Latest news with #culturalheritage
BreakingNews.ie
36 minutes ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi: I want to bring the spotlight to the food and people of my country
Chef and author Sami Tamimi says his mission is to 'keep talking about Palestine', its food, culture and people. 'It helps it not to disappear,' says the 57-year-old, 'as a Palestinian who has a voice, as a food writer, I feel that we must use all the tools we have to keep it alive.' Advertisement Palestinian food is 'very important' to promote, he believes, 'because we've been erased'. Israel's military campaign since October 2023 has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It came after the Hamas group's attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. 'It's horrific, it's totally heartbreaking what's happening. I feel slightly helpless in a way,' says the chef, well known for co-founding the Ottolenghi restaurant and deli group, and writing several books with Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi. (Ola O Smit/PA) He hopes the publication of his new cookbook, Boustany – translating to 'my garden' in Arabic, and focussing on vegetable dishes of Palestine and the dishes of his roots – will help in a small way to 'bring some spotlight on the country, the food, the people and the place'. Advertisement Born and raised in Jerusalem (Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 war while Palestine claim the city as their capital), he says: 'A big chunk of the Tamimi family in Palestine as based in Hebron [in the southern West Bank], my mum's side,' he explains, and his grandparents' house was surrounded by a large 'boustan', a garden filled with fruits and vegetables that his grandmother meticulously tended to. Born in 1968, Tamimi says: 'My parents didn't talk about what happened a year before. I didn't speak Hebrew until 16 or 17 because there was no interaction between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.' He was one of seven, plus another five half siblings from his father's second marriage after his mother died in childbirth when he was just seven years old. Tamimi later lived in Tel Aviv for 12 years working in restaurants, before moving to the UK in 1997 – 'It was a bit weird for a Palestinian in Tel Aviv at the time,' he notes. Advertisement (Ola O Smit/PA) Tamimi happened to be visiting Jerusalem when the October 7 attacks occurred. 'I was on a work trip, everything happened two nights after I arrived. I was stuck there for a few days and I managed to [get] to the border to Jordan and get a flight back to London,' he says, 'I couldn't see my family, I had to leave because it was kind of unsafe.' And so, 'The responsibility of writing these recipes and stories has weighed heavily on my shoulders,' he writes in the book. Food and shared meal times is an enormous part of Palestinian culture, he explains. Known for their warm hospitality and strong community bonds, 'Palestinian homes are like, doors open and people are welcome to [care]. Before mobile phones, people just show up and it's really nice. [You] cook more than they need, because you never know if somebody's going to show up. You will always have to offer them food, even if they just come for a short visit. 'Everyone's kind of invited.' Advertisement And although his father cooked too, 'It's mainly females who cook in my culture so I wasn't exposed to cooking as a child – I had to train myself and learn how to cook. 'When I established myself as a chef, I realised that I wanted to cook Palestinian because it's really important to keep it alive first of all, and this is the food that I enjoyed eating as well and cooking. It's my culture, it's people, the place that I came from, it's my family, it's all of that.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sami Tamimi سامي التميمي (@sami_tamimi) Like the Middle Eastern cuisines of surrounding Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Palestinian food is 'heavy on vegetables, grains, pulses, herbs, it's very connected to farming, to seasons, it's connected to the surroundings – people tend to forage quite a lot.' 'If you want to compare Lebanese to Palestinian cooking, Palestinian cooking is a bit more robust, and the flavouring is slightly more earthy.' Advertisement Grains and vegetables are transformed using ingredients including olive oil, garlic, lemon, sumac, zaatar, tahini, and different molasses, like grapes, dates and pomegranate. While sage, mallow, chicory, purslane, carob and cactus fruit are often foraged – a deeply traditional practice. While 'mooneh', translating to 'pantry' in Arabic, is the process of preserving seasonal goods, typically through drying and pickling. 'Summer is quite hot there so the season of vegetables and fruit is really short, so people find ways to preserve in the form of pickles, or nowadays they freeze quite a lot to keep things going for the rest of the year.' Couscous fritters with preserved lemon yoghurt are based on a dish his mum used to cook – 'Most recipes are based on memories' – and you're never too far from a dip in any Middle Eastern cuisine. Tamami transforms turnip tops by fermenting them for a creamy dip, and shows how to make green kishk, a fermented yoghurt and bulgar dip. Breakfasts are 'a treasured communal tradition,' he writes, and you'll still find the likes of olive oil, zaatar and tahini in the first meal of the day – 'in almost every meal' in fact. Big plates are traditionally laid out and shared, and he celebrates that with recipes like aubergine and fava beans with eggs, or cardamom pancakes with tahini, halva and carob. And sweet dishes – making use of the available fruit (think apricot, orange and almond cake, and sumac roast plums – are eaten all through the day. He smiles: 'I was lucky enough to grow up in Jerusalem where you can snack all day!' (Ebury/PA) Boustany by Sami Tamimi is published by Ebury. Photography by Ola O Smit. Available now
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
What in the World The young people fighting to save their culture from the climate
Climate change is one of the biggest issues of our time. Warmer weather and melting ice is forcing people and animals to migrate but it's also threatening traditions. Myths, dances and national dishes - we've all got distinctive, defining customs that we would never want to lose. So what are people across the world doing to keep hold of their identities? BBC journalist Abiona Boja explains how cultural heritage loss is affecting young people across the globe. We hear from Muntadhar Abdul Ali about the droughts in Iraq's marshes. And Maya Natuk tells us how rising temperatures in Greenland are affecting people's sense of identity there. They explain the actions they're taking to save their cultural traditions from extinction. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@ WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Abiona Boja, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde
Travel Weekly
8 hours ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Intrepid Travel acquires hotels in Tasmania and Morocco
Intrepid Travel has acquired boutique properties in Tasmania and Marrakech. The family-run Edge of the Bay, located near the town of Coals Bay in Tasmania, is a 20-room coastal resort that overlooks Wineglass Bay. The property is on 18 acres and close to Freycinet National Park. The hotel offers oceanview studios and secluded chalets. The resort will be refreshed to align with Intrepid's "impact-led ethos," the company said in its announcement. The revamp will include nature-based activities and environmental education programs developed with Greening Australia, an Intrepid Foundation partner and environmental organization founded to restore and conserve Australia's native vegetation. Intrepid also plans to work with the Palawa people, the indigenous inhabitants of the land, to conduct a cultural heritage assessment of the property. Intrepid also bought a 17-room riad in Marrakech, minutes from Medina, the city's old town. The traditional Moroccan guesthouse opened this month and offers culinary experiences with The Amal Association, a nonprofit that trains women in hospitality. Intrepid will fully operate the property beginning in July. "Our approach to accommodation is underpinned by a commitment to preserving culture, fostering connection, supporting communities and boosting travel's economic contribution with the local community," said Intrepid CEO James Thornton. The 20-room Edge of the Bay resort near Coals Bay in Tasmania. Photo Credit: Intrepid Travel Intrepid said last year that it was accelerating its expansion into hotels. It aims to acquire 20 properties by 2027. The brand hopes to acquire properties in Asia, Africa and the Americas, adding to its previous acquisition of Daintree Ecolodge in Australia and its multiyear lease of a Vietnam hotel. Since acquiring Daintree Ecolodge in Queensland, Australia, Intrepid said it has introduced solar power, advanced wastewater treatment, composting and vegetable gardens while eliminating single-use plastics. The lodge is certified as a B Corp, which means it has met high standards of social and environmental performance.
The National
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Saudi artist Abdullah Al Othman excavates hidden messages of city buildings in new exhibition
If cities are like palimpsests, Abdullah Al Othman is the artist trying to uncover what has been written over the manuscript of architecture. The Saudi artist reads a city like a text. He moves through streets as though scanning a page, attentive to the inflections embedded in construction, signage and material residue. His work shows that there is more than meets the eye in the urban landscapes of Arab cities – layers of memory as well as deeper social and historical connections. It is a language that reveals itself slowly and to those willing to pay attention. Al Othman's first solo exhibition in the UAE, Structural Syntax at Iris Projects, displays his unique literacy of urban landscapes. From a Coca-Cola sign that alludes to the region's historic distrust of the brand's association with Israel, to a piece inspired by an archival photograph of Al Maktoum Bridge under construction, each work points to Al Othman's penchant for excavating political, cultural and emotional residues 'We often see buildings in their existing states but there is a depth within, a spiritual structure,' Al Othman tells The National. 'It's much like how we, as individuals, are each a world within ourselves, and not simply a body, an eye or a moustache. We have an inner depth that indirectly connects us to the world and the universe.' Al Othman is looking for a similar depth when surveying a city – one that resists surface readings. His practice was, in a way, developed as a quiet resistance to the modern world's fixation on facade and appearance. His work Anticipation exemplifies this ethos. Stretching across seven metres, the work comprises steel, aluminium and LED tubes. It alludes to the form and structure of billboards if they had been stripped of their messaging and advertising. 'The word falls, the image disappears and all there is left is this light,' Al Othman says. 'Here is the thing no one is meant to see. This hidden aspect is part of the depth of these spaces.' Geometric Quotation, meanwhile, delves into a historic moment to explore a pivotal moment in Dubai's history. The installation takes formal cues from an archival photograph of Al Maktoum Bridge's construction in the early 1960s. Using aluminium, iron, wood and rebar, Al Othman recreates the bridge as it existed during construction, superimposing it with his signature LED tubes to highlight the visionary quality and symbolism of the project. The bridge, after all, signalled a stride forward for Dubai's ambition to become a global metropolis. 'The moment of construction is an important moment,' he says. 'You see how cities and their identities are shaped by the structure.' In Untitled (Coca Cola), Al Othman takes on one of the most ubiquitous symbols of globalisation. The work features an arrangement of rebar and iron around an Arabic advertisement of what seems to be, at first glance, the famous soft drink. The sign, however is advertising not Coca-Cola but Kaki-Cola. The Saudi-produced brand gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s during periods of boycotts against Israel-linked brands. 'Here comes another case of this depth that I look for,' Al Othman says. 'Superficially, it is just a word, but in its depth, there is a story, a principle.' It is easy to designate Al Othman's work as a product of nostalgia – particularly with the works that make use of old signage and advertisements that many who grew up in the region will find familiar – but that would do a disservice to the artist and the implications of his work. Al Othman himself is irked by the term. It isn't nostalgia that drives his curiosity, he insists, but rather 'an anthropological point of view'. 'I always think about understanding the context,' he says. 'Every generation comes and leaves its own language, colour and shape, and then the following generation comes and changes that again.' Advertisements and billboards are the barometers of these changes. Speaking of Riyadh, he adds: 'In the past, calligraphers would come up with the design of a shop or restaurant that was often named after an individual, such as Abou Saleh's Restaurant. There was no branding as we know it today, so you come to understand a different manner of how culture was formed in the city. These names and brands, they are a timeline of a city. They show how words are used and how associations were formed in society.' Of course, each city has its own visual and linguistic lexicon. 'Billboards and advertisements in Lebanon, for instance, have a cinematic style, with composition, colours and writing. In Palestine, you can see the use of supplication in the streets, roads and shops. In Sudan and Mauritania, you see colours that bear an association with the desert and nature.' These qualities are not inert, but constantly evolving – and, often, their changes represent 'economic change, political change and social change', says the artist. Other works showcase Al Othman's propensity of distilling a city's visual language into its bare essence. A White Ascent reflects upon the Najdi architecture in the historic neighbourhood of Diriyah in Riyadh's old town. It isolates the stepped pattern that is commonly found along the stairs of the old adobe buildings, rendering them in white against a white backdrop in an aesthetically riveting exercise of abstraction. 'I eliminated the entire house and only kept the white that is found on the exterior of the house,' he says. 'You are extracting something while omitting something else, and a new meaning to this geometric configuration emerges.' Structural Syntax is curated by Irina Stark. Al Othman says his conversations with Stark helped him uncover new connections and enrich the works featured in his solo exhibition. 'Our conversation had no beginning nor end,' Al Othman says. 'These kinds of dialogues move you to discover new spaces.' His hope is that the works will prompt viewers to reconsider the urban environments around them and help them discover familiar spaces anew. 'I want them to see the depth,' he says. 'This internal rhythm and language of cities.'
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Ngā Pou o Heretaunga return to Hastings Civic Square after restoration
Pou o Heretaunga have returned to Civic Square after undergoing restoration. Photo: Supplied Ngā Pou o Heretaunga have returned to Civic Square in Hastings. Project manager Te Uira Tōmoana, who is working on behalf of Ngā Marae o Heretaunga Charitable Trust, said the pou are more than carvings. "They are living expressions of whakapapa, mana and whanaungatanga. Their return to the square brings a renewed sense of presence and strength," Tōmoana said. "This kaupapa has been led with aroha and deep care by our carvers, whānau and marae," Tōmoana said. Carved by tohunga whakairo and owned by their respective marae within the district of Hastings, 18 of the pou were unveiled in 2013 . Since then, they have stood as cultural markers of identity, whakapapa and unity in the heart of Hastings city. A 19th pou was gifted by the Queen of Rarotonga, Pā Ariki, in 2017 and represents the strong connection between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Takitumu region of Rarotonga. In February of this year, each pou was taken back to its marae to undergo inspection and any necessary maintenance. This is the first full collective check and restoration since their installation. One pou remains offsite for additional work. Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst. Photo: SUPPLIED Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the council was proud to support the rededication and acknowledged the ongoing guardianship of the pou by mana whenua. "We are privileged to have them returned to the heart of our city," she said. The pou are complemented by new landscaping and maintenance of Civic Square, including the replacement of the 50-year-old pavers, which had become a safety risk. The project cost just under $1 million. Artist collective Iwi Toi Kahungunu developed the tile design, which reflects "unity in Hastings' diversity" and includes a special pattern that pays tribute to the WWI and WWII memorials in the square. The pou were to be rededicated at a dawn ceremony on Friday morning. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
