Day: December 22, 2022

Entertainment

Dubai Food Festival to return in April with an expanded programme

head dubai December 22, 2022 No Comments

Beach Canteen and Restaurant Week are making a comeback, with new concepts also planned.

Dubai foodies, get ready — the weeks-long Dubai Food Festival is set to return to the city in April with a smorgasbord of options.

The festival will run for 17 days, with many of the classic concepts making a comeback, alongside a bunch of delicious new activities.

Now in its 10th year, Dubai Food Festival has become a platform to celebrate home-grown food and drinks vendors, as well as to explore international cuisine and global industry trends.

The festival will mark the return of various beloved pop-ups, including the Etisalat Beach Canteen on Jumeirah beach. The market-style event will host food and fashion stalls, as well as live entertainment and family-friendly activities.

Another popular DFF event returning next year is Dubai Restaurant Week, which will showcase set menus at subsidised rates from 50 top restaurants. Participating outlets have not been revealed, but last year, venues such as Coya, The Maine Street Eatery and The London Project were in attendance.

Last year’s Restaurant Week also included a few spots that made it to the inaugural Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants list. With the glittering ceremony set to take place again in January, DFF-goers can hope a to see award-winning names from that list as well.

Foodie Experiences, which includes masterclasses — from how to make low-waste sourdough to tips on food fermentation — and chef’s tables is also making a comeback.

What’s new at Dubai Food Festival 2023?

The festival will feature the Dh10 Signature Dish initiative, where about 300 participating restaurants will roll out affordable samples of their best dishes.

Although no further details are immediately available, the coming DFF will also include Chefs in Town, which will include a programme of events and tasting sessions throughout the festival.

Dubai as a global gastronomy hub

Dubai Food Festival is only one of the many government-backed initiatives, led by the Department of Economy and Tourism, that showcase the city’s potential as a global gastronomy hub.

“During the last 12 months, we have seen the launch of the inaugural Michelin Guide to Dubai, the arrival of the Gault&Millau guide, the launch of MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants and a host of other accolades for the city’s home-grown eateries, fine-dining institutions and neighbourhood favourites,” Ahmed Al Khaja, chief executive of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said.

Dubai is home to numerous restaurants and cafes, from local eateries to gourmet and fine dining venues, with new spots seemingly popping up every week. As such, a food festival offers a curated way to explore the city’s diverse culinary options.

Mother of the Nation has been extended. Scroll through the gallery for things to do at the Abu Dhabi festival

Entrepreneur Science & Tech

‘Red gold’ saffron grows in Sharjah desert using vertical farming methods

head dubai December 22, 2022 No Comments

About 150,000 crocus sativa bulbs have been cultivated, in a first for the UAE

Without the use of water, soil or fertilisers, vertical fields of “red gold” have been produced in Sharjah as preparations are made for the UAE’s first saffron harvest.

Agricultural technology firm VeggiTech has cultivated roughly 150,000 crocus sativa bulbs from the Netherlands, growing them in vertical farms in Al Zubair.

Saffron is one of the most precious spices in the world because of the extremely labour-intensive process required to cultivate crops.

We play with the temperature to create the perfect environment for it to grow, with each bulb producing two to three flowers
Ghazal Shafiee, quality manager at VeggiTech, Sharjah

Each flower produces approximately three tiny stigmas from which the saffron is extracted. This first crop in the UAE grown this way is expected to yield about 5.5 kilograms of saffron.

Depending on the grade and quality, a kilogram of saffron can sell from $850 to $3100.

“This is the first time saffron has been grown this way in the region by using vertical farming,” said Ghazal Shafiee, quality manager at VeggiTech.

“Saffron is an important crop that originates in Iran and it is also grown in parts of Spain.

“It is a sensitive crop to grow and not everyone has the knowledge required to cultivate saffron in this way.

Sharjah – home to most expensive spice on the planet.

“Using this system, we have much less area required for the entire production.

“Usually, land water and herbicides are used, but by vertical farming a smaller area is needed with greater production and quality.”

Due to water scarcity and climate change, vertical farming is providing an increasing number of crops in the UAE.

The process uses tightly controlled soil techniques with artificial LED lights to stimulate growth, with some farms able to produce 10 times the amount of traditional farming methods.

The technique is particularly useful in the UAE, due to the harsh growing conditions.

As one of the top five buyers of Iranian bulk saffron, developing a home-grown market would make the country less reliant on imports.

VeggiTech cultivates about 50 other crops using similar methods of hydroponics and aquaponics farming at four farms in the UAE.

READ MORE
Inside the UAE vertical farm that produces leafy greens for your plate

It takes between nine and 10 months for the saffron bulb to reach maturity, before it is ready to be harvested.

Each purpose-built laboratory is equipped with a special air handling unit to create the precise environment required — with the right CO2, light, temperature and humidity — for saffron to grow.

“We play with the temperature to create the perfect environment for it to grow, with each bulb producing two to three flowers,” said Ms Shafiee, who is from Iran.

“Once the flowers appear, the bulbs are transferred to the greenhouse for the next stage of the crop cycle.

“Saffron can be grown anywhere, but the challenge is creating the perfect environment for it.”