Kosher cuisine in the heart of the Arab world

TALI FEINBERG

“Many kosher visitors would come to Dubai, would not know what was available, and would reach out to us. We would often have people eat with us in our home,” she recalls. “Soon enough, business groups started contacting us and with a kosher kitchen, I realised that I was in a unique position to respond to an existing and growing need.”

She decided to take the plunge and create a kosher cooking and delivery service in this most unlikely of places. “I tested out the concept, and launched Elli’s Kosher Kitchen in the week that the ‘Year of Tolerance’ was inaugurated in Dubai. The climate was right and since then, there has been a wonderful response!”

This week, she is making her mark at KosherFest in the United States – the biggest trade show for the kosher industry – where people will taste her unique combinations of Jewish and Emirati cuisine which she has dubbed “kosherati” food. Looking back, it has been an exciting journey to get to this point.

“We have now been in Dubai for almost seven years. The Jewish community  is small, fledgling, and welcoming, made up of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews. It’s diverse in terms of language, background, and nationality. Everybody is excited to be together and connect with other Jews in the city, and many are exploring what it means to be Jewish in their own way. Many people don’t stay long in Dubai, so given the nature of the work scene in the city, it’s a highly transient place,” she says.

When her family first arrived in the UAE, they thought there would be no kosher supplies in Dubai. However, the supermarkets were full of imported kosher products – most coming from the US with a hechsher. “Not all supermarkets carried the same range, so it meant travelling to one supermarket for cream cheese and another for cereals. What is still not available is kosher meat. We have recently started getting kosher wine, and there is a limited range of kosher cheese. The products that we can’t get are brought in for us by visitors. At Pesach, we return to South Africa and fill our bags with the supplies that we need.”

Kriel says she delivers kosher food to visitors, locals, hotels, and restaurants on a weekly basis as demand increases for her produce. “I also provide food for Shabbat and offer a Shabbat parcel consisting of all the items needed for kiddush (Shabbat blessing), hamotzi [the blessing on bread], and havdalah [the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat]. There are two types of visitors that require food: tourists and business travellers who visit Dubai for conferences, expos, and conventions.”

Mostly people hear about her through word of mouth, but also through social media, which has been a fantastic way to connect with customers. As she can’t import kosher meat, the menu is milchik and parev. The menu is mouth-watering, with options like crumpets for breakfast, baked salmon for dinner, and chocolate brownies for dessert.

“Orders are dealt with directly with visitors or through travel agents, concierges, and food and beverage managers. The food is packaged in a double wrapping of foil and sent to the hotel where guests are staying. I have good relations with many of the hotel staff, and am able to assist in arranging the heating of food in halachic ways. I can also help stock the hotel room with kosher supplies – this is especially important for families with young kids,” she says.

Food is also packed for the road and on aeroplanes, and can be frozen to last till the next destination. This has been life-changing for many people, who used to bring canned or packaged kosher food when travelling to this region of the world.

She caters to everyone from business and corporate travellers, to families with young kids, and honeymoon couples in transit on their way to Bali, the Maldives, or Mauritius. “Jewish travellers are coming to Dubai frequently. The busiest period is November to April as the weather is best during this time of the year.”

Kriel has had a very positive response from the Arab population around her. “I have received wonderful support, and many [Arab people] order challah and rugelach from me. There has been much excitement, and the people that have interacted with me have been delighted to be able to get Jewish food that they have encountered elsewhere. The government of the UAE is tremendously supportive of its locally-based businesses.”

Her children attend an international school with at least 35 nationalities. “Quite a few parents and teachers know that we are Jewish, and we’ve only ever received support. My kids take off school for yom tovs (holidays) and get their yiddishkeit (Jewish way of life) from life at home and going to shul every week,” she says. They are having lessons over the phone and internet to prepare for their Bar and Batmitzvahs thanks to the wonders of technology.

Kriel says that the South African Jewish values of hospitality, warmth, and the importance of family are very much part of life in Dubai. “I have lived most of my life in South Africa. It’s a strong part of my identity. I’m a member of the South African Business Council, and work closely with other South Africans in building Elli’s Kosher Kitchen. I also continue to support South African businesses back home when it comes to building my brand and marketing,” she says.

Her goal is to continue growing the kosher travel market in Dubai, and to develop the business with local and international partners. The next step is to get a commercial kitchen and a full-time executive chef and mashgiach to give her the time to focus on building the brand and the market in the Gulf region.

“Most importantly, I love the work that I am doing, especially the fusion Emirati-Jewish food that I’m developing,” she says. “Food has a great capacity to cross cultures and bring people closer together.”