Fuelled by a taste drive

Chef Osama Al Sayyed has made a dramatic impact on the style and method of cooking in the Arab world.

Thousands of people across the world tune in to his show Maa Osama Atyab (With Osama It is More Delicious), aired daily on Dubai TV, to learn about his unique approach to the culinary arts.

Presenting his audience with mouthwatering recipes every day, chef Osama integrates various techniques to create exotic new dishes.

We caught up with chef Osama for a one-on-one at the Kempinski Hotel during a Braun-sponsored media event. His ardour and enthusiasm for what he does are clearly reflected in his words, as he explained how he reached his present status.

Chef Osama said his love for the culinary arts came as a surprise to him.

After completing his degree in engineering, he went to a hotel technical institute in his hometown Cairo. It was then that he decided to study management and worked in several well-known restaurants and catering companies in the US.

“I found myself growing in the field,'' he said. “And through a lot of learning and practice, I realised this was what I wanted to do.''

“Passion and love for what you're doing'' is what he highlighted as the key element in becoming a successful chef.

Hot tips

“You think, it's nothing but working in a hot kitchen,'' he said. “But you should know what you are doing is for others' satisfaction. You will spend hours making a dish that people will finish in 15 minutes. So unless you truly love what you're doing, you will never have the patience to get through it.''

The chef said he stays creative by trying out suggestions his audience and viewers give him.

“People call on the show with their questions,'' he said. “I then study their questions and come back with an answer.''

Because of the varied nature of the questions that come in from viewers, chef Osama says it is not only important for chefs to be knowledgeable about the cooking techniques but also about how different types of foods affect the human body.

This is why he strongly recommends that anyone planning a career in this industry should take a course in nutrition.

“I get enquiries from pregnant women on what they should eat to keep themselves and their child healthy. I get calls from diabetics asking for safe food solutions. I receive queries from working mothers on how to make quick, easy yet healthy meals,'' he said.

“You meet all kinds of people — you need to know how the food you're cooking will affect their health.''

Farm fresh

The key to tasty and healthy meals, according to chef Osama, is the use of fresh ingredients. He said while flavour was important, it was also crucial to consider the nutritional value of the meal.

“Anything that's closer to nature will be more tasty and healthy,'' he said. “After all, nothing is better than a fresh pick from a tree.''

Technology has allowed the world to connect at a level it was never able to achieve before. It all began with television and satellite, which gave a country the power to showcase its culture to another.

This slowly developed into a system where people could interact with each other and share ideas.

“Now it is possible for Saudi Arabia to learn Morocco's traditions, which can, in turn, learn what Tunisia has to offer and so on,'' chef Osama said.

“The UAE is a melting pot of cultures. Everyone who comes here brings his or her own style, which blends to create more ideas. What I love about live cooking is that it brings the world into the kitchen.''