EPISODE · Nov 6, 2025 · 40 MIN
Sami Tamimi: Food, Memory & Culinary Identity | Sumud Podcast
from Sumud Podcast: Inspired by Palestine · host Dr. Ed Hasan
This week on the Sumud Podcast, we sit down with Sami Tamimi, award-winning chef, author, and co-founder of Ottolenghi, to explore how heritage, hard work, and heart have shaped his life from Jerusalem to London’s kitchens. Sami Tamimi is a British-Palestinian chef and author whose cooking is deeply rooted in the flavors of his homeland. In his first solo cookbook, Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from My Palestine, he embarks on a vibrant journey through Palestinian culinary traditions, celebrating simple, colorful dishes centered around vegetables and grains. This exploration builds on his earlier work as co-founder of the Ottolenghi restaurants and co-author of bestselling cookbooks: "Falastin" and "Jerusalem: A Cookbook". "Boustany" is Sami’s homage to the food and culture of Palestine. In this deeply personal conversation, he reflects on his early life under occupation, his rebellious path from a truck company to the kitchen, and the struggle of navigating Israeli kitchens as a Palestinian chef. Sami opens up about cultural appropriation in “Israeli cuisine,” the politics of food, and the creation of his newest book, "Boustany", a love letter to Palestinian memory, land, and flavor. With humor and grace, Sami reminds us that every dish carries a story of land, family, and survival. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Growing up in Jerusalem under occupation ➡ Becoming a chef against all odds ➡ Culinary appropriation and “Israeli cuisine” ➡ Food as political resistance and storytelling ➡ Writing Boustany: memory, land, and resilience ➡ Reclaiming Palestinian cuisine for future generations Sponsored by: The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com Sponsored by: The School of Radical Imagination, a new learning space turning knowledge into action through live, community-based courses on justice, liberation, and creativity. Enroll at RadicalImagination.school. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Opening Reflections 01:15 – Early Life in JerusaleQm 05:29 – Rebellion, Art, and the Birth of a Chef 07:36 – Navigating Israeli Kitchens as a Palestinian 11:41 – What is ‘Israeli Food’? 13:36 – The Politics of Cooking & Food as Protest 18:13 – Founding Ottolenghi & Collaboration in ExileQ 21:11 – Boustany: Memory, Land & Palestinian Resilience 28:23 – October 7th, Speaking Out & Finding Voice 32:55 – Health, Balance & Using His Platform for Good 38:42 – Closing Reflections: Work hard, Follow the Heart 🎥 Full episode: www.sumudpod.com 📚 Check out Sami's website: www.sami-tamimi.com 📲 Follow: @sami_tamimi | @dredhasan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
This week on the Sumud Podcast, we sit down with Sami Tamimi, award-winning chef, author, and co-founder of Ottolenghi, to explore how heritage, hard work, and heart have shaped his life from Jerusalem to London’s kitchens. Sami Tamimi is a British-Palestinian chef and author whose cooking is deeply rooted in the flavors of his homeland. In his first solo cookbook, Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from My Palestine, he embarks on a vibrant journey through Palestinian culinary traditions, celebrating simple, colorful dishes centered around vegetables and grains. This exploration builds on his earlier work as co-founder of the Ottolenghi restaurants and co-author of bestselling cookbooks: "Falastin" and "Jerusalem: A Cookbook". "Boustany" is Sami’s homage to the food and culture of Palestine. In this deeply personal conversation, he reflects on his early life under occupation, his rebellious path from a truck company to the kitchen, and the struggle of navigating Israeli kitchens as a Palestinian chef. Sami opens up about cultural appropriation in “Israeli cuisine,” the politics of food, and the creation of his newest book, "Boustany", a love letter to Palestinian memory, land, and flavor. With humor and grace, Sami reminds us that every dish carries a story of land, family, and survival. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Growing up in Jerusalem under occupation ➡ Becoming a chef against all odds ➡ Culinary appropriation and “Israeli cuisine” ➡ Food as political resistance and storytelling ➡ Writing Boustany: memory, land, and resilience ➡ Reclaiming Palestinian cuisine for future generations Sponsored by: The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com Sponsored by: The School of Radical Imagination, a new learning space turning knowledge into action through live, community-based courses on justice, liberation, and creativity. Enroll at RadicalImagination.school. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Opening Reflections 01:15 – Early Life in JerusaleQm 05:29 – Rebellion, Art, and the Birth of a Chef 07:36 – Navigating Israeli Kitchens as a Palestinian 11:41 – What is ‘Israeli Food’? 13:36 – The Politics of Cooking & Food as Protest 18:13 – Founding Ottolenghi & Collaboration in ExileQ 21:11 – Boustany: Memory, Land & Palestinian Resilience 28:23 – October 7th, Speaking Out & Finding Voice 32:55 – Health, Balance & Using His Platform for Good 38:42 – Closing Reflections: Work hard, Follow the Heart 🎥 Full episode: www.sumudpod.com 📚 Check out Sami's website: www.sami-tamimi.com 📲 Follow: @sami_tamimi | @dredhasan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sami Tamimi: Food, Memory & Culinary Identity | Sumud Podcast
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