[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="35295,35294"] Syeda Amtul Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — To celebrate the diversity and rich culture of Hijaz, Park Hyatt Jeddah is holding "Hijazi nights" every Thursday throughout the month of February at the hotel's Andalusia restaurant. Simplicity of different Hijazi cuisine, in an authentic atmosphere, coupled with traditional Oud music adds flavor to the festive activities, which kicked off on Feb. 11. Ashwini Kumar, general manager at Park Hyatt, said: "What we trying to do is the ‘traditional Hijaz', presenting in today's world the authenticity of the food with all the spice for the region's flavor, and trying to give a little bit of a modern look with the same flavor. We really hope everyone likes it, especially this time when the weather is so pleasant." He added: "We are targeting our local community along with our international guests as it is an introduction for them and for the locals and our in-house guests it is like going back to their roots. With this kind of setting right on the Red Sea there's a great ambience and environment." Bayan Zainy, marketing communication executive, said: "The purpose of this Hijazi kitchen is to highlight our local culture, specially the Hijaz region. With the Hijaz region it goes back to olden days when tourists or pilgrims came here for the purpose of Haj and Umrah and on their way they left their recipes along with their tradition and culture. That kind of cuisine slowly and gradually became the Hijazi cuisine of today. For example the dish of Muttabaq, it came from Indonesia and it is actually originally known as Indonesian pancake." So the Hijaz families picked up some of the cuisine and slowly modified it into Hijazi style, that's how the Hijazi kitchen became versatile and famous. Lots of other varieties like Ful, Tameez, Jareesh, Mandi, Kebab, Gulabiya and much more are served on the occasion. Park Hyatt's ‘Hijazi night' showcases variety, of taste and flavor with all Hijazi customs, having its own style of cooking and unique cuisine. Tea on charcoal, Zam Zam water, live Muttabaq station, authentic seating with all traditional drinks served in a complete traditional way. "Hijazi people are very hospital and warm so we are trying to convey the same atmosphere, we look for an intimate experience with our guests, and certainly a knowledgeable experience, something that adds to their knowledge and their culinary vocabulary," added Bayan.
