What is the foodverse and how can you grab a seat at the table?

Michelin-lauded chef Vikas Khanna was in the news recently when he launched Sacred Foods of India in Dubai. Only 250 copies of the limited-edition book are available, and Khanna also tied up with phygital platform Akshaya.io, which has created unique NFTs for each copy.

For the uninitiated, a non-fungible token or NFT is a blockchain-based certificate of authenticity that signifies ownership of an asset. While fungible items such as cryptocurrency can be exchanged, an NFT is unique, in that no other copy of the asset exists.

With this latest project, Khanna has tapped into the “foodverse”, a digital world for food that exists in the metaverse and merges the virtual with the real, as well as allowing visitors to become familiar with the dishes of a multitude of chefs across the globe.

Take a bite out of the foodverse

OneRare is the company behind the world's first food metaverse, which it’s building with the aim to celebrate food from across the world by bringing the global food and beverage industry on to the blockchain for the first time.

Celebrity chefs, restaurants and food and beverage brands will be able to create virtual food experiences, launch signature dish NFTs and interact with a global audience, all of whom are hungry (pardon the pun) for news ways to explore food.

“We are creating a unique gaming layer that allows users to claim NFTs, play food-themed games and discover new products along the way,” says Supreet Raju, co-founder of OneRare. “It's a way for the industry to leverage blockchain technology to develop a direct relationship with their audience.

"Patrons can support their favourite restaurants in the same way they support favourite influencers, while businesses can discover new markets.”

Masterchef musings

OneRare collaborates with chefs and restaurants to mint NFTs of their signature dishes. Photo: OneRare

Depinder Chhibber, a MasterChef Australia alumni, became the first female chef to join the food metaverse, where she brings signature delicacies such as fried chicken with the mango and chilli glaze recipe passed down by her grandmum from Amritsar, Punjab, to a blockchain audience.

“When this opportunity came my way, I did my research and found the concept deliciously futuristic. Being in Australia and cooking Indian food, I felt this would be a great opportunity for people to be part of my culinary journey. This space will allow people living all over the world access to my restaurant and recipes, as well as my food dreams.”

Other global names who have a presence in the foodverse include the "dessert king" of Australia, Reynold Poernomo; Michelin-lauded chef Anthony Sarpong; MasterChef judge Arnold Poernomo; entrepreneur and founder of technology and information company HeyHey!, Franklin Caleb; India’s Olive Group; and US brand Burattino Brick Oven Pizza.

AD Singh, founder and managing director of the Olive Group, says: “We are excited to see what our integration into this means and where we can provide real value, both for our customers and for us as a group. Our foray into the metaverse is an opportunity to be able to create immersive experiences for different communities and bring them together. Hopefully, with this, we can move beyond the great real-world experiences at our restaurants to offer experiences fit for the future.”

A farmer's market set up by OneRare in the foodverse

Real rewards

Given the metaverse is open to all, the foodverse has the potential to reach people regardless of borders or boundaries, and it opens up more meaningful conversations around food, as well as introduces cultural connotations and festive foods to a wider audience.

Further, with Gen Z largely submerged in this world, it only follows that brands and chefs will have to be a part of the metaverse and create their digital avatars to cater to this next crop of foodies.

As to what's in it for users of the foodverse? Not only can they be more in tune with the goings-on in the F&B world, they can also learn to cook dishes from their favourite chefs and win tokens that can eventually be exchanged for a meal at the physical restaurant.

Zorawar Kalra, founder and managing director of Massive Restaurants, which operates Farzi Cafe in the UAE and India, explains: “The metaverse is a fusion of intellect, and positions itself between the real and virtual world. Hence, actions taken in the virtual world will have benefits in the physical world. For example, you can collect various ingredients and redeem a dish at Farzi Cafe.

Chefs can set up kitchens in the foodverse and welcome digital avatars of diners from all over the world. Photo: OneRare

“The idea behind it all is to build a community and introduce a restaurant to more people. The ultimate challenge for online community building is going to be a world where you can meet friends and fellow gamers, and live a cool alternative life that’s built around virtual experiences.”

Likewise, celebrity chef Saransh Goila says: “The plan is to share a few of my signature recipes, which OneRare will use to create NFTs and gaming segments. Users who are able to ‘crack’ the recipe code can win tokens that can be redeemed as anything from real-life restaurant experiences or a day with me in the kitchen.

“A day will come when you might be eating a burger in your home and your friends will be eating the same burger elsewhere on the planet, but you will all be chilling together in the metaverse together.” For those who live to eat, then, the foodverse is your oyster, so when are you logging in?

Inside Dubai's first metaverse wedding — in pictures

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

While you're here

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Jigra

Director: Vasan Bala

Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh

Rated: 3.5/5

Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

The specs: Macan Turbo

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Tips for job-seekers

Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East