Abu Dhabi has opened the first kosher restaurant in the region.
Thereby integrating Jewish cuisine into the dining culture of the capital besides the traditional Emirati delicacies . The restaurant is placed at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Abu Dhabi.Rabbi Levi Duchman, the man behind issuing Kosher Certification (EAKC) in the Emirates, is delighted with this opening and is grateful to Abu Dhabi for opening its doors. Rabbi has been working since he landed in the UAE in 2014, for building the stature of the Jewish community. Rabbi also stated that the team was looking at not only introducing education and places of worship for the Jewish community but also providing an opportunity for all Jewish denominations to enjoy kosher cuisine.
Alex Peterfreund, a core Dubai Jewish community member, stated that it was critical to encourage Jewish tourists to explore other parts of the UAE than just Dubai. There have been significant efforts to introduce Jewish elements in the cultural highlights in Abu Dhabi, like the Louvre and Abrahamic House opening in the fourth quarter to drive several Jewish tourists to Abu Dhabi. In addition, the restaurant will certainly play a major role in boosting the Jewish community and encouraging more Jewish tourists to explore Abu Dhabi.
The concept was initiated in 2020 or 2021 when EAKC signed the partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi. In addition, they have worked extensively with several hotels in the Emirate to introduce kosher cuisine on their respective menus. Some of the notable measures were: Armani Hotel Dubai at the Burj Khalifa became a kosher-certified restaurant in September 2020, and Kosher Arabia, which had a kosher kitchen was introduced in partnership with Emirates Airlines in Dubai last year, producing close to 2,000 meals daily. But the efforts finally bear fruit in 2023 as the region gets its full-time kosher restaurant.
What is Kosher Food?
Kosher is acceptable for consumption or fit as per Jewish dietary rules. This cuisine has three categories: parve, meat, and dairy. As per the Torah, only animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves can be a part of this cuisine. Hence, goats, deer, cows, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and sheep are allowed. Consuming birds of prey is not allowed in this culinary culture. Dairy products from kosher animals can be accepted as part of this cuisine.
Introducing Kosher food to their menu has challenges as the food needs to be prepared according to the Jewish dietary rules. In addition, the guiding preparation rules for these cuisines demand separate utensils and sinks for ingredients like dairy and meat.
This move to promote kosher cuisine is seen as the first step towards growing ties and normalizing relations between UAE and Israel, which was initiated by signing the Abraham Accords in September 2020. With the lift of the COVID-19 restrictions, there has been significant growth in the number of Israeli citizens visiting the UAE for tourism and leisure.
