Today's Edition
JESSI AMASON (ABU DHABI)
It may come as a surprise, but if you hail from the southern swath of the US, stepping into the UAE might just feel like coming home. Right away, people hailing from both cultures can find familiar values, like unreserved hospitality, strong family ties, a notable sense of pride in tradition, and critically, a deep respect for great food.
The burning smell of wood smoke, live performances of American country and R&B classics, and the overarching sound of children’s laughter united the two worlds on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island during the inaugural Open Fire Food Festival, presented by legendary American comedian, actor, and philanthropist, Steve Harvey.
Harvey, with his characteristically affable gravitas, shared his inspiration behind his latest venture in the UAE with Aletihad, explaining his motivation for the festival to be a comfortable way to share the best of culture through the universal truths of good food and live music.
“There’s two ways you can bring people together that are universal: Music – everybody likes music – and everybody likes food. I don’t know nobody that don’t like to eat; I don’t know nobody,” he said with an emphatic laugh.
“So I thought that if we do this, it would bring a lot of excitement to the region, but also, expose a lot of people to Yas Island, to Abu Dhabi, and to the culture.”
“I’m very conscious of exposing this region to the world, because I want people to discover what I’ve discovered. And for me, it’s another way to bring together people and discuss our similarities instead of always talking about our differences,” he explained.
#SteveHarvey dishes on Open Fire Food Festival#AletihadNewsCenter #UAE #AbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/OWfw8na6qQ
— Aletihad English (@AletihadEn) February 25, 2024
The Open Fire Food Festival by Steve Harvey offers visitors the full, classic American barbecue experience with an intercultural twist, featuring barbecue from around the world, along with festivities such as a hotdog eating competition, a children’s play area, and bearded cowboys turned barbecue masters firing up their grills with a cheerful “Howdy”.
“I mean, look at it,” Harvey said, gesturing to the festival activities. “We got all different types of music here, entertainment. We got a kid zone for families here. We got food from all around the world. They’re being exposed to a Southern way of barbecuing – not grilling – but barbecue. It’s a whole other culture.”
A down-home exploration of cross-cultural exchange, Harvey delved into the various nuances of the art of barbecue, from cookware to spices to wood-firing techniques. He explained that his hope for the festival is to share this deeply loved American tradition with the country, with aspirations for the cuisine be more popularly adopted into the UAE’s ever-expanding culinary scene. Put simply, “I want this story to be told”, he remarked.
Harvey’s favourite barbecue dish? That’s a harder answer to nail down for the comedian, who laughed: “Well, you know I’m a barbecue guy.”
After a bit of deliberation, Harvey named classic smoked brisket as his personal top tier barbecue delicacy, noting the many hours of dedication that the dish requires. Sharing the complex culinary art of barbecue with the UAE “will be really a fascinating thing”, he added.
Harvey, a self-described admirer of the UAE, explained that he feels deeply at peace in the country. The comedian expanded on his life and his childhood in some more tumultuous areas of the US, cities which he described as places where you have to “walk with your head on a swivel to be able to walk around”.
“I mean, if you grew up like me, and where I grew up, I’ve never been able to live my life in peace. And I’ve been around a long time.”
For Harvey, these experiences make the UAE’s renowned tranquillity that much more meaningful.
The UAE is “amazing” he said, noting that the peace the country enjoys is “not the norm” in the rest of the world. “Coming here for me is a complete and utter joy, and I want other people to know what that is, to expose them to this,” he added.
Turning to future projects and plans to return to the UAE, Harvey said that he is considering bringing several more festivals to Abu Dhabi, naming a few specifics, such as a conference on health and wellness, along with a women’s business conference, as potential areas of interest. “I’m thinking about doing a lot of stuff,” he added.
“This next one will be geared towards women from all over the GCC, all over the world, London, America, Australia, just women coming to talk about entrepreneurship, discipline… and how they want to move forward.”
“You know, women are the most powerful creatures on earth,” he stated. “You can’t do anything without them. You wouldn’t even be here without them.”
