centre with baking beads or uncooked rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the baking paper and the beads and bake for a further 10–15 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Place on a cooling rack until completely cool.

2 tbsp black lemon powder (or 2 black lemons, finely crushed)

for the rose water Swiss meringue 450g Spinneysfood Fine Grain Sugar 1 tsp rose water

To make the black lemon curd Ålling, scatter the lemon zest over the sugar and rub together to extract the essential oils. This recipe calls for 250ml lemon juice, so use more lemons if required to get the right amount. In a large heavy-based saucepan, whisk the 6 egg yolks with the lemon sugar, lemon juice and corn starch over a medium heat until the Ålling starts to thicken. Boil for 2 minutes then add the cold butter and whisk to combine. Add the preserved lemon and pour into the cooled tart case. Sprinkle evenly with the black lemon powder and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve the tart, whisk the 6 reserved egg whites and sugar in a glass or metal bowl over gently simmering water until it is hot to the touch. Remove from the heat and use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until white, Æu‫ٺ‬y and sti‫ ٺ‬peaks form. Whisk in the rose water. Spoon over the tart. Using a blowtorch, toast the meringue peaks until golden. Serve immediately.

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Fr o m g r e e n to gold Today’s leading butter-makers continue an ancient craft, transforming milk into a product woven into our food, memories and everyday rituals. Written by Stephen Phelan | Photography by Katelyn Allegra

transcendent quality of local Isigny Sainte-Mère butter until he came to work for the company almost 20 years ago.

Across the ancient world, alchemy was an arcane hybrid of science, philosophy and mysticism. Best known for their e‫ٺ‬orts to turn base metals into gold, its practitioners also sought to formulate an elixir of life. Around the same time, Bronze Age tribes of Ireland were making butter to store in peat bogs. This “bog butter” was a vital food, but also a currency.

It stands out even from other French butters, by maturing cream for 18 hours before churning, while the “Nizo method” adds lactic starters at the beginning of the process (as opposed to the end). It’s more time-consuming, labour-intensive, and expensive to make than any competing brand, and subject to Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) restrictions that make each batch a “limited edition” as Camille puts it.

Turning a rudimentary dairy product into a precious commodity, those early Celtic farmers succeeded where the great scholars of Greece and China failed. Today there remains something magical – alchemical – about the process and the end result. Neither has changed much, says Grainne Keena, a food technologist for 60-year-old Irish butter brand Kerrygold. “We still abide by Årst principles, which means sourcing milk from family farms where cows are raised on lush green grass, and that pasture-led diet results in a butter of natural golden colour and taste.” Speaking from an o‫ٻ‬ce that used to be a “museum room”, she holds up a traditional hand-operated paddle churn, like a glass bottle with wood blades.

Demand far exceeds supply, “but we can’t make any more than we do”, he explains, “because those rules only allow for a certain number of cows per square metre of grass.” Chefs often say that butter is the secret ingredient of everything, and they tend to want Isigny in particular because its Æavour lingers through the cooking and eating. “You get a lot of aromas and a kind of hazelnut taste. When you make a pastry with our butter, that taste is baked deep into the croissant, or pain au chocolat, and stays longer in your mouth.” But the source, or essence, is rooted in the terroir. Camille describes a ring of dairy cooperatives around the marshes of Bessin and Cotentin, which Æood with fresh water in winter then drain to let the herd graze outdoors for a minimum of seven months.

The industrial churn they use now is much bigger, with stainless steel blades, “but the basic mechanism works exactly the same way”. Grainne grew up on a farm, and loved to bake with butter from an early age, but she knows well that many have a personal relationship with this product – the familiar taste evoking images of mothers, warm ovens and kitchen tables. “There’s a recognition that elevates the experience by bringing back moments of togetherness.”

Migrating birds come to roost and yellow wildÆowers spring up, nourishing the cows with carotene and transmitting through their milk the colour and Æavour of that landscape. It sounds like the world as it was at the dawn of agriculture. Perhaps that’s the real magic of butter: this life-giving substance discovered by the ancients and no less precious to us now, as it helps us remember our own beginnings.

Across the Irish Sea and English Channel, Camille Mancelle was raised in Normandy, on some of France’s very best dairy produce. “Camembert and crème fraîche were part of my education,” he says. But he didn’t fully appreciate the

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the butter Recipes, food styling and photography by Katelyn Allegra

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ef fect Richness, flavour, flakiness, silkiness – few ingredients influence the final result quite like butter. Here, it takes the lead, as we explore the journey from cream to butter and buttermilk, and put each to work in the kitchen.

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home-made butter makes approx. 450g

Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it thickens to soft peaks. Continue whisking until it becomes grainy and completely separates into butter and buttermilk.

1L fresh cream Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water, ice cold 500g Spinneysfood Pure Ice Cubes Spinneysfood Natural Sea Salt Flakes, to taste

Line a sieve with a muslin cloth and set over a bowl. Transfer the mixture to the sieve and allow the buttermilk to drain. Gather the butter in the cloth and squeeze gently to remove as much liquid as possible. Place the butter into a bowl of ice-cold water and press and fold it with your hands to wash out any remaining buttermilk. Drain and repeat this process until the water runs completely clear. Shape the butter into a ball or press it into a mould. If using, knead in the sea salt Æakes. Chill until Årm before serving. 144

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lemon cream posset serves 4–6

Place the cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer just below boiling point for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

500ml single cream, plus extra for serving 150g Spinneysfood Fine White Sugar, plus extra for lemon sugar 3 lemons, zested and juiced

Stir in the lemon juice. Pour into small serving glasses (approx. 100ml capacity) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until set. Rub the lemon zest into a little sugar to make lemon sugar. Whip the extra cream to soft peaks. Top each posset with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of lemon sugar. Serve immediately.

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buttermilk scones makes 8

for the glaze

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

1 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Egg, separated 15g almond flour

To make the glaze, whisk the egg white lightly and mix with the almond Æour and icing sugar.

25g Spinneysfood Super Fine Icing Sugar Sugar granules or flaked almonds, optional

for the scones

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the white sugar, then fold in the buttermilk. In another bowl, rub the butter into the Æour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the baking powder and salt. Add the liquid mixture and fold gently to form a soft dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

70g Spinneysfood Fine White Sugar 200ml buttermilk 50g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter 375g Spinneysfood All-Purpose Flour 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Baking Powder

Roll the dough to approx. 2–3cm thickness and cut into rounds. Brush with the glaze and sprinkle over the sugar granules then bake for 15 minutes with a tray placed over the scones to create steam. Remove the tray and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.

Pinch of Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt

Serve the scones warm with whipped or clotted cream and jam. 146

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whipped butter tower serves a crowd

Place the butter in a mixing bowl and whip until smooth and light.

1kg Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter, softened 100ml grapeseed oil

Gradually add the grapeseed oil and continue whipping until the mixture is Æu‫ٺ‬y. Place the whipped butter on a Æat surface, setting Using a palette knife, shape into a tower.

aside.

Place the remaining butter in a piping bag Åtted with a star nozzle. Pipe rosettes and swirls on the tower to decorate. Serve with fresh crusty bread or toast.

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maroulosalata with yoghurt-marinated chicken thighs serves 4

for the yoghurt marinade

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, then add the chicken thighs and coat evenly. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best Æavour.

250g Fage 2% Greek Yoghurt 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Grill the chicken thighs in a griddle pan over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes on each side, until lightly charred.

3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp Spinneysfood Dried Oregano 1 tsp honey

In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Toss the Romaine lettuce along with the rest of the salad ingredients in the bowl.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt ½ tsp Spinneysfood Black Pepper, freshly ground 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Slice the chicken thighs, place on top of the maroulosalata and serve immediately.

for the maroulosalata 1 garlic clove, minced 1 lemon, juiced 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Organic White Grape Vinegar 4 tbsp Spinneysfood Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Romaine lettuces, finely shredded 4 Spinneysfood Spring Onions, finely sliced Handful of Spinneysfood Fresh Dill, chopped 150g Greek Halkidiki olives

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tropical Pavlova with raspberry curd serves 8

for the Pavlova

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

300g Spinneysfood Fine Caster Sugar 150g egg whites

Place the sugar in an ovenproof bowl and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.

1 tsp cornflour 1 tsp Spinneysfood Organic White Grape Vinegar

for the raspberry curd

Whisk the egg whites to medium peaks, then gradually whisk in the warmed sugar until glossy. Fold in the cornÆour and vinegar, then spoon into a round shape on the tray. Reduce the heat to 120°C and bake for 45 minutes. Turn o‫ ٺ‬the oven and leave the Pavlova inside for 2 hours to cool completely.

500g discovery by Spinneys Raspberries 100g Spinneysfood Fine Caster Sugar 1 lemon, zested and juiced 2 large egg yolks 1 Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Egg 75g Spinneysfood Unsalted Butter, cubed

To make the curd, cook the berries, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a saucepan for 3–4 minutes until soft. Slowly whisk in the yolks and whole egg; continue cooking over a low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve. Whisk in the butter, then chill until set.

for the topping 250ml whipping cream 170g Fage Fruits Mango & Passion Fruit Strained Yoghurt 150g discovery by Spinneys Raspberries 2 passion fruits, halved and pulped

Whip the cream and yoghurt together in a bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon the yoghurt cream over the Pavlova, add dollops of the raspberry curd and Ånish with fresh raspberries, passion fruit pulp and yellow pansies.

Spinneysfood Yellow Pansies

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p o u r, s i p, s a v o u r

iced matcha colada serves 4

Blend the mango and pineapple juice until smooth. Divide the purée between 4 glasses and Åll with ice.

230g ripe mango, cubed 4 tbsp pineapple juice Spinneysfood Pure Ice Cubes

Pour the Alpro Coconut Barista over the ice.

500ml Alpro Coconut Barista 2 tsp matcha

In a small bowl or jug, sift the matcha over the cold water and whisk until frothy. Pour over the coconut milk and serve immediately.

200ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water, cold

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Bring café-inspired drinks home with four easy recipes featuring Alpro’s range of alternative milks

blueberry pancake serves 4

Divide the blueberry jam between 4 cappuccino cups or glasses.

4 tbsp blueberry jam 500ml Alpro Oat Barista 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Pure Maple Syrup

Place the Alpro Oat Barista, maple syrup and cinnamon in a jug and froth using a milk frother. Alternatively, heat in a saucepan to just below 65°C, then whisk vigorously until doubled in volume.

1 tsp Spinneysfood Cinnamon, plus extra for serving 4 shots of espresso

Carefully pour the frothed milk over the jam, keeping the layers separate. Slowly pour the espresso into a teaspoon held just above the foam so it Æoats on top. Dust with extra cinnamon and serve immediately. 155

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strawberry Åelds serves 4

200g Spinneysfood Fresh or Frozen Strawberries 4 tbsp honey 2 Spinneysfood Earl Grey Tea Bags

Place the strawberries and honey in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender, blitz until smooth and allow to cool.

125ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water, hot Spinneysfood Pure Ice Cubes 1L Alpro Oat Barista Vanilla

to serve

Place the tea bags in a jug, pour over the hot water and leave to steep until completely cool, about 10–15 minutes. Divide the strawberry purée between 4 tall glasses and Åll with ice.

Whipped cream, optional

Shake the Alpro Oat Barista Vanilla well, pour into the glasses and leave to stand for 2 minutes to allow the foam to separate. Carefully pour the cooled tea into a teaspoon held just above the surface so it Æoats between the milk and foam. Top with whipped cream, if using, and serve immediately.

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caramel karak with sa‫ٺ‬ron foam serves 4

Place the Alpro Oat Barista in a jug and microwave for 1 minute until hot. Add the sa‫ٺ‬ron and leave to steep.

125ml Alpro Oat Barista Pinch of saffron, plus extra for serving 200ml Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water

Place the water, cinnamon and cardamom in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the tea and date syrup and boil for 1 minute. Pour in the Alpro Oat Barista Caramel and bring almost to the boil. Remove from the heat just before it boils over, allow it to settle, then repeat twice more. Strain and leave to cool completely.

2 Spinneysfood Cinnamon Sticks 6 Spinneysfood Cardamom Pods 2 tsp Assam loose leaf tea 2 tsp date syrup 400ml Alpro Oat Barista Caramel 4 tsp caramel sauce Spinneysfood Pure Ice Cubes

Spread 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce around the inside of each glass. Fill with ice and pour over the cooled karak. Strain the sa‫ٺ‬ron-infused oat milk into a small jug and whisk with a milk frother or whisk until doubled in volume. Spoon the foam over the drinks, garnish with a few sa‫ٺ‬ron threads and serve immediately.

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The taste of a nation At BRIX in Dubai, chef Carmen Rueda explores the origins of Emirati food, bringing native ingredients and old traditions into a menu that considers where the UAE has come from – and where it is going. Written by Tiffany Eslick | Photography by BRIX

introduced staples such as rice to the coastline. Carmen’s opening chapter draws on those early settlements through ingredients that speak quietly of the shore. There is salicornia, the mineral-rich coastal plant that thrives in saltwater yet rarely appears on contemporary tables, tucked inside an almost translucent interpretation of muhalla with baby prawns. Next, aloe, Hatta honey and the delicate salinity of the sea appear together, while moringa and miswak are transformed into a lightly sparkling drink.

Each evening, just 12 guests gather around the counter at BRIX, waiting for chef Carmen Rueda to begin. Before a single bite is served, she tells them about a small mountain village in Spain where she grew up, moving to Madrid to study culinary arts, falling unexpectedly in love with pastry in Barcelona, and the years that followed working across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It is a story that eventually brought her to Dubai, but also explains why, despite years of requests, she refused to create an Emirati menu.

Moringa, Carmen explains, can be intensely bitter. Drying, toasting and infusing the leaves softens their character, while miswak, traditionally used as a natural toothbrush from the roots of the arak tree, lends another layer of the landscape to the glass.

“I knew the country,” she says. “But I didn’t know it deeply enough.” Only once she felt she understood the UAE beyond its skyline did she begin. The result is The Voice of the Emirates, a menu that took nine months to research, travelling around the country, listening to producers and exploring the customs that have shaped local food. Rather than recreating familiar dishes, Carmen and her team looked deeper, to the landscape itself and the foods that have grown, sustained and travelled through it. “We wanted to capture the essence of Emirati ingredients,” she explains, “especially those that are native and not widely used today”.

“I think now we can start rediscovering ingredients like this,” she says. As the story moves inland, the mood changes. Hospitality takes centre stage, told not through elaborate cooking but through the ingredients that have long greeted guests crossing the desert. Few carry greater symbolism than the date palm. For generations, every part of the tree found purpose, from shelter and woven mats to fruit that sustained families through harsh conditions. Here, tender palm hearts sit inside a crisp shell with a jelly made from date syrup, while roasted date pits o‫ٺ‬er a reminder that even co‫ٺ‬ee has its own local history.

That search begins where the country’s own story began: by the sea. Long before the discovery of oil, communities looked to the Arabian Gulf for almost everything they needed. Pearl divers ventured into deeper waters, Åshermen brought in the day’s catch, while trade slowly 158

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This page, clockwise from top left Luqaimat reimagined with a rich beef-fat caramel, drawing on the traditional pairing of rice and meat; chef Carmen Rueda; aloe vera sorbet with honey bubbles and an aloe ‘pearl’, inspired by the UAE’s pearl-diving heritage; each of the four courses is paired with a beverage. | Following page Palm hearts, dates, rice, honey, saffron, rose and goat’s milk tell a story of enduring Emirati hospitality.

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forced into modernity; instead, familiar ingredients evolve, much as the UAE itself has.

“Historically there was no co‫ٺ‬ee here,” says Carmen. “People made co‫ٺ‬ee from roasted date pits.” The resulting infusion is unexpectedly familiar, carrying the roasted depth of co‫ٺ‬ee without the ca‫ٺ‬eine.

Throughout the degustation, Carmen avoids nostalgia. Tradition, in her hands, is allowed to evolve, absorbing new ideas without losing sight of its origins.

Goat’s milk, another cornerstone of Bedouin life, appears repeatedly throughout the menu in quiet, thoughtful ways. It forms delicate desserts, crisp textures and ice cream, accompanied by dates prepared several ways: smoked into syrup, pickled for acidity and transformed into caviar. Elsewhere, rice, sa‫ٺ‬ron and Hatta honey recall centuries of trade, generosity and shared tables.

That philosophy extends to the Ånal chapter, where the conversation turns towards the future. Sustainable crops such as carob and pecans hint at the possibilities of farming in a changing climate, while an unexpected confection made entirely from carrot challenges assumptions. “The UAE today is a country looking towards the future,” Carmen says. “But it also remains deeply connected to its traditions and heritage.”

Then, almost imperceptibly, another chapter begins. “There was a moment in history when everything changed,” Carmen says. “That moment was the discovery of oil.”

It is perhaps the deÅning thought behind The Voice of the Emirates. Rather than presenting history as something to look back on, Carmen treats it as the foundation for what comes next. Every native plant rediscovered, every ingredient reconsidered and every story shared across the counter becomes part of a much longer conversation and adds another layer to a story that is still being written.

The pace of life accelerated, bringing new ingredients, new inÆuences and fresh ideas. Olive oil, za’atar and frankincense all Ånd their place within the narrative, while pumpkin, reinterpreted through the lens of aseeda, acknowledges dishes that have endured despite the country’s extraordinary transformation. Nothing feels

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Fo r t r e s s o f plentitude A landmark Omani home near Muscat’s Muttrah Fort now houses a designer boutique hotel and one of the region’s most innovative restaurants. We meet the chef and the architect who teamed up to make a masterpiece… Written by Tiffany Eslick | Photography by Ali Ajmi

example, she o‫ٺ‬ers a Portuguese-style arroz dish that also resembles an Omani dish called qabooli. “Same intention, di‫ٺ‬erent ingredients.”

In the early 16th century, a Portuguese sea captain named Afonso de Albuquerque led a squadron of six ships to conquer the coastal city of Muscat. Over the following 150 years, the port became the core of a protectorate that ranged along the Gulf and across the Indian Ocean to strategic points in East Africa, from Kenya to Zanzibar.

The space, too, occupies the same fertile middle ground between cultures, set inside a historic home directly beneath the Muttrah Fort. Two brothers from Jebel Akhdar came to build it in the 1930s, when the port was booming and merchants from across the Indian Ocean passed through its harbour. Apparently inspired by their time in India, and by a particular love of animals, those original owners added curious touches to the design work, including a striking peacock detail on the exterior that has now become the brand motif for Mesa-Muscat.

Eventually expelled by Omani tribes, the European invaders left behind many churches and forts, but also traces of their inÆuence on native architecture and cuisine. Tomatoes, potatoes and peppers introduced by trading vessels in those years are now routinely used in local recipes. Mesa-Muscat, though – a new venture by renowned cookbook author, food blogger and TV presenter Dina Macki – might be the most considered, creative and colourful purveyor of Portuguese-Omani cooking the region has seen yet.

Repurposing the interior as a prime dining venue, and a boutique hotel, has been the project of a lifetime for Dina and her friend Amr El Sheikh, the Sudanese architect she brought on board. It all started when the Omani ministry requested that the investors who came to own this heritage property actually do something with it, ideally something gastronomic. They asked Dina to consult, then invited her to take over the whole thing when it proved to be “much harder than they thought”, as she puts it. “I didn’t want a restaurant, but I ended up with one.”

“The point is, it’s not a Portuguese restaurant and not an Omani restaurant,” says Dina, who is herself of British, Omani and Zanzibari origin. “It sits in the middle. But the more research I did, the more I realised [these cuisines] are more similar than you’d expect. Not in presentation, but in the structure: small dishes, reliance on seafood, acidity, stock-based Æavour.” Just for one 163

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This spread, clockwise from left Mesa salad; one of several dining terraces overlooking Muttrah’s surrounding mountains; the Muttrah Corniche curves around one of Oman’s oldest natural harbours; sardines with tomatoes, charred orange, pickled fennel and a hint of frankincense. | Previous spread Dina Macki, co-founder and chef at Mesa-Muscat, and Amr El Sheikh, the restaurant’s creative director, whose shared vision brings together Omani heritage, Portuguese influences and contemporary hospitality.

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Facing page, clockwise from top left Graceful arches create striking symmetry throughout the restored heritage home; Zanzibar blue became a defining interior feature; one of the private dining rooms blends antique furnishings with contemporary comfort; Mesa-Muscat occupies a restored 1930s home beneath Muttrah Fort; house-made pastéis de nata took more than 60 attempts to perfect; guests can enjoy a game of bao; murals reinterpret traditional Omani palm motifs; historic maps honour the building’s maritime past; the original peacock motif inspired Mesa-Muscat’s brand identity.

The culinary aspect was no easier, says Dina, and it took her a long time to Ånd the right chef to implement her vision for a small menu – somewhat inspired by her experience in London. Short as it might be, the resulting list of dishes makes for quite a feast. Gambas pil pil with local prawns dressed in ghee, onion, garlic, curry leaf, chilli oil and loomi “dust”. Sardines marinated in tomatoes, charred orange, pickled fennel and a little light frankincense. That Åsh is popular in Portugal and Oman, says Dina, but the latter tends to see it as a poor man’s seafood, eaten whole, bones and all, at your grandmother’s house.

The uniqueness of the location, and the freedom implicit in that business arrangement, gave the opportunity a life of its own. Amr, too, found it hard to resist when Dina asked him to decorate the place. “The moment she told me about the house and its history I was like: I have to do this… I’m not letting anyone else do it.” What he’s done is extraordinary, and the derelict state of the structure – abandoned since the 1980s – gave him even greater licence to design according to his own tastes and instincts, though guided always by what seemed right for this particular ediÅce. “For me there’s always a hidden logic. We had a framework and everything had to fall within it: ‘Is it Mesa? Does it belong?’ That helped when convincing the investment team, too: it’s not about what we like, it’s about what suits the restaurant.”

“So we wanted to make them beautiful and full of Æavour.” The Mesa salad is a real highlight, too, with mixed leaves in a fermented garlic honey dressing, za’atar labneh, pumpkin seeds and Kalamata olives. And when it comes to dessert, the house pastéis de nata is “the only dish that’s pure Portuguese”, says Dina of that classic custard tart.

There were obstacles and sometimes disagreements, admits Dina, “but for us it was important to honour the house”. The overall e‫ٺ‬ect might be summarised as “whimsical”, a word they kept coming back to in resisting the temptations of trendiness and respecting the quirky character of the structure. Omani earthiness set o‫ ٺ‬by pops of Portuguese colonial colour; wood beams replaced by steel and repainted a softening green; bright murals and pastel pieces commissioned from artists Miran and Anushka (aka Local Ghost), taking visual cues from the date palms common to native traditional décor, or the pinks and reds of protectorate-era naval defence maps.

“No one else in Muscat does them properly, and it took us at least 60 attempts to perfect. But now we’ve got it and we want to introduce seasonal Æavours. We tested an Omani chai-inspired version and it was so good… ” It’s still early days of course, and when the hotel opened last Christmas Day, Dina realised that she had “underestimated” everything. “The tourists, the demand, the fact that this kind of concept doesn’t exist here.” But guest feedback so far has been borderline ecstatic and seems to bear out every instinct they had in conceiving the place.

The owners wanted blue, too, says Amr, and they took a particular shade from photos of old homes in Zanzibar. “We were like, that’s it: Zanzibar blue.” That “Swahili coast vibe” is deepened by the dark teak of the woodwork, while chairs and other furnishings reference the proÅle of the fort above. “Designing is fun, but hard,” says Amr. “We changed so much. If we weren’t feeling it, we changed it. We wanted rooms with soul.”

“They’re amazed how intentional everything feels, how the people who created it are also running it. They love that it hasn’t copied anything else in the region. Someone from the UAE even said it’s refreshing, because even in Dubai you don’t get places that hold this kind of warmth and authenticity. It feels real, like a family-owned restaurant.”

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This spread, clockwise from left Flamed local baby squid with Kalamata olives, chilli and fresh parsley; arroz de hammour pairs Omani grouper with bomba rice cooked in saffron-infused seafood broth; striking carved doors and intricate balconies reﬂect Muscat’s architectural heritage; sonhos, light Portuguese doughnuts ﬂavoured with cardamom, are served with chocolate or date caramel; from Muttrah Fort, sweeping views extend across the harbour and Gulf of Oman.

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bold & bright 170

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Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce, Mango Chutney and Low Fat Plain Poppadoms bring colour, texture and bold flavour to dishes made for sharing.

mango chutney-glazed chicken with wedge salad and tikka masala dressing serves 4

140g Sharwood’s Mango Chutney 2 tbsp soya sauce 1 tbsp Spinneysfood Rice Vinegar 2 garlic cloves 1cm piece of fresh ginger, grated 4 tbsp water 1 Spinneysfood Free-Range Chicken, spatchcocked (approx. 1.5kg)

for the wedge salad 4 tbsp Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce 2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

tikka masala shakshuka

2 baby gem or cos lettuces, quartered 2 snack cucumbers, sliced

serves 2

8 radishes, thinly sliced 100g Spinneysfood Baby Rainbow Plum Tomatoes 210g Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce

Combine the mango chutney, soya sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and water in a blender and blitz until smooth. Reserve a little of the marinade for basting, then pour the remainder over the chicken, turning to coat evenly. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

400g tin Spinneysfood Chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 large Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Eggs

to serve Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander, finely chopped Spinneysfood Greek Yoghurt Sharwood’s Low Fat Plain Poppadoms

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3.

Heat the tikka masala sauce in a wide frying pan (or two small individual pans) over a medium heat. Add the chickpeas and stir to combine.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting with the reserved marinade every 10 minutes, until deeply caramelised and cooked through. Rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Make two wells in the sauce and carefully crack an egg into each. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the whites are just set and the yolks remain runny.

Whisk together the tikka masala curry sauce, olive oil and lime juice. Arrange the lettuce, cucumber, radish and tomatoes on a serving platter, then drizzle over the dressing.

Scatter over the coriander and serve immediately with Greek yoghurt and poppadoms on the side.

Serve the mango chutney-glazed chicken alongside the wedge salad.

Sharwood’s Low Fat Plain Poppadoms

Sharwood’s Mango Chutney

Light, crisp poppadoms made from chickpea flour,

A fruity chutney balanced with gentle spices and tangy

offering the perfect crunchy accompaniment to meals.

notes, adding a vibrant sweetness to dishes.

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bbq tikka masala prawns with charred corn and lime sambal

tikka masala potato slab pie with mango chutney

210g Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce, plus extra for serving

1 x 500g block of puff pastry

1kg whole fresh prawns, shell-on and deveined

Spinneysfood All-Purpose Flour, for dusting

serves 4

1 tbsp Spinneysfood Full-Fat Cow’s Milk, for brushing

for the sambal

2 tbsp Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 corn on the cob

2½cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 lime, zested and juiced

300g potatoes, peeled and cubed

50g dried coconut flakes, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes

1 tsp Spinneysfood Turmeric

then drained

1 tsp Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt

Handful of Spinneysfood Fresh Mint, finely chopped

1 tsp Spinneysfood Fine White Sugar 300g cauliflower florets, sliced

to serve

210g Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce 50g frozen peas

Parathas

1 red chilli, finely sliced

Reserve a little of the tikka masala curry sauce for basting, then place the prawns in a shallow dish and coat with the remaining sauce. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight.

1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

to serve Small bunch of Spinneysfood Fresh Coriander, stems and leaves finely chopped

Thread the prawns onto skewers from the tail through the head. Chargrill on a hot griddle pan or barbecue for 3–5 minutes per side, basting with the reserved sauce, until the prawns are pink and cooked through. At the same time, grill the corn until lightly charred all over.

Sharwood’s Mango Chutney

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Roll out the pu‫ ٺ‬pastry on a lightly Æoured surface into a 30cm x 20cm rectangle, approximately 5mm thick. Trim the edges, lightly score a 2½cm border around the edge and prick the centre all over with a fork. Transfer to the prepared tray, brush the border with milk and bake for 20–25 minutes, until pu‫ٺ‬ed and golden.

Cut the kernels from the cobs and combine with the lime zest and juice, coconut Æakes and mint. Serve the prawns with the charred corn and lime sambal, warm parathas and tikka masala curry sauce for dipping.

Meanwhile, toss the olive oil, ginger, potatoes, turmeric, salt and sugar together in a roasting tray. Roast alongside the pastry for 10 minutes. Steam the cauliÆower for 2–3 minutes until just tender. Press down the centre of the baked pastry, leaving the raised border intact. Spread over the tikka masala curry sauce, then top with the potatoes, cauliÆower, peas, chilli and red onion. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until heated through. Scatter over the coriander and serve the pie with the mango chutney.

Sharwood’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce A rich, creamy tomato-based curry sauce blended with aromatic spices, delivering warmth and authentic flavour in minutes.

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Colgate Bluey Toothbrush 2 + Years x 2

Colgate Bluey Toothpaste 6 + Years

Colgate Kids Bluey Powered Toothbrush

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Custodians High in Himachal Pradesh’s pine forests, boutique sanctuary Amaya and culinary 174

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of the land destination NAAR celebrate Himalayan heritage through two distinct, elevated experiences. Written by Karen D’Souza | Photography 175 by Aasiya Jagadeesh, Amaya & NAAR

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This spread, from left Amaya’s menu features a wide variety of fermented vegetables, fruits and flowers grown on the property and foraged from the surrounding hillsides; Deepak Gupta; makki tujj (mushrooms skewered on pine twigs) is a Kashmiri-style street food served at NAAR; ladybugs are proof of a healthy environment. | Previous spread, from left Freshly harvested mushrooms; Amaya blends seamlessly into the Himalayan landscape.

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Since the property included abandoned terraced farmland, Bijoy and his team chose to build on existing terraces rather than deepening or creating new ones. “These mountains are fragile and they have a natural Æow; the existing terraces are stable,” explains Deepak, “Any change and we couldn’t predict how nature would react.” They also formalised ancient pathways crossing the property, which are still accessible to local villagers and their livestock today.

Deepak Gupta wasn’t considering building a home in the mountains when he reconnected with Rahul Gupta, his close friend from university. However, when Rahul o‫ٺ‬ered to scout for a parcel of land in Himachal Pradesh, India, the thought of creating “residences in the sky” was too tempting to resist. “We wanted to create our own ecosystem and put a distance between ourselves and the chaos of unplanned development that you see elsewhere in the Himalayan region,” says Deepak, who was determined to work harmoniously with the land. Once the 15-acre site had been identiÅed, he searched for the architect capable of weaving modernity with ancient traditions, ensuring what’s known as Amaya today would look like it had always belonged among the forests that cling to these mountains.

Most incredibly though, Amaya was built entirely by hand. The team brought in a Swiss master craftsman specialising in lime plaster to “teach Indian masons to work with lime to create texture, colour and stability”. Similarly, local woodworkers and stonemasons who worked on the structures also beneÅted from workshops conducted by visiting global experts. As time was of little consequence, this build turned into a journey of experimentation and patience, and sustainability extended to developing the skills of local labour. “It took 11 years to complete,” Deepak says, “but we weren’t in a hurry since this didn’t begin as a commercial project”.

Enter Bijoy Jain, the award-winning Mumbai-based architect. When Deepak Årst approached him, his enquiry wasn’t about the longevity of the structure, but its eventual return to earth – would the land revert to nature if it were abandoned in 50 years? Bijoy a‫ٻ‬rmed it would, owing to “the raw materials used for construction”. This proved to be a deÅning moment in the entire project. Deepak and his partners committed to building without cement, opting for lime – a degradable and locally sourced material – along with indigenous slate for the roofs and stone for support walls.

Amaya’s interiors marry Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian comfort to create serene, warm and comforting spaces without the clutter. Windows here don’t come dressed in drapes or blinds. Nor do they have panes of glass. Inspired by Japanese shoji screens, Bijoy

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tahini and is seasoned with bhang jeera, a round, aromatic Himalayan spice that bears no relation to the hemp plant despite its name. His team makes hisalu za’atar, a local version of the earthy and tangy Arabic spice blend, using the dried and powdered juice of golden Himalayan raspberries to provide a natural, piquant tang in place of sumac. The kitchen is also home to a six-year-old scoby, which requires “constant care and feeding” to produce the estate’s signature kombucha. While Amaya’s kitchen focuses on comforting soul food, NAAR, located within the same estate, has been championing ingredients from across India’s Himalayan belt with experimental menus since it opened in 2023. NAAR, meaning “Åre” in Kashmiri, is a nod to the element that touches almost all the dishes on the menu. “It didn’t start out as a business idea. It came from a need to build something in a place people don’t usually consider, and to prove that world-class food doesn’t have to come from a big city,” says Prateek Sadhu, co-founder and head chef. After years spent working at some of the top restaurants in the world, including Noma in Copenhagen and Masque in Mumbai, he could no longer ignore the call of the mountains.

experimented with sheets of marble, shaved thin enough to allow light to Ålter in and out in a di‫ٺ‬used glow. As the sun sets, Amaya’s villas, chalets and cottages appear like warm lanterns dotting the hills.

Prateek admits that cooking at high altitudes required a complete reworking of techniques, softening into intuition over culinary school rules.

The same spirit of patience marked the regeneration of the property’s agricultural terraces and hillsides. Deepak was adamant that Amaya’s kitchen would be deeply connected to the Himalayan landscape, not only highlighting Himachali ingredients but using fresh produce grown on the estate itself. He achieved this by turning to the land’s native inhabitants.

“We spend a lot of time understanding how an ingredient is traditionally used; why it’s cooked a certain way; what role it plays in people’s lives. And then we slowly build from there. The soul of the dish should still feel familiar to someone from that region,” he explains. “If it loses that, then we’ve missed the point.” Regular foraging trips undertaken by chef Prateek and chef Kamlesh, who is head of research, ensure the team gets to play and experiment with new and unfamiliar ingredients throughout the year.

Leading the horticulture team is Hemraj. “He joined us as a young man, when we were still constructing. We needed someone to start growing veggies and repopulate the slopes with native cedar,” says Deepak. A resident of a nearby village, Hemraj conducts horticulture tours around Amaya’s hills and farms. During these walks he’s likely to climb a tree to collect Indian gooseberries, pluck wild strawberry Æowers from the hillside, or gather clusters of golden Himalayan raspberries. He frequently pauses to open fresh pea pods, revealing the remarkably sweet peas within and encourages guests to taste the land’s bounty. Under his stewardship, the kitchen receives a daily harvest ranging from beetroot, carrots and brassicas to fragrant herbs, Gondhoraj limes and crisp lettuce.

NAAR’s tasting menu serves anywhere from 14 to 17 dishes accompanied by a dash of storytelling. As if they plotted a course on a map, the team reveals reinvented dishes from Kashmir, Tibet, Ladakh and more, beginning in the living room before the experience moves into the cosy dining room that seats no more than 16 people. During the second course of the culinary journey, traditional preservation techniques are immediately apparent in the appetiser called Sharjan – a Ladakhi term for preserved meats and vegetables. In the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh, smoking and curing are essential

The kitchen is where chef Sumeet Garg reimagines Himachali ingredients in global staples. Sumeet’s hummus, for example, gets its nuttiness from horse gram instead of 178

This spread, from top left Chef Prateek Sadhu; golden Himalayan raspberries; mist covered mountains at dawn; at Amaya, chef Sumeet stuffs siddu, a traditional Himachali steamed bread, with horse gram lentils, wild mushrooms and walnuts. | Following spread, from left Dirty Toast is present on almost all NAAR’s tasting menus; clear, sunny days reveal the Upper Himalayan range’s snow-capped peaks.

for winter survival; here, the technique is reÅned. Smoked duck is Ånely diced and tossed in a tartare sauce and set atop a stinging nettle leaf. Fried as a light tempura, the leaf provides a brittle, earthy snap that gives way to the rich, savoury creaminess of the duck. Between the opening courses and the heart of the menu, a succession of appetisers chart a sensory trail across the Himalayan belt. These include Askalu, typically prepared with jaggery but given a savoury twist here with a choux pastry made with tapioca Æour and Ålled with smoked cheese, pickled chilli and orange marmalade. Another standout, the Masala Carrots, features preserved winter carrots and apple salsa Ånished with a sweet carrot reduction, which provides a sharp contrast to the mustardy hit of a veil-like layer of kadhi foam. Variations of the seventh course, Dirty Toast, usually feature on all menus at NAAR. Khambiri bread (a Ladakhi staple) is charred on the grill then layered with a silky mustard emulsion and smoked apple chutney before being mounted with a chunk of barely cooked, smoked trout belly with crispy skin. “Diners have told us it reminds them of sashimi,” says Kevin Fernandes, the restaurant manager. 179

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This page, from left The culinary team at NAAR presents each dish with a side of storytelling; foraging for ingredients across the Himalayan belt remains integral to NAAR’s philosophy; diffused light filters through marble windowpanes.

Sunder Kala, inspired by a Tibetan breakfast dish, comes with a simple instruction: “Mix it all together and slurp it”. It is a deeply comforting, curry-like soup with handmade noodles nestled in lamb gyuma sauce and timru broth, Ånished with fried onions, burnt garlic and chopped fresh scallions. Timru, as it turns out, is the wild Himalayan cousin of Sichuan peppercorn. It starts by numbing the tip of the tongue before progressing to a persistent tingling sensation, a process that reÅnes the palate and makes the taste buds more receptive to the Æavours that follow.

sautéed shiitake and Portobello mushrooms sourced from Solan, India’s mushroom capital. The real heroes are the fresh green leaves – baby mint, baby beetroot and fennel – that provide pockets of freshness cutting through the rich Æavours. It is served with sornu rice, cooked in a red bell pepper and tomato base, topped with a soya-cured egg. A fermented soya bean chutney from Northeast India, roasted with cumin, ginger, garlic and onion, provides an umami anchor that pairs with the rice. Nudging diners over the Ånish line is a warm toasted brioche cake glazed with pineapple. It is served with charred pineapple slices and topped with a generous swirl of timru and black pepper cream, Ånished with sea salt Æakes. The cloud-like texture of the cream, carrying a whisper of heat from the timru and black pepper, provides a sophisticated foil to the concentrated sweetness of the fruit below.

Sunder Kala’s heat gives way to the cool, sophisticated balance of a palate cleanser called Nimbu San. Inspired by a simple citrus salad dressed with mustard oil and hemp seed chutney – made every Sunday in chef Kamlesh’s mountain village in Uttarakhand – NAAR’s reinvention sees the potent sourness of Galgal limes tamed by a velvety sweet yoghurt foam and vibrant coriander oil. Finished with a sprinkle of chilli-lime salt, it is simultaneously creamy, sweet and salty, with Æashes of tartness and the lingering pungency of mustard.

Ultimately, a visit to the estate – whether for an extended stay or one meal – leaves an impression like no other. Removed from the rush of the city, Amaya and NAAR o‫ٺ‬er visitors slow luxury within a forested sanctuary. Building a legacy, whether it’s stone by stone or plate by plate, requires patience and passion, both of which are evident in these two exceptional experiences.

Yakhni and Chicken, the main course, is built around a yakhni sauce. A cherished recipe from chef Prateek’s family, it is made with yoghurt and almonds. Fire-grilled chicken Ånished with a mustard glaze is presented alongside

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ONE BITE AT A TIME 185 8

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Craft, precision and an obsession with detail define every meal in one of the world’s greatest food cities. Here’s how to spend 48 hours dining around Tokyo, with Emirates Holidays taking care of every delicious detail. Written by Tiffany Eslick | Illustrations by Sarah-Jane Knox

Day 1

the bakery’s own Biei Farm in Hokkaido. Once you’ve had toast served piping hot on demand, anything arriving lukewarm elsewhere feels like a compromise.

MORNING

From here, drift into Ginza, Tokyo’s most elegant district, built on the site of an Edo-era silver mint. Wide, treelined boulevards are lined with landmark department stores including Ginza Mitsukoshi, Matsuya Ginza and Wako, alongside global luxury brands and cult Japanese labels. Stop into the colourful Æagship of Onitsuka Tiger – practically a rite of passage considering how much walking Tokyo demands – or lose an hour inside the beautifully designed MUJI Ginza.

Start your morning at La Cantine Centre The Bakery, where bread is treated with the quiet reverence Tokyo reserves for true craft. Made from Hokkaido’s prized Yumechikara wheat using hot-water and liquid-dough methods, the square loaves emerge impossibly soft and delicately chewy. The best way to begin is with the bakery’s signature breakfast set. Choose your bread, then toast it yourself at the table. Part breakfast, part theatre, it’s become something of an Instagram favourite among Tokyo’s early risers.

Food is never far away in Ginza. At Sembikiya, perfect fruit is treated with almost obsessive care. Founded in the 19th century, the legendary fruit boutique helped shape Japan’s tradition of gifting immaculate produce. Upstairs, order the famous strawberry parfait layered with vanilla ice cream, mascarpone cream, white chocolate feuilletine

A painter’s palette of jams arrives alongside – orange marmalade and creamy honey among the highlights – together with salted butters from Échiré in France and 186

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of chicken, perfectly Årm noodles and seasonal vegetables bring freshness and balance, while the tru‫ټ‬e version adds earthy depth. One slurp and suddenly you understand the crowds.

and glossy strawberries grown exclusively for the company. Afterwards, browse displays of beautifully boxed fruit, sparkling fruit jellies and delicate cakes. Just around the corner, Ginza Akebono has been crafting traditional sweets since 1948. Pick up delicate monaka (crispy wafer sweets), daifuku (soft mochi cakes) or beautifully packaged rice crackers, and if you’re visiting during cherry blossom season, don’t miss the softly salted sakura sweets.

After lunch, check into the Kimpton Shinjuku, an Emirates Holidays hotel that strikes the perfect balance between Tokyo’s electric energy and somewhere to recharge. Spacious rooms, relaxed hospitality, a buzzing lobby café and an evening social hour spilling onto the terrace make it a destination in itself.

EARLY AFTERNOON For lunch, slip down one of Ginza’s narrow back alleys to Ginza Kagari, a tiny ramen counter quietly revered across Tokyo. The queue snaking down the pavement is simply part of the ritual.

The hotel’s Food & Beverage Director, Antoine, sums up the city perfectly: “Tokyo has been the Michelin capital of the world for more than a decade – but what really deÅnes it is the diversity. You Ånd cuisines, regions and sub-regions with incredible depth.”

Order the celebrated tori paitan ramen – a rich, creamy chicken broth that drinks almost like velvet. Tender slices

That philosophy carries through to The District, where seasonal Japanese produce meets New York-inspired dining. 188

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For lunch, slip down one of Ginza’s narrow back alleys to Ginza Kagari, a tiny ramen counter quietly revered across Tokyo. The queue snaking down the pavement is simply part of the ritual.

EVENING

neighbourhoods, where bakeries, sweet shops and tiny snack stalls reveal a slower, more traditional side of the city. As we wandered, she introduced us to some of her favourite local stops – Yanaka Senbei, where rice crackers have been grilled over charcoal since 1913; Waguriya, renowned for elegant Mont Blanc desserts crowned with silky chestnut purée; and Ånally Bakery Hitotema, where the anpan and fragrant curry pan draw loyal locals, although it’s the blueberry and ricotta pastry that’s worth making a detour for.

Later, head to Ebisu, a fashionable neighbourhood where you’ll Ånd a dense constellation of restaurants, bars and late-night izakaya. Ushigoro Kan is where to go for premium Wagyu. Some cuts you’ll grill at your table, while prized selections including chateaubriand and delicately seared sushi are prepared by your waiter with quiet precision.

AFTERNOON

The tasting menu unfolds slowly: roasted beef tartare with sweet shrimp, melting slices of Kiwami beef tongue, sirloin grilled with Kyoto miso and maitake mushrooms, before Ånishing with a comforting bowl of clam and seaweed komtang noodles.

For a late lunch, return to Ginza for one of Tokyo’s most elegant tea experiences at Higashiya. Here, two beautifully presented trays – one savoury, one sweet – arrive alongside a progression of teas from Saboe.

Day 2

A seasonal fermented bancha is followed by a deeper, smoky Kyoto bancha, paired with yuzu-glazed inari sushi, sesame tofu and delicate Japanese omelette. To Ånish, a fragrant seasonal strawberry tea accompanies exquisite wagashi – jewel-like sweets including yuzu jellies, airy sponge cake, mini cheesecakes and dates Ålled with fermented butter and roasted walnuts.

MORNING Breakfast back at The District is worth lingering over. Plates of fresh Japanese fruit, Kobashi Farm poached eggs with Murakami sausage and sakura wood-smoked bacon arrive alongside pastries and freshly baked breads, while green juices blend spinach, shiso, peach and mango. Seasonality guides everything here.

Round o‫ ٺ‬the afternoon at Shinjuku Gyoen, one of Tokyo’s most beautiful parks. Before heading in, stop by one of the city’s famous depachika food halls – Isetan and Takashimaya are favourites – to gather an e‫ٺ‬ortless picnic of immaculate sushi, smoky yakitori, crisp salads and beautifully packaged sweets.

Then, head to Nezu Shrine, one of Tokyo’s oldest and most beautiful sanctuaries. Dating back to 1706, it’s famous for its vermilion torii gates, Edo-period architecture and omikuji fortunes said to bring good luck.

IF YOU HAVE LONGER…

It was here that we met Mariko, the local guide arranged by Emirates Holidays, whose love of Tokyo proved infectious. A passionate foodie who has even studied cooking with a Zen monk, she knew exactly where to linger, what to taste and the stories hidden behind every neighbourhood. With our driver Mr Oka quietly navigating Tokyo’s maze of streets between stops, exploring a city of this scale felt surprisingly e‫ٺ‬ortless.

By now you’ll realise 48 hours is nowhere near enough time for Tokyo. And if you’re able to extend your stay, two unforgettable culinary experiences reveal even more of Japan’s extraordinary food culture. The Årst is a hands-on sushi masterclass with chef Noguchi at Sushi Honten Noboru, above the century-old Tsukiji Tama Sushi. After grating fresh mountain-grown wasabi on traditional sharkskin, you’ll learn the delicate art of shaping nigiri with medium-fatty

From Nezu, Mariko led us north into nostalgic Yanaka Ginza, one of Tokyo’s last remaining shitamachi 189

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drop is the best. We call it the golden drop – it holds the deepest Æavour.”

tuna, lean tuna, salmon, mackerel and tiger shrimp. Chef Noguchi insists great sushi is all about a gentle touch. A highlight is crafting a hand roll Ålled with baby sardines, shiso, sesame and olive oil, wrapped in crisp seaweed, before sitting down to enjoy your creations and leaving with a certiÅcate declaring you a sushi master.

THE LAST SUPPER Before heading to Haneda Airport for your Emirates Æight home, there’s just enough time for one Ånal meal.

For a change of pace, head to Shizuoka, Japan’s celebrated tea region, just over an hour from Tokyo on the Shinkansen. At Hyogetsutei Tea Room at Gyokuro no Sato, surrounded by rolling tea plantations, a traditional matcha ceremony o‫ٺ‬ers a peaceful introduction to one of Japan’s most treasured rituals. Afterwards, a nearby tea masterclass and seasonal lunch of delicate vegetables, sashimi and fragrant rice reveal the remarkable breadth of Japanese tea, each course paired with a di‫ٺ‬erent variety. Silky, shade-grown gyokuro delivers deep umami notes, fragrant Machiko brings delicate Æoral aromas, while roasted h˛jicha and Japanese black tea o‫ٺ‬er richer, more robust Æavours. There’s even the opportunity to sample the freshly brewed tea leaves themselves. As the tea master pours the Ånal drops into each cup, he smiles: “The last

If comfort food is calling, seek out Udon Shin – a tiny neighbourhood restaurant in Shibuya serving one of Tokyo’s most indulgent bowls: carbonara udon. Thick, springy wheat noodles are topped with grated cheese, a silky soft-boiled egg and a generous slice of meat tempura, creating an unexpected Japanese take on an Italian classic. Or, for one last unforgettable bowl of ramen, join the queue at Karashibi Miso Ramen Kikanbo in Kanda. Inside, taiko drums pound as bowls of rich miso broth arrive blazing with chilli heat and the numbing tingle of sansho pepper, tangled with chewy noodles, tender meat, bean sprouts and fresh coriander. Fiery, theatrical and unforgettable, it’s the perfect Ånal taste of Tokyo before boarding the plane.

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GET IN TOUCH Plan your Tokyo foodie itinerary with Emirates Holidays, from Æights and private transfers to expert local guides, bespoke culinary experiences and a stylish stay at the Kimpton Shinjuku. For more information, visit emiratesholidays.com or scan the QR code to book.

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To ke n s o f es t eem Japan has a long tradition of gift-giving, bound by certain customs and rituals. Here we unpack some of the history, and mystery, behind the nation’s beautifully presented crafts and foods… Written by Stephen Phelan | Illustration by Sarah-Jane Knox

Handmade paper from K˛chi Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku. Ceramics made from crushed-stone clay in the southern town of Arita. Soba noodles, rich in buckwheat, from the Kiso Mountains. Any one of these meibutsu, or “famous things”, would make a very Åne gift to give or receive, according to the customs of Japan.

“The road networks had rest stops every 10 kilometres or so, and they developed local products knowing that people would have to bring gifts back.” In 21st-century Japan you’ll see the same commercial imperative at souvenir stores in highway service areas and train stations, with whole sections given over to regional omiyage.

Every region has its own signature craft or agricultural product, duly promoted and packaged for gifting. A traveller is likely to get a prime specimen from local hosts on arrival, and may equally be expected to bring one home to friends or family as a souvenir (known as omiyage). Often, the presentation is artful and exquisite out of all proportion to the value of the item itself, bound in fabrics using a technique called furoshiki.

Foods, especially fruits, are common among them. Melons, for example, have been considered highly auspicious gifts for centuries. “Because they contain so many seeds,” says Christine, “they are associated with fertility.” Strawberry cultivation, meanwhile, was only introduced to Japan in the Meiji Period (1868–1912), while Western customs like Christmas and Valentine’s Day have been added to the Japanese festive calendar (and the formal gift-giving occasions of Ochugen and Oseibo) since the US military occupation following World War II.

“It’s a way of showing respect,” says Professor Christine Guth, a leading historian of Asian art and design, and author of Exemplary Things: Meibutsu in Premodern Japan. “The more beautifully presented, the more reÅned you assume your recipient is.”

In such cases, the ritual aspect has been infused with Japanese cultural notes and business plans to create a kind of East-West hybrid holiday. The reds and whites that signify Christmas happen to be the principal symbolic colours of Shinto worship at New Year, which has made midwinter the prime season for strawberries grown in Kyushu and cream from the dairies of Hokkaido – combined into gorgeously decorated cakes for gifting to friends and family.

This tradition may be rooted in ancient Shinto practice, where special o‫ٺ‬erings were made to divine spirits said to inhabit speciÅc rocks, trees and even winds. But, like many Japanese habits, says Christine, gift-giving took on its present dimensions in the feudal Edo Period (1603–1868), when tributes were often paid in local produce, becoming “a matter of imperial ritual, consolidation of power and taxation”. While Western observers tend to think of artworks from that era, especially woodblock prints, as expressions of samurai culture, they were often adverts for particular merchandise, “and the people who made them were like early inÆuencers”.

On the other hand, says Christine, there is often a hint of cheeky opportunism to the concept these days. On a recent visit to Tokyo’s street market Ameya-Yokoch˛, she saw a vendor selling chicken feet and other poultry o‫ٺ‬-cuts as authentic local meibutsu. “There are some gifts, let’s say, that I wouldn’t be quite so grateful to receive.”

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Deliciously HEALTHY, less sugarS

CALCIUM FOR HEALTHY BONES2

SOURCE OF PROTEIN 2

STRAWBERRY

CHOCOLATE

FLAVOUR

LESS

SUGARS 1

30% less total sugar than the market reference in kids flavored milk drinks (in the absence of plant-based kids drinks)

Alpro Kids chocolate flavour and strawberry flavour drinks are source of calcium and protein which are needed for the maintenance of normal bones. From 100ml per day. A varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle are recommended for good health