Chef Khulood Atiq has collaborated with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism to promote local cuisine
Chef Khulood Atiq, the UAE’s first female chef is actively promoting local cuisine with a lot of heart and passion thanks to the lessons learned and inspiration passed onto her by elders in the family, a report in the Khaleej Times says
She explains “Cooking has always been a big part of my life. I have been inspired by the strong women in my family – my mother, grandmother, and aunts – having grown up watching them masterfully create beautiful meals in the kitchen. Just from observing, I learnt so many skills and techniques that I am still applying them now.”
She recalls “Ever since I was eight, I loved cooking for my entire family – always adding a sprinkle of love to my dishes. I was everyone’s favourite cook in the house, with everyone wanting to taste my food again and again.”
In 2006 Khulood noticed that almost no Emirati food was available in the tourism industry.
“You could generally only find Emirati food being cooked at home or in restaurants for deliveries during feasts. Usually, tourists were served a mix of Arabian and Indian cuisines being passed off as ‘local food’. I wanted tourists to discover authentic Emirati cuisine. So, I started creating and cooking it.”
“After deciding to discontinue my university studies, my brother asked me why. I told him that the field of study I had chosen didn’t fulfil my passions, and so I decided to stop. He asked me what I think I would love to do most, and for me, there was only one answer: ‘cooking’.”
Asked why there are not many Emirati food outlets in the UAE, she pointed out: “The main reason is that Emiratis usually eat traditional food at home. So when they go out, they are looking for other cuisines. Another reason was that we didn’t have many Emirati chefs who considered cooking as a career. I believe that Emiratis should be the ones who create and promote their authentic dishes. Instead, we have people of different nationalities who cook Emirati food in their unique style – which is great, but the taste is different from what we cook at home..”
“After deciding to discontinue my university studies, my brother asked me why. I told him that the field of study I had chosen didn’t fulfil my passions, and so I decided to stop. He asked me what I think I would love to do most, and for me, there was only one answer: ‘cooking’.”
Khulood has collaborated with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to promote local dishes.
“My collaboration with DCT – Abu Dhabi’s Emirati Cuisine Programme started when I wanted to introduce Emirati food to tourists at restaurants and in Abu Dhabi hotels. We started with four and five-star hotels around Abu Dhabi, and it was an incredible success”.
Khulood has been promoting Emirati food through her career in hotels, participating in local and international events, TV cooking shows, penning a book ‘Sararid’ and conducting chef training sessions at hotels.
“I started my career with a clear focus on traditional food but more recently, I have been working on adding some flavours, moving from pure traditional cuisine to fusion. I love so many Emirati dishes but if I had to pick only five, they would be maleh, balaleet, makbous, muhalla bread and thereed. I believe that Emirati cuisine is full of delectable flavours and rich in ingredients and spices. The unique spices we use, our Emirati spice mix, differ between each family’s recipe, with some having secret ingredients that are not shared with others. This is its speciality, the personal touch.”
Reflecting on her experience of switching from abaya to chef’s jacket, she said: “I am proud to say that despite the initial challenges, I noticed people’s perceptions change once they saw how committed I was and how I have become a role model for other Emirati chefs”
As a mother, Khulood, has learnt to maintain a work-personal life balance, and her family prefers traditional food to creative fusion dishes.
As an ambassador of local food, she has a lot more in the pipeline to spread awareness about Emirati culture and heritage.
“I will continue to conduct training and explore new methods. I am currently working on finishing the second part of my book ‘Sararid’ and, a soon-to-be-released Emirati food guide. I will be participating in culinary exhibitions and international events and, together with UNESCO, working on documenting Emirati cuisine to teach students at universities and academies. In the long run, I hope to open my own restaurant and create a culinary school to teach Emirati cooking techniques to future generations.”
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