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Bahrain’s culinary heritage is taking its seat amidst top cultural destinations at Canada’s Pearson International Airport, as part of an ongoing exhibition celebrating diversity.
An iconic photo of a majlis on Lake Muskoka’s deck, with fresh Bahraini food cooked by Bahraini-Canadian Chef Suman Ali was recently unveiled at Terminal 3 in the Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada.
It is part of a series of photographs taken as part of Take Your Seat, a photojournalism initiative by father-son team Randy and Spencer VanDerStarren.
“This shoot took place on a deck at Horseshoe Lake in the summer of 2023, where we wanted to highlight how food can be a conversation starter, and that Bahraini and Khaleeji cuisine is more than just machboos (spiced chicken and rice) and harees (a seasoned savoury porridge made of wheat or bulgur mixed with meat),” the 32-year-old award-winning chef and corporate culinary executive, who splits her time between Toronto, Canada and Sanad, told GulfWeekly.
“Khaleeji and Bahraini food have a range of influences, including those from the South Asian diaspora, who have been part of the cultural fabric since the 1930s, 1940s and earlier. In my food, I want to also include this part of our history.
“The project was also a collaboration with multiple women-owned businesses in Canada, and the diners came from all walks of life, from new Canadians to third and fourth generation citizens.”
Take Your Seat has been exhibiting photographic installations in the high-traffic Toronto Pearson Airport since 2017 to humanise the airport experience, showcase world-class destinations and connect travellers to a unifying mission.
Their image of Chef Suman’s bountiful Bahrain-themed meal and majlis served on the deck at Terrawoods on Muskoka Shores Cottage and Park Resort will make her the first Bahraini/ Khaleeji artist and chef to be featured at an international level in North America.
Alongside the image is a QR code, which will provide visitors with more information about her cooking and Bahraini cuisine.
According to Chef Suman, the meal fused Bahraini cuisine with locally sourced ingredients, from deer and lamb kebabs – her specialty – to skewers made from cedar and spruce, cooked over a fire pit, reminiscent of how food was cooked both in the desert and the North American wilderness.
Items on the menu ranged from Sabzi Ontario Harvest with heirloom carrots, wild mushrooms, sweet potato and saffron, to Bahraini Hummus with Daqoos (a garlic-flavoured tomato sauce) and Zaatar (a culinary herb from the region).
“Having grown up in East Riffa, much of my inspiration comes from the multicultural spread at the sufra (table), where we would have daal (lentils) and achaar (pickle), alongside traditional Bahraini dishes – so food was always a place where divides were bridged and walls broken down,” Chef Suman added.
Alongside the reveal of the photo at the Avant-Garde Toronto Gallery, Chef Suman and her collaborators were also honoured by Toronto Ward 11 city councillor Dianne Saxe, for ‘producing an incredible celebration of unity through art, culture and fellowship.’
The photograph is also expected to be included in Take Your Seat’s second upcoming photo book, with more details to be announced closer to the release date.
In the coming months, Take Your Seat will be coming to Kuwait, and Chef Suman also hopes to have an event in Bahrain’s desert, where the photography duo can capture the ambience of the kingdom.
For more details, follow @chefsumanali on Instagram.
