In this episode of Culture Bites, chef Salam Dakkak joins Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews to talk about her award-winning Levantine cuisine and the "nafas", or soul, that she shares through her cooking. The Palestinian-Jordanian owner of Bait Maryam and Sufret Maryam, named in honour of her mother, revives the tastes and traditions of home in her kitchen, inviting guests from all over the world to discover her culture through the universal language of food.

Dakkak, who has been lauded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand commendation and ranked in the Mena’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024, discusses her new elevated Levantine restaurant, Sufret Maryam, and her vision for preserving authentic flavours of Palestine for the next generation.

As the war in Gaza continues to take a toll on hundreds of thousands of Palestinians suffering under bombardment for more than a year, more celebrities are speaking out. Enas and Farah spotlight some of the artists and activists who have sharpened their tone in recent weeks to condemn the brutality in Gaza and advocate for the innocent civilians who are being killed. From John Legend and Javier Bardem to Andrew Garfield and Gustaf Skarsgard, public figures have been using their platforms to raise awareness and call for a ceasefire.

With Israel’s expanding its war into Lebanon, there has been a fear that historic landmarks may be destroyed. This comes after an air strike hit less than one kilometre away from the Unesco World Heritage Site of Baalbek, a Roman complex dating back 11,000 years. The hosts discuss the risks of cultural erasure during war, and the efforts being taken to protect and archive the rich histories of these places.

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal start the show with exciting news: the podcast has been shortlisted for a Signal Award in the Best Co-host Team category. Fans of the show have until October 17 to cast their votes here. Please get voting!

Maan got the chance to visit NYU Abu Dhabi this week and explore new exhibition Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial, which captures key moments in the Gulf’s arts scene over the past five years. Artists from across the region, including the UAE, Saudi, and Bahrain, featured their works ranging from visual arts to design and video installations. Maan shares a glimpse of the stunning displays and speaks to some of the artists and curators.

With the launch of Love is Blind, Habibi, the Arabic version of the hit dating reality show, the hosts discuss their expectations of how the show may be adapted for its audience. In some ways the format of the series offers a modern twist on courting customs in the region, but in other ways it would have to consider cultural sensitivities of the Arab world. The hosts also highlight the opportunity for global audiences to see the diversity of Middle Eastern marriage and wedding traditions.

Coldplay and Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna are making headlines again, after performing together on the Saturday Night Live stage. This is not the first time the young artist has appeared with the band, having done so on stage at Glastonbury in June, and she’s also going to be opening for them when they perform in Abu Dhabi in January. Enas, Maan and Farah spotlight their latest collaboration, where they sang We Pray and All my Love, both from Coldplay’s new album Moon Music.