On a spice journey

HAILING from four generations of Maltese bakers, chef-author-restaurateur-and-TV personality Shane Delia takes viewers on a spice journey across the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to explore his heritage and food traditions.
In Shane Delia’s Spice Journey, which premieres on April 15 at 7pm on TLC (Astro channel 707), the second-generation Australian goes from his ancestrial homeland in Malta to the Middle East as well as the Mediterranean.
As he traces the gastronomic roots of his family, he also expands his horizons on tastes, sensations and flavours.
Delia explained in a recent tele-conference interview: “I’m Maltese-Australian with a Lebanese wife. We cook Middle Eastern food in Australia (and naturally, with Lebanese food at the top of his list).
“If you know anything about European history, Malta was settled and colonised by the Phoenicians. Its ancestry, customs and language all date back to the Middle East and Arabia.
“So, for me, it’s a natural progression – to cook the food, go back to my roots and explore its history, and to see where Middle Eastern food is today.”
Delia added that Lebanese food is somewhat popular in Melbourne. “When you’re in Lebanon and you see people like grandmothers, mothers and great chefs cook it in the village and have been cooking that one dish for generations, you learn a lot.”
The Middle Eastern countries seem to have similar cuisine with just subtle differences.
Delia said it has to do with the region’s history. “Before cities and regions were colonised, there were Bedouin communities throughout the Middle East.
“So, a lot of things ‘travelled’ – like food, culture and religion – with these nomads who moved through the area.
“When they finally settled down, empires were built. The region was ruled by the same regime. As such, everything was ruled by the same palate, by the same type of meat, and the spice routes as well.
“So, yes, the cuisine base stayed the same but as you move further down the spice route and the Silk Road, you will notice slight differences based on what was available then.”
When asked about the one spice he can’t live without, Delia admitted it’s the ‘loving’ chilli.
“I love fragrant spices. But I can’t go a day without eating chilli. I’ve never been fortunate enough to dine in Malaysia or Singapore, but they’re two of my favourite foods here in Melbourne.
“We’ve got some beautiful Malaysian and Singaporean restaurants, so I’m always tasting their spicy dishes.”
Delia went on to describe a spice from Turkey and Syria called pul biber (widely known in the western world as aleppo pepper). “This amazing spice comes in different varieties.”
He said there are subtle ones – “you can almost use it in pastry production, like we did with chocolate and caramel, which is lovely”.
Then there’s a black one “which is so smoky and pungent but beautiful with meat and lovely with fish”.
He added that the Turkish pul biber is definitely the spice he can’t live without. “I feel like I’m going to be sick if I don’t eat it at least once a day.”
Delia said his biggest food heroes are chefs who inspired him in his early days such as Alain Ducasse and Marco Pierre White.
But it was his mother who helped him discover his love for cooking and nurture it.
“I supposed the biggest food heroes today are the families and the mothers who get up every morning and … cook for their families and do the best they can. At the end of the day, they are the people who are really working hard.
“I see my wife running around trying to look after the children, cook dinner, cook lunch, make breakfast. You know, she works harder than I do.”
Despite hailing from a family of bakers, Delia describes himself as terrible at it as he tends to cook from his heart whereas baking and pastry cooking are considered an art and a science.
“I’m not very good at measuring things. I do love baking as I love to eat bread and pastry, but I’m not very good at it.”
As for his Spice Journey series, he said: “I want the audience to understand that there’s more to the Middle East than what we see on CNN.
“It’s about beautiful people who share beautiful lands, amazing food, culture, and a mutual love for history.
“It’s about people who have a strong family ethos and who are all brought together by a common love of food.”