On Saturday 13 May, the first edition of the Taste of Mena food festival took place on the Nieuwe Markt in Groningen. The festival is part of the new ten-day city program 'MENA is here', in which Groningen residents can become acquainted with the rich traditions and cultures of the Mena region, from the Middle East to North Africa.
Delicious Mena dishes
On the Nieuwe Markt you could fully enjoy the tastiest Mena dishes from Groningen restaurants and caterers. Visitors from young to old could experience a true taste sensation in which a number of new dishes were undoubtedly discovered. The well-stocked terraces, the Mena DJs and the beautiful spring sun made this very first Taste of Mena edition complete.
Dabke on the New Market
After the delicious food, it was time for a traditional joint dance where visitors were given an explanation and a large circle of people was formed in the middle of the Nieuwe Markt. The incredibly popular round dance 'Dabke' from countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Palestine got many visitors dancing and spectators visibly enjoyed this energetic dance, which even the restaurateurs and chefs joined.
Exciting Mena cooking competition
The Mena variant of the cooking competition 'Klaar af Kook' also took place in the tents on the festival grounds. During this cooking competition, set up especially for Taste of Mena, food was cooked with a mix of Dutch and Mena ingredients. What was new was that festival visitors could taste and vote for the various dishes prepared by the chefs. Independent chef Pascal du Pree was chosen as the winner of Klaar af Kook Mena 2023.
Making tahini and ma'amoul
Various free baking workshops were also given at Taste of Mena. At these well-attended workshops you learned about cooking traditions, baking processes and ingredients from the Mena region and you could bake cookies yourself, such as Ma'amoul, under the enthusiastic guidance of the Mena ambassadors.
The organization of the festival looks back on a very successful first edition of Taste of Mena that certainly leaves you wanting more! The mix of traditions, food, cultures and audience makes it a unique new event for Groningen.