The Emirati Kitchen will showcase local cooking demos at Abu Dhabi Food Festival

A main attraction at the first Abu Dhabi Food Festival is The Emirati Kitchen, a weekend long event celebrating authentic Emirati food and culture.

Emirati Shaikha Al Kaabi with her Meylas Food Truck which serves Emirati cuisine. Ravindranath K / The National
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One of the most exciting features of the new Abu Dhabi Food Festival is The Emirati Kitchen, a three-day celebration of local food and culture on the Corniche.

Taste and cook

Participating chefs include the first female Emirati celebrity chef Khulood Atiq, from Dubai; Saeed Fawaz, the executive chef at Royal Catering in Abu Dhabi; the Emirati Ali Ebdowa, the executive chef at Mezlai in Emirates Palace; and Wafaei Al Zaham, the chef de cuisine at Atayeb and winner of Regional Cuisine Chef of the Year at last year’s Gourmet Abu Dhabi. Visitors can sample a variety of food, meet chefs and sign up in advance for daily ­masterclass sessions.

Cultural extravaganza

Each day, there will be demonstrations on Arabic coffee etiquette, the making and storing of Emirati spices, and how to prepare harees, a wheat and meat dish. There will also be a souq selling local products including talbina (made by mixing barley flour, milk and honey, and is said to have healing properties), dates, spices, dried and salted fish, kitchen utensils, pottery and sweets.

Eateries on site

Meylas Emirati Mobile Food Truck, a new concept that ­debuted in Abu Dhabi last year, will offer rgaag sandwiches (thin, crispy bread filled with chicken or meat), batheetha (a dessert made with date paste, wheat flour and ghee) and legeimat (sweet, deep-fried dough served with date ­syrup). The owner Shaikha Al Kaabi, from Abu Dhabi, says: “It’s a good way to promote Emirati food and let people taste it. I always go to these festivals and every time I go, I never see Emirati food. I’m really very excited and very proud to be part of The Emirati ­Kitchen.” In a country overflowing with international restaurants, Al Kaabi says there are still too few restaurants that showcase Emirati food. “I want people to try it and know what Emirati food is and know the story of the dishes we’re serving.” Al Kaabi is planning to open her permanent location, to be called Meylas, later this year. The Emirati restaurants Seven Spices and Yadoo’s House will also be serving food during the weekend.

A brand-new experience

Atiq, who is also a cuisine consultant for Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, says the event is a great opportunity to teach expats, visitors and even locals about authentic Emirati cuisine. “This is a new concept to our annual food festival,” says Atiq.

“People can try different foods they may never have tasted before and learn the necessary skills to find the ingredients and then ­prepare some delicious Emirati food for themselves or their families in their own homes.”

Chef Wafaei Al Zaham is excited about The Emirati Kitchen. “It is very important to showcase Emirati cuisine,” says Al Zaham. “The cuisine is a reflection of a great Arabian heritage. It will be great to engage all Emiratis, expats and visitors from overseas who will be able to try food they have never had before.” He believes events like this will result in more demand for the country’s cuisine. He says: “During the past years, there has been a lot of demand (for Emirati food). I do believe we will see more Emirati restaurants across the UAE in the future.” During the festival, Al Zaham will host a cookery session on February 5 at 5:30pm and another on February 7 at 4:15pm. He’ll be making Majbous Dajaj (chicken, rice and Emirati spices) and Moadam rubyan (soaked prawns).

• The Emirati Kitchen runs from February 5 to February 7 at the East Plaza on the Corniche from 4pm to 10pm each day. Entry is Dh10 for adults and free for children under the age of 12