World Food Tour - Vegan Middle East

We are at our last stop of the vegan world tour and some would say we have left the best for last. We are stopping in the colourful and vibrant Middle East. This area of the world has paved the way with vegan food and a lot of our favourite vegan dishes are from this area. However our guests actually say that their culture doesn’t really understand the vegan lifestyle and explain that their families do not know why you wouldn’t want meat on your plate. Our guests this week: Noda, the chef and founder of Koocha, Bristol’s first vegan restaurant. Reflecting on her Iranian heritage, the food served at Koocha is inspired by Persian cuisine – many dishes are modern twists on traditional family recipes. Koocha has paved the way for meat-free cuisine across Bristol, which some argue is now the world’s number one city for vegan food. Nada, known as One Arab Vegan, is an avid vegan blogger and self-taught plant-based chef. Originally from Egypt but based in the UAE, Nada is inspired by creating delicious, empowering and nutrient-packed plant-based food inspired by Middle Eastern flavours. Through her blog, she also shares her experience leading a vegan lifestyle within a culture that is less than forgiving towards plant-based diets.