— Note: (Full Disclosure) This is a press release, not an article. It has been posted by an employee of the company which published this book —
Veteran German Chef Uwe Micheel’s latest book ‘Flavours of Dubai’ was awarded 2nd prize in the ‘Best Chef Author’ category at the 22nd Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2017. The book published by Smartcast Group edged out other nominated books from Denmark, France, Poland, Singapore and Sweden to win the award. The cookbook brings together traditional Emirati recipes, modern recipes using locally sourced ingredients, and a historical insight into Dubai’s culinary metamorphosis.
The star-studded culinary awards ceremony was held on May 27-28 in Yangtai, China and was the culmination of a year-long quest to find the best among thousands of new cookbooks from 211 countries across 88 categories. 400 authors, publishers, and distributors from around the world flew in for the awards ceremony. The first prize in the ‘Best Chef Author’ category went to the Scottish book ‘Perceptions’ by Chef Mark Greenaway and the third prize to the Polish book by Chef Suwala, Chef Baron and Others. The top three winners also received the right to use the Gourmand ‘Best in the World’ insignia on their books.
‘Flavours of Dubai’ winning chef author Uwe Micheel has lived in Dubai for nearly a quarter of a century and is the Director of Kitchens at Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek, the President of the Emirates Culinary Guild, and Assistant Vice President of the World Association of Chefs Societies. As an author, Chef Uwe is no stranger to awards. His previous book ‘Chef at Home’ had won a 2nd place Gourmand award in the ‘best cookbook by a first-time author’ category alongside two other awards.
Commenting on the honour of being recognised at the world’s biggest cookbook awards, Chef Uwe Micheel said, “Winning the award for second-best chef author in the world for ‘Flavours of Dubai’ is quite humbling given the size and quality of the competition. I would like to thank the organisers of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for recognising the best in culinary writing from around the world. During the holy month of Ramadan, this book will make for a great resource in the households of both UAE nationals and expatriates looking for a taste of local history and culture.”
He adds, “‘Flavours of Dubai’ is my tribute to the city I have called home for 25 years. This book has been 20 years in the making. The traditional recipes have been meticulously collected by me over the years from local Emirati grandmothers. The modern dishes use ingredients such as camel meat which are locally sourced. I have also advised my readers to avoid ingredients that are no longer sustainable such as hammour and king fish. This is a perfect book for those who want to cook dishes that are local, modern, sustainable, and full of flavour.”
Aquin George, Managing Editor and Publisher, at Smartcast Group, said, “After turning ‘Gulf Gourmet’ from a loss-making product into one of the world’s most widely-read magazines for professional chefs, ‘Flavours of Dubai’ is our first venture into consumer book publishing. Chef Uwe’s knowledge and influence in the culinary industry and his faith in us is what helped us produce this award-winning cookbook.
Aquin adds, “Dubai is on the world culinary map and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has clearly laid out his desire to see Emirati cuisine become more mainstream. ‘Flavours of Dubai’ by Chef Uwe Micheel is a qualitative step in that direction. Winning a global accolade for this book has taken us by surprise. However, what is even more surprising is that most copies of the first edition are sold out and this cookbook is profitable at a time when the print industry is perishing.”
‘Flavours of Dubai’ by Chef Uwe Micheel is available for purchase on Souq.com, premium bookstores across the UAE, and Aseelah Restaurant at Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek.
