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KT: Where did these spices come from and how did they end up being used here?RM: Historically, the Arabs had a monopoly over the spice trade for thousands of years. They

used to trade most commonly with cinnamon along with other spices. That is what Arabs intro-duced into India. When you look at India, you see it is across the Arabian Sea and therefore the culture is influenced by what Arabs brought and ate. For Arabs doing trade, spices were central and they monopolized this trade. They then introduced spices into Europe, which at the time were hugely valuable commodities. This resulted in a mix where Indian food for example has the richest spices, Arab food has different varied spices with different usages. In Kuwait there is also a very strong influence of spices from Iran and Persian cuisine. The most common spice used there is saffron.

KT: What do you know about Kuwaiti cuisine?RM: It’s my first time in Kuwait and I am looking forward to exploring and finding out more

about typical spices and cuisines from this region over the week-end as there are so many restaurants participating in the exhibition. It is something I am very interested in because of Ku-wait’s unique position on the spice map. I want to find out more about what is done with spices here. It’s a fascinating journey finding out about this type of history. For example, in England the first book of Curry was written in 1320, when spices were coming from the Far East. This was before the sea trade as spices were transported by land on the silk routes going from India to Eastern Europe countries such as Georgia, Russia and China.

KT: What is your favorite spice?RM: I don’t have a favorite spice. Different spices do different things and it depends what you

are using them for and how. However, I do love cardamom because of its floral, resinous and aromatic flavor.

KT: What is your advice to spice beginners given the fantastic spice market that can be found in Kuwait?

RM: Buy the spices whole. This is because of the time factor. If spices are exposed for too long, they lose their intensity. If you powder them, they lose their potency after six weeks. So, if you are going to grind them, do it yourself and even if they are old, you can release their flavor by heating them up, for example with volatile oils.

KT: What are you planning for the Q8 Festival?RM: I have two shows, one Indian and one Vietnamese. For the Indian show I am going to

do a pepper chicken and a prawn in a tomato coconut milk sauce infused with lemongrass and lime. For the Asian dish, I am going to make a Vietnamese chicken pie with a surprise!

KT: What are your first impressions of Kuwait?RM: Actually, I’ve been dazzled! I landed in the evening and the entire city was light up like a

jewel in the peninsula. Everything was so brightly lit. Kuwait stands out like a jewel. We must be in one of the most illuminated cities in the world. It was very dazzling to land here.

Q8 Food Festival kicks off at Mishref

Fairgrounds

By Maryann HorneQ8 Food Festival is taking place from March 5th to

7th at the Mishref Fairgrounds. Organizers say it is the biggest consumer food festival ever to come to Kuwait, with 70 vendor booths, a farmers market and independent chefs, the event is also welcoming televi-sion celebrity chefs from Fatafeat and Food Network, as well as locally renowned chefs.

Local restaurants are featuring signature dishes in a “city street” atmosphere in a new area of the fairgrounds. The area has been transformed into an open-air, tented City Food Festival with participat-ing local restaurants, food artisans, chefs and fun for children. There will also be a kids zone and live music, which include classical, Arabic, and Jazz music.

“It’s an event like no other”, says Michelle Lambros, the founder of Q8 Food Festival. “People in this coun-try have a very profound love of food. We hope that this event celebrates on the biggest scale possible this passion for all things food.” Organizers say their aim with the festival is to showcase the best of Kuwait City’s culture, signature cuisine and local talent. “We want to bring Kuwait alive with the tastes, smells and fantastic cultural experience that can be uniquely con-veyed through food”.

sizzles in Kuwait

Kingof Spice

By Maryann Horne

Celebrity chef Reza Mahammad has specialized in connecting places through tastes and his sizzling palette of dishes. Bet-ter known as the Spice King, the Indian chef is cooking up a

storm in Kuwait this week-end with his food demonstrations as part of the new Q8 Food Festival. The flamboyant food historian, author and owner of the London restaurant Star of India hosts one of the most popular TV series on Food Network called ‘The Spice Prince of India’. He speaks exclusively to The Friday Times about the history behind Middle Eastern spices, Kuwaiti cuisine and what he plans to show off in what will be his first time cooking in Kuwait.

KT: Why are spices so important in cuisine?RM: Spices act as a flavor enhancer and enrich the dish. You also

want to use them to give depth to your ingredients and recipes. Spices also help in digestion, so there are many ways in which spices can relate to food.

KT: What are the common Arab spices?RM: The most common are cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and

saffron. The Middle East is also popular for their combination of spices that are used in meat dishes. In essence, cardamom and cinnamon are the most important spices in this type of cuisine.

Celebrity chef Reza Mahammad

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