As Dubai locals, we often hear about leafy greens that are only used by certain sub-communities that call this city home. Unlike mainstream spinach, some of these greens aren’t known beyond the communities that use them. In fact, many of these greens may not even be available here, which makes them all the more coveted by expats who have distant memories of foraging for these greens in their homeland.
Our collective knowledge of regional produce is an incredible opportunity for us as Dubai residents to learn from each other about how to put these nutritious greens to good use if they ever cross our paths at a local farmer’s market or an imported aisle of a grocery store. For instance, have you ever come across molokhiya (Jew’s mallow), hindbeh (dandelion greens) and akoub (gundelia) from the Levant? Or ever tasted ambada (sorrel) or chugur (baby tamarind leaves) from the Andhra/Telangana region of India? If you haven’t, tune in to the player below to learn about these greens with our guest speaker Dina Yazbak (@pyjamasinthekitchen) who heads Research and Innovation at Kaykroo and Farida Ahmed (@faridaa) who is the GM and food tour guide at Frying Pan Adventures.
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Arva Ahmed is the co-founder of Frying Pan Adventures, Dubai’s first food tour company, and a celebrated food explorer known for uncovering Dubai’s hidden culinary gems. Her expertise in the city’s diverse food scene has been featured in prominent publications such as CNN, Khaleej Times, BBC Travel, The Sun, The Independent and countless more. She also hosts Ditch the Silver on YouTube. Through her immersive tours and storytelling, Arva brings Dubai’s rich flavors and vibrant cultures to life.
