How has your heritage influenced your food?
My mum was born in Zanzibar to Omani Zanzibari and Iranian Zanzibari parents. They came from Swahili tribes, so they cooked a lot of Zanzibari and Swahili coastal food; there’s always a lot of coconut and the food is really spicy, with lots of citrus flavours. My dad’s family are Omani — from the capital, Muscat — with Bahraini and Iraqi tribal heritage, so they use a lot of dried limes.
They also use a lot of dates. That comes from being in the north, where there are date palms everywhere.
How would you describe Oman?
Although Oman is a Middle Eastern country that borders other Arab nations, it’s also close to Somalia, Iran and India. And 200 years ago, it had an empire that included the Swahili coast around Zanzibar. Because of all the trade, it’s very multicultural. In the north of Oman, where Muscat is, it’s very dry and hot, with a gorgeous coastline and beaches. The interior to the west is very mountainous, and it’s here you have the Ad Dakhiliyah governorate, where the most delicious pomegranates are grown. As you travel further south, you pass the desert before you
