I grew up in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi and my fondest memories are of food. Trying different food. In different kitchens. Across different cultural households. It's such a pleasure to stumble upon your substance and your musings!
That means so much thank you! ❤️ Growing up across all three cities must have given you such an incredible mix of food memories. I’m so happy you stumbled upon my little corner here. Welcome!
I enjoyed this, Majed. Reading it, I found myself thinking about the UAE not as a collection of skyscrapers but as part of the old Arabian Sea world. Given the centuries of trade and migration between the Gulf and India, I wonder how much of that history still survives in Emirati kitchens today.
Modern UAE often gets reduced to skyscrapers, but there’s a much older story beneath that. Food is one of the places where those connections are still very much alive.
And I can’t wait to share that part with everyone!
I’d love that. Writing can be such a solitary thing, so it’s always nice to bounce ideas around with someone. Let’s see where our interests overlap and what we can come up with.
You are writing about the UAE that most people never see - not the skyscrapers, but what's underneath. The smell of a house. Eid night. A grandmother's kitchen. Gahwa with saffron poured by someone who already knows how you take it.
I write about Jewish communities that most people have never heard of -not the mainstream narrative, but what's underneath. Recipes as forensic evidence. Food as the surviving archive of a diaspora.
Both of us are doing the same thing: using food to recover a world that is disappearing or has already disappeared. Yours is the Emirati world before the oil boom transformed it beyond recognition.
Mine is the Indian Ocean Jewish world before it dispersed.
Two writers. Two disappearing worlds. One shared gesture.
If you have concrete ideas, please message me. It could be tremendous.
Beautiful Majed! And a very nice picture!
Can’t wait to learn about Emirati and Dubai culture and food. And pearls… 😉
Shukran my dear!
I grew up in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi and my fondest memories are of food. Trying different food. In different kitchens. Across different cultural households. It's such a pleasure to stumble upon your substance and your musings!
That means so much thank you! ❤️ Growing up across all three cities must have given you such an incredible mix of food memories. I’m so happy you stumbled upon my little corner here. Welcome!
I enjoyed this, Majed. Reading it, I found myself thinking about the UAE not as a collection of skyscrapers but as part of the old Arabian Sea world. Given the centuries of trade and migration between the Gulf and India, I wonder how much of that history still survives in Emirati kitchens today.
Modern UAE often gets reduced to skyscrapers, but there’s a much older story beneath that. Food is one of the places where those connections are still very much alive.
And I can’t wait to share that part with everyone!
would you like to write something together?
I’d love that. Writing can be such a solitary thing, so it’s always nice to bounce ideas around with someone. Let’s see where our interests overlap and what we can come up with.
You are writing about the UAE that most people never see - not the skyscrapers, but what's underneath. The smell of a house. Eid night. A grandmother's kitchen. Gahwa with saffron poured by someone who already knows how you take it.
I write about Jewish communities that most people have never heard of -not the mainstream narrative, but what's underneath. Recipes as forensic evidence. Food as the surviving archive of a diaspora.
Both of us are doing the same thing: using food to recover a world that is disappearing or has already disappeared. Yours is the Emirati world before the oil boom transformed it beyond recognition.
Mine is the Indian Ocean Jewish world before it dispersed.
Two writers. Two disappearing worlds. One shared gesture.
If you have concrete ideas, please message me. It could be tremendous.
I have admired your photos and recipes on instagram for a while - so glad you made the jump to substack!
So happy we’re all getting to know each other a little better here. Thank you for your kind words!
A Dubai person that shows something REAL, this is a first. Glad to find your substack Majed , ahla w sahla
Ya Hala wala
I hope you enjoy the stories and recipes 🫶🏼
So beautiful. Cant wait to read more.
Shukran ya gameel 🙌🏼
Looking forward to seeing and hearing more about you and your life/culture and food. 🕊️
Thank you so much my beloved fan!
Tell us, show us, let us imagine the flavours, if only for a second.
For sure!