Butter. That solid cube of golden goodness which can elevate just about any dish. As Homam Ayaso, the travel, food and lifestyle influencer behind The Gastronaut puts it, "Who does not love butter?". But even he may have underestimated the love people have for the ingredient before he participated in the #FlavouredButterChallenge this month.
The Dubai blogger, who originally hails from Syria, has a background in advertising and marketing. When client Butter of Europe approached him to create flavoured butters, he saw its potential.
Ayaso started by digging around his fridge to see what ingredients he had, and then took to social media to demonstrate how it was all possible. He got to dicing ingredients, softening butter and swirling it all together to create gourmet-looking versions. Ayaso created four varieties: Raspberry lemon butter; caramelised onion with hazelnut, thyme and black garlic; Earl Grey, almond and apricot; and truffle and sage – none of them your average store-bought butter varieties.
Like other influencers who participated in the challenge, he shared it all on social media, under the hashtag #FlavouredButterChallenge. Ayaso also tagged almost 20 others in the food community, challenging them to recreate their own sweet or savoury versions, using any leftover ingredients they had in their fridge. The list also included popular chefs in the region – but he was still taken aback when people not only started accepting his “challenge”, but started challenging others in turn.
“I wanted to challenge the local blogging community but I was surprised by the reaction,” he says.
“It might be because butter is such an interesting ingredient. It’s usually taken for granted because of its simplicity but you add a few ingredients in there and it adds a lot of complexity. I’m enjoying seeing where this challenge is going.”
To highlight how the objective has caught on, at the time of writing, more than 430 people had accepted the challenge, and about 100 recipes had been published. Moreover, it seems to have transcended the local food community as people from Kuwait, Saudi, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Russia, the UK, US, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are participating.
“It’s because so many people are at home right now, and there is a real trend around personal challenges,” says Ayaso. “Also, people are cooking so much at home now. Even people who are not foodies are trying to create new things.”
New is an understatement when you consider the kind of flavours people have been whipping up and posting on social media. Katsu, wasabi, truffle, herb and pesto are some of the inventive ones. Then, you have others made out of a combination of ingredients – such as sour cherry and rose petal with chocolate slab butter made by chef Troy Payne, or a strawberry jam flavoured butter made by food blogger Pallavi Sangtani.
“One of the most creative flavours I have seen so far is a kimchi with matcha flavoured butter. Another interesting one is anchovy with black garlic,” says Ayaso.
“Just the other day, we had a eight-year-old take part and create a honey, cinnamon and brown sugar butter. That is the beauty of this challenge, it’s for everyone, not just bloggers.”
Ayaso says that people are still asking him how they can take part in the challenge and whether they are eligible. “To that I answer, it is for everyone. The aim is to spread positive vibes around the community.”
Make your own flavoured butter:
Caramelised onions with hazelnut, thyme and black garlic
Ingredients
- 250g butter
- some roasted hazelnut
- Fresh thyme
- 2 tbs caramelized onions
- 4 cloves of black garlic (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg
Start by mincing the hazelnuts with fresh thyme salt pepper and nutmeg until it becomes smooth.
On the side, soften the butter and mix it well, then add some caramelised onions and chopped cloves of black garlic (if black garlic is not available, replace it with one small clove of fresh garlic or garlic powder).
Mix it all together and then add the hazelnut mixture. Fold the ingredients into each other until they blend well.
Pour the butter mixture over baking paper or cling film and roll it or shape it the way you like, then leave it in the fridge for few hours until it holds together.
Take a slice and spread it over hot toast and enjoy.
You can also add it to soup, meat, or favourite vegetables.
Raspberry Lemon Butter
Ingredients
- 250g butter
- 60g fresh raspberries
- Lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of vanilla
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
Start by mashing the raspberries, add lemon zest, a pinch of salt, a bit of vanilla and sugar, mix them well and leave it to rest.
On the side soften the butter and mix it well, then add the raspberry mixture. Fold the ingredients into each other until they blend well.
Pour the butter mixture over baking paper or cling film and shape it the way you like. Then leave it in the fridge for few hours until it holds together.
Enjoy this butter over warm scones or brioche with your favourite cup of tea.
You can also use different berries for this recipe. Bon Appetit.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
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
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
