Doha in Qatar was not a holiday destination for me as far as I can remember, but when an invitation came through via The Guild of Food Writers, I was immediately attracted to this part of the Arabic world. The primary attraction for me was the Healthy Eating Initiative within the 7th edition of Qatar International Food Festival 2016 (#QIFF 2016) which was the brainwave of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, reputed to be one of the richest women in the world, who is also the chairperson, Qatar Museum’s Board Trustees, Qatar Museum and Reach out to Asia.
Obesity today is a global problem; hence the phrase ‘globesity’, and Qatar is no exception. Statistics show that just over 22% of Qatari girls and 33.5% of boys under the age of 20 is a disturbing trend. Healthy Food Initiative within QIFF 2016 was an innovative programme designed to increase awareness amongst Qataris of importance of leading a heathier lifestyle. This was initiated under the visionary guidance of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayass bint Hamad Khalifa Al Thani and internationally renowned Michelin starred Chef Alain Ducasse. Ducasse’s first Middle Eastern restaurant with a healthy food concept IDAM, located within the Museum of Islamic Art, showcased a spectacular healthy menu which was enjoyed by international food journalists, nutritional therapists and a whole host of European guests from the world of food. I was among two British guests and I thoroughly enjoyed the talks not to mention the food. I am, and always have been, a great advocate of healthy food and I was delighted with Ducasse’s menu which highlighted the fact that meat, especially red, is not really required by our body as long as we make sure that we consume all the necessary nutrients in our daily diet He explained how we can stay healthy with just relying on nature.
Alain addressed the invitees with a talk about genealogy of food and the importance of teaching children to have fun while exploring new tastes. He went on to say “Today I am happy to support Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Khalifa Al Thani’s inititiative.” He explained that development of new tastes is a ‘significant lever for a good diet.’ He stressed on the importance of enjoyment of food while exploring a varied taste palette.
It was encouraging to see some fun workshops for children who were actively involved in discovering new tastes. They were asked to taste fruit smoothies and identify the fruits in them and were encouraged to grow vegetables from seed pods which they could take home.
Few examples of Alan Ducasse’s menu:
Chickpeas and lentils harira vinaigrette Vegetable and flower salad, black truffle condiment Cookpot of tiny spelt, seasonal vegetables and herb pesto Fresh pineapple juice with ginger aleBy contrast, here is one of the pictures of some Arabic sweet shops we visited. Imagine the fat and calories in those sweets! It is time to break out of this pattern and take a fresh look at adopting a healthy lifestyle with fresh food which are grown in environmentally friendly conditions and cooked and consumed fresh.
Mridula Baljekar with world renowned Michelin starred chef Alain DucasseOne of the highlights of the trip was our lunch in the sky; it was an amazing experience to be welcomed to a makeshift Business Class lounge and served by real air hostesses working for Qatar airways. After refreshing fruit juices and perfectly roasted delectable nuts, we were given our boarding passes and we boarded our sky restaurant for a gourmet experience 50 metres above ground level with panoramic views of the Doha city. The food served was healthy and delicious and Indian Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia’s hariyali tofu was one of the items on the menu.
Sky restaurant about to take off Sky restaurant off the groundA visit to the Islamic Centre for Art filled me with joy; the serene atmosphere in the museum, crammed with visitors yet calm and peaceful was such a welcome experience. I was also happy to find beautifully preserved relics from the Mughal era including a necklace worn by Emperor Shah Jehan and a Koran written in enlarged scripts to make it easier for Emperor Temur to read at bed time. A 16th century Hyderabadi carpet, used to welcome dignitaries during the Mughal time, was on display, still bright and beautiful. In the library was a huge hard back book about the Taj Mahal which caught my attention. I was certainly happy that reading Indian history at school made my trip to this unique museum more meaningful and also the fact that the mighty Mughals came to India from this part of the world and settled in North India. Mughal food, architecture and art are all still striving in North India and in Hyderabad in the south where the last of the Mughal Emperor had retired to.
Messages emphasizing on consuming healthy food in order to avoid chronic diseases were loud and clear during The Healthy Food Show on 25th March. Nutritionist and Doctor Valerie Espinasse and chef Alain Ducasse explained how to improve health and avoid chronic diseases by eating foods that nourish the body. Suggestions focused on low glycaemic foods, which help to maintain balanced blood sugar levels. They recommended that we swap fizzy drinks, which have a high sugar content, for mineral water.
The entire event was very well organized and the message of healthy eating was so strong that the impact should help children and adults alike to work together towards living a heathier life by keeping diseases and obesity at bay. In my opinion, every country, where this problem exists, should promote healthy eating through public events such as the one in Doha.