It attracts celebrities, immigrants and visitors

The taste of the homeland in a dish .. Yemeni fish decorates the tables of Djibouti

Omar Hamdani carries Yemeni fish in his restaurant.

AFP

The exceptionally spicy flavor of Yemeni fish in Djibouti evokes the complex and multicultural history of this small coastal country located between Africa and Arabia.

At lunchtime, Che Hamdani restaurant in the Djibouti capital is crowded.

Celebrities, local and expatriates, visitors and nomadic patrons.. Everyone flocks to the restaurant, which was established several decades ago, to taste Yemeni fish, which is the only dish on the menu.

"It's a recipe imported from Yemen that we adopted, and it is part of our eating habits," Abu Bakr Musa, a former TV presenter, said while waiting for his plate.

pepper mix

Several times a day, fishermen deliver bream, mullet and other types of fish to the many Yemeni fish restaurants known as "Mukbasa", which are scattered in the coastal city separated by the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. After that, it is time for the chefs to start working.

Cut the fish lengthwise and salt it before brushing it with a mixture of mild red pepper imported from Ethiopia, using a brush.

Restaurant owner Omar Hamdani attributes his restaurant's continued popularity to his grandfather's "world-famous" recipe, nearly a century after he emigrated to Djibouti from Yemen.

Not much has changed in Shi Hamdani since then, except for the addition of a second floor.

Its walls are still decorated with traditional ceramics, and there is a small dining hall at the back for women who like to eat alone.

As for the description, it is.

The owner of the restaurant added: "My grandfather carried it from Yemen and opened this restaurant, then my father took over from him, and now it's my turn to take over."

haven

Yemenis are the third largest ethnic group in Djibouti, after the Issa and Afar tribes;

Migration and trade between the two countries have existed for thousands of years.

But in recent years, their shared history has taken a tragic turn as thousands of Yemenis cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait in search of sanctuary in Djibouti, escaping the war that has wracked their country since 2014. After fleeing from Sanaa to Djibouti, former government employee Amin created a Muqbasa killing called “Ka’aboul.” » With other immigrants for their desire for a new beginning, and their longing for the taste of home.

Amin, 45, said: "When I am in this restaurant, I eat in it surrounded by my countrymen, I feel fine, because everything I had in Yemen is here."

• Yemenis are the third largest group in Djibouti, after the Issa and Afar tribes;

Migration and trade between the two countries have existed for thousands of years.

Omar Hamdani: “The recipe was taken by my grandfather from Yemen, and he opened the restaurant, then my father took over from him, and now it is my turn to take over.”

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news