In this period of global lockdown and anxiety, food has emerged as a central player – a source of comfort and community-building for some, for others a reminder of growing economic uncertainty and inequality.
In the Middle East, with its strong culinary culture, the pandemic has led to a revival of traditional food practices and recipes that have long been advocated by many, as well as to questions about how to advance small scale farming and more sustainable agriculture, in response to growing economic challenges.
The panel “Breaking Bread: Food in Times of COVID-19" will explore the role that food has played during this unprecedented pandemic with a focus on Middle Eastern communities. Bringing together voices from the Arab world, whose contributions have shaped this conversation, panelists will also explore how this pandemic might change our relationship to what we eat and how we grow it.
Speakers:
Aisha Al Fadhalah
Co-Founder, MERA Kitchen
Mirna Bamieh
Artist, cook and founder of Palestine Hosting Society
Kamal Mouzawak
Founder of Lebanon first farmer's market, Souk El Tayeb, restaurateur, and food entrepreneur
Antonio Tahhan, moderator
Syrian-Venezuelan food writer, researcher and storyteller
Photo credit: @antoniotahhan, Gazan Knafeh that was part of a performance dinner hosted by Mirna Bamieh of @palestine_hosting_society.