Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) is continuing its mission of promoting and preserving local heritage with the publication of Sarareed – an Emirati cuisine cookbook. The book was launched today at Gourmet Abu Dhabi, which is running from the 8th to the 23rd of February 2012; a special masterclass that was held at the Armed Officers Club by Chef Khulood, the UAE’s first female Emirati professional chef, marked the event. Sarareed consists of more than 80 traditional recipes that were gathered from different regions of the UAE, and incorporates drinks, desserts, breads, soups, condiments, ghee and spices, dried food, rice, and main dishes.

Passed on from generation to generation, Emirati recipes are imprinted on Emirati memory. Sarareed shows the reader ways in which to prepare delicious meals from the simplest ingredients that exist in the UAE’s vast desert and rich sea. Chef Khulood hopes that through this book, the younger generations of Emiratis, as well as UAE residents and visitors to the country, will embrace the cuisine and carry on the nation’s culinary traditions.

Commenting on the cookbook, Chef Khulood Atiq said: “For years my dream has been to document Emirati cuisine in a book that could be handed down to the younger generations, and I am therefore very thankful to have been given the opportunity to work with TDIC in producing Sarareed. I used my own personal experiences and cooking secrets that I gained from elderly Emirati ladies to put the recipes together. The cookbook’s dishes have been slightly adapted to be more appealing to today’s health-conscious youth.”

The book not only offers recipes, but also features fascinating insights into how these were developed; the etymology of many of the dishes is also explained. Sarareed features stunning photos, which were taken by Emirati photographers at TDIC’s various properties across the emirate. Seafood recipes were photographed at the Desert Islands Resort & Spa on Sir Bani Yas island, which is one of the most traditional seaside locations in the country, while the desert-inspired recipes were snapped at the stunning Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort.

As part of TDIC’s plan to promote Emirati cuisine, Chef Khulood was employed in 2011 as an Emirati and Arabic Cuisine Specialist to help bring this type of food to the world, and to work with its international hotel operators to develop their menus and ensure they feature Emirati dishes.

Noaf Tahlak, Senior Marketing Manager at the company said: “TDIC is enriching the future of Abu Dhabi by delivering and operating distinguished destinations that value the UAE’s indigenous culture. We seek to enrich this further through preserving Emirati culture, and cooking is an exceptionally important part of this; therefore, in addition to creating this book, we are also seeking to promote this type of food through the restaurants in our hotels. Sarareed documents this cherished cuisine and will help us to spread its popularity both locally and worldwide.”

Chef Khulood started cooking when she was eight-years-old. She decided to become a traditional Emirati cook as her mother did all the cooking at home and she aspires to be like her. One of her ambitions is to open an Emirati restaurant through which she will promote the cuisine.

Sarareed will be on sale at Fanr restaurant at Manarat Al Saadiyat starting from Friday, 10th of February 2012.

 

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