Anup Pawar, head chef at Nezesaussi Grll, located at Manzil Downtown Dubai, discusses African cuisine.
How popular is African cuisine in this region?
Very popular! At Nezesaussi Grill, we serve a wide selection of South African favourites, which are some of our best selling dishes.
What trends have you noticed in African cuisine?
I think people tend to think that African food contains too much oil or carbohydrates or not enough protein but this is not necessarily true. Lots of African dishes are now being made with alternative ingredients to ensure the dishes are still very flavourful but slightly healthier overall. African spices, such as harissa, and cooking methods, such as tagines, are now regularly featured dishes in a number of outlets across the city, including Boulevard Kitchen at Manzil Downtown Dubai.
I think the curiosity for food from the continent is certainly increasing as diners now want to venture out past Moroccan and Ethiopian cuisines to see what else is there in the culinary market.
Any challenges for chefs with African cuisine?
Authenticity is always a challenge. Being as true to a dish as possible while still having the ability to infuse local traditions can always be a bit of a challenge. African dishes feature a lot of meat, seafood and strong spices so finding a balance between these qualities and local flavours is a difficult but also fascinating experience.
How’s the supply stream for African cuisine in this region?
I believe the market is opening up, albeit slowly, to African cuisine. Nezesaussi Grill is one of the leaders in the market for introducing popular South African fare to the public and we have been thrilled with the response we have gotten thus far. We are looking to expand our menu in the next year and are very excited to unveil some of the dishes we will be including.
| Advertisement |
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
