Traditionally modern

Chef Tala Bashmi on carrying the torch for Bahraini cuisine

- NIANNE-LYNN HENDRICKS

Often referred to as “the voice of modern Bahrani cuisine”, chef Tala Bashmi — the UN Gastronomy Tourism Ambassador for the Gulf country — was on her way to becoming a football star.

“When I was growing up, football was all I wanted to do. That was my dream; I wanted to be a professional footballer,” says chef Bashmi.

“I went to university to study sports management to pursue football. However, in 2006, the only league you could play in professionally and be paid was in the US. So for you to actually make it to that league, you would have to be the top 0.01% compared to men where there are professional leagues in every country.

“I soon realised that there's really no future in it. Even when I played with the national team, we didn’t get a steady salary and we had to have a second job. Then I had an injury and couldn’t continue studying, so I had to make a huge shift.

“This is when everything came crashing down and made me rethink life. I had to rediscover myself. I switched to the arts and combining the discipline of football with being a chef helped me become the chef I am.”

Known for championing Bahrani cuisine, chef Bashmi says her culinary philosophy is ever-evolving.

“My philosophy and what's true to my heart is just my roots and my culture and kind of studying and understanding our history to then evolving our cuisine,” she adds.

“Gulf cuisines all have links to each other, but Bahrain is unique because of our pearl-diving and fishing history.

“A lot of our dishes stand out in comparison and as part of my philosophy feature local seasonal ingredients, not for the trendy part, but because that’s what makes it unique — using an ingredient that is native to a country and is only available in a particular season.

“It’s when you come to Bahrain and eat something in season. You probably can’t eat it anywhere else. For me, that has been part of my philosophy and is luxury.