Chef Anissa Helou

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Chef Anissa Helou, the winner of the Foodics Icon Award for Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, explains how she got to where she is today.

How did this journey come about?
At first, I wanted to write a book about collecting art but then began writing about food following a ca chance meeting with my literary agent and a Lebanese friend as they discussed cookbooks. I decided to write a book on Lebanese cuisine centered on my mother’s recipes. I didn’t know much about food writing, but fortunately, I had great mentors who helped me along the way, and my book was a great success when it was published approximately 30 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the project and decided to leave the art world to continue writing about food.

This year, you won the coveted title of Foodics Icon Award for the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. What does this accolade mean to you?
It is always lovely to have one’s work acknowledged by peers and the world at large. I wasn’t expecting it, but I am happy for the wider exposure provided by this award.

Your cookbooks are not only about recipes but history as well. What is the relation between the two and why did you choose to highlight the history and culture behind the dishes?
For me, food is at the crossroads of a country’s history, culture and people. As such, writing about food is more than just writing recipes. By placing dishes in a social and historical context, the writer creates a much richer canvas that allows readers to better understand a country and its people through its food and culinary traditions.