ABU DHABI // Buffets at hotels usually lack one very important flavour – Emirati delicacies – but that is about to change.
Emirati food stations are to become a fixture at Abu Dhabi’s 80 four- and five-star hotels.
Under the Emirati Cuisine and Hospitality Capacity Building Programme being introduced by the Tourism and Culture Authority, at least three clearly labelled UAE items will be served at each buffet.
It is part of an effort to protect Emirati cultural heritage, said Fatima Al Melhi, a tourism policy manager at the authority.
“The programme provides a showcase of the gastronomic fare that is the hallmark of Emirati cuisine, making it much more accessible to enjoy,” said Ms Al Melhi.
The Emirati dishes will feature a card explaining a brief history of the food and the ingredients used.
“By creating an inspirational narrative, we can help hotels to explain the significance of a popular local dish and the traditions of sharing and hospitality,” said Ms Al Melhi.
“The cuisine of the emirate has been heavily influenced by our nomadic past, rich seafood harvest and natural bounties.”
Hotel chefs in Abu Dhabi will receive special training in how to prepare the local dishes and the heritage behind them.
“Annual competitions will be launched to forge excellence and improve standards in the sector,” she said.
The chefs at Sofra buffet restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel are one step ahead. The hotel’s director of communications, Guntra Lipska, said that its guests were very keen on learning about Emirati cooking.
“They’re trying out authentic Emirati dishes, and appreciate our efforts in showcasing the beauty of the local cuisine,” said Ms Lipska.
A report released last year by consultancy KPMG found that of the 14 global cuisines that made up the UAE's Dh52.4 billion food and beverage market, the most popular were Indian, closely followed by Italian, Lebanese and Chinese.
Emirati and Arabian Gulf dishes were the seventh-most popular.
But Emirati restaurants are slowly making their mark on the food scene. Mezlai in Emirates Palace hotel was the first upmarket Emirati restaurant to open in Abu Dhabi, in 2010.
Others to have followed include Meylas in Al Raha Beach and the chain Al Fanar, which has three outlets in Abu Dhabi and more across the country.
Mezlai’s executive chef Ali Ebdowa expects the Emirati food scene to grow – “but slowly” – even with the new guidelines.
“There are reasons why there aren’t many authentic Emirati restaurants,” said Mr Ebdowa.
“There aren’t many Emirati chefs. I’m doing my best to train more in Mezlai but it takes time.
“I also work very hard to train my chefs in more than just the preparation of the food but also in the culture. When chefs better understand the culture, they make better food.”
Emirati brother and sister Omar and Maitha Al Shamsi run Mama Tani Cafe in Dubai, which specialises in what Maitha calls “Emirati soul food” – khameer, traditional Emirati bread that often comes with sides of honey or cream cheese.
“Since we opened our cafe [in 2013], we realised that there is a great interest in Emirati food and a lack of places where expats and tourists can experience it,” said Ms Al Shamsi.
“We found that by creating a menu that had the Emirati flavours but was served with a contemporary twist, it made the food more familiar and appealing.”
She believes there is no reason why Emirati food could not join Chinese and Indian on the international culinary stage one day.
“We created Mama Tani Cafe with the aim of creating an Emirati brand that we could then introduce to the world, so that our traditional foods like the khameer bread can become as commonplace as pitta or naan bread.”
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