Dubai: Mohammad Sultan Thani wants to revive Emirati culture and heritage — by adding an innovative twist.
Thani, 51, uses his magic wand to rustle up a secret culinary mixture to prepare an ancient Emirati condiment added to various Emirati dishes.
And his creations can be sampled at his kiosk called Sehnah in Global Village
Sehnah is still popular among Emiratis, but according to Thani, does not find much favour among youngsters because many don’t know about it, or have a negative impression about the mixture.
“This is why many people have forgotten about it, but now I have found a way to bring it back to life.”
Thani wants to change the perception that the condiment is smelly or bitter in taste.
Sehnah, a condiment produced after drying sardines on sand, cleaning them and grinding them is still popular in the northern emirates. The condiment is added on rice or other dishes to impart the flavour of sardines.
However, Thani’s condiment is a bit different so as to cater to modern tastes. The dishes he prepares with sehnah added on top are also different because he wants “sehnah to be made in a modern taste.”
Two years ago, Thani set about experimenting with the traditional condiment at home and the possible spices he could mix with it to create something for today’s tastes.
He ended up creating six special flavours (pasta mix, chilli mix, soup and noodle mix, sumaq mix, nuts mix, classic mix), and is now trying to get people of all nationalities to try his fare.
Thani, who is a government employee, said: “Most Emiratis are preparing cupcakes and burgers and have forgotten about traditional dishes prepared with sehnah. I thought it was important to bring something that reflected our past. My main objective is to preserve Emirati identity by getting people to use Sehnah again.”
Thani sells sehnah in specially packaged jars and encourages people to sample dishes prepared with his sehnah mixture at his kiosk
“At home, it’s all about sehnah dishes. I’m trying to come up with new mixtures, but it really takes a lot of time to come up with the right mix, which involves many types of spices,” he explained.
He said many Emirati youngsters either have no clue what sehnah is because they’ve never tasted it before, or are put off because they’re told it’s smelly and has a bitter taste.
“I want to change that view about sehnah and break the barriers. The bitter taste and smell is due to the preparation and cleaning process. Proper sehnah is different, and I have prepared these mixtures to taste special when cooked or added to rice, fries, pasta, or even over popcorn,” he said.
Thani’s main aim is to familiarise others with traditional Emirati dishes.
