Award-winning chef and author Laila El-Haddad is heading to Adelaide to showcase the unique flavours of Gaza.
Middle Eastern food – and its complex spice blends – is burgeoning in popularity across the globe thanks to chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tammimi. Inbound Palestinian chef Laila El-Haddad is another culinary figure who has showcased the region’s delights having co-written The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey. She also featured in the Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Part Unknown, showing the New York chef around Gaza for the program.
The former Al-Jazeera journalist, who is now based in the US, will host a cooking demonstration in Adelaide on Saturday, April 8. The demonstration will provide a platform for El-Haddad to exhibit the uniqueness of Gazan cuisine, while also providing a valuable opportunity for audience members to experience the distinct culture associated with the Levant.
Through her demonstration, El-Haddad wishes to make it clear that Gazan food is more complex than traditional Middle Eastern fare. Gaza has historically found itself as a waypoint for a host of distinct food cultures.
“Ancient caravans and invading armies brought with them regionally distinct cuisines,” El-Haddad tells The Adelaide Review, “such as that of the agrarian inland areas, that of the sophisticated coast, and the native cuisine of Gaza City itself, rich with spices that were very likely absorbed during Gaza’s days as a nexus along the ancient trade routes.”
Read the full article by Patrick O’Loughlin at The Adelaide Review.