Growing up in Portsmouth in south of England, and moved to London to pursue her undergraduate studies, couldn’t divert Dina’s attention on her cooking hobby, especially her concern on the Omani cuisine. Dina Macki, originally from Oman, has been introduced to many cultures throughout her life like the swahili, Bahraini, and Irani heritage.
Also known as DinewithDina across the social media platform, Instagram. by the end of 2018, Dina started sharing food recipes. However, she started building an audience in 2019, when she began sharing food recipes, focusing on her culture specifically, along with recipes from the Middle East, and Western recipes. Today, Macki has more than 19 thousand followers on her platform.
“My mother has a big influence on me. She has always told me since I was little that I need to get more involved with the internet applications and programs”, Macki says. “My mother always made me think out of the box to create new, unfamiliar recipes”. Another source of inspiration to Macki is her grandmother who taught her how to cook.
What makes her recipes unique is the spices she uses. by the end of 2020, she launched her own locally made spices. Although Macki has already paved her way in the field of ccooking back in London where people enjoyed tasting the delicious meals she prepares, she felt that her food needs to taste unique. She wanted a different flavor to introduce the Omani and Zanzibari food culture.
“I wanted to make the Omani and swahili cuisine to be the first choice of people in London and also wanted to make a fingerprint and a change in gastronomy field”, she expresses.
To promote Omani food along with supporting Omani local farmers, Dinewithdina collaborated with Omani local farmers. Currently, spices include Omani Zaatar (thyme) and Lumi (lemon) from Omani farmers in willayat Al Kamil, al Sharqiya Governorate.
“the idea is to work with local farmers in Oman because they grow products of good qulaity and they also need the support to promote for their products. They even deserve to promote for them internationally”, she adds.
One of Macki’s achievements throughout her journey in sharing food recipes and spices is her collaboration with Middle East Eye, a news outlet based in London covering Middle Eastern Events. They approached her to film a series called Dine and Discover that showcased Middle Eastern food. “You don’t see many Middle Eastern or Omani food recipes filmed nicely online, so throughout Dine and Discover, people are introduced to Middle East food”, says Macki.
The pandemic may not have been a good year for some, but it was a good year for Macki because people spent more time on screens and more time cooking. it was her opportunity to launch the spices. “I noticed that people changed their opinion on the local products and started to appreciate them more and support small initiatives”, she says.
Macki’s future plans involve creating more videos showing her special content, along with exploring her country, Oman, thoroughly and document it to the Western world. Besides that, a recipe book is one of Macki’s main goals that would exhibit both Omani and Zanzibar food. “I'd like also to expand the food products from the local farmers and be able to sell them in supermarkets to have a bigger range that would represent Oman”, she adds.
To get to know more about Dinewithdina and purchase her spices, visit her website https://www.dinewithdina.co.uk
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
