On March 31, the Egyptian TV channel Sada Elbalad aired an episode featuring Ukrainian national cuisine on its popular cooking show “ست الستات مع دينا رامز” [‘Set El Setat with Dina Ramez’]. This episode, which included members of the Ukrainian community, garnered considerable attention from local viewers, as reflected in the show’s ratings on the day it was broadcast.
Ukrainian chef Anna Lank showcased traditional dishes such as kruchenyky, Crimean Tatar chebureks, the vergun dessert, and a classic dried fruit uzvar, all explained in Arabic. The woman spoke about holiday traditions and customs in various regions of Ukraine, as well as answered numerous questions from the host and viewers.
“Through joint efforts of the Ukrainian community and the Embassy, a special menu was prepared, which met the main criteria of a Muslim iftar and corresponded to specific examples of Egyptian cuisine, vividly illustrating the close gastronomic preferences of the two peoples,” said representatives of the Ukrainian community.
Interest in Ukraine has resurfaced among the Egyptian audience for the first time in four years. Ukrainians point out that their country is heavily under Russian influence. They claim that the occupiers are forcefully imposing their culture, fostering animosity towards Ukrainians, and expanding their control over local governing bodies.
“This is not the first show in which we participated; before that, we had two programs on the Nile Culture channel dedicated to Ukrainian culture: clothing, dances, songs, music, and motanka dolls. But it has been about 4 years since then. The current political situation and the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (where the President of Ukraine supported Israel), plus Russia’s active involvement in the construction of a nuclear power plant in El Dabaa, have greatly complicated the position of the Ukrainian community,” say Ukrainians.
The broadcast on Egyptian television allowed drawing attention to Ukraine through cultural diplomacy. “We seized the opportunity to represent Ukraine, to remind of our existence. Two programs were made, one was recorded, it will be shown later, the other was broadcast live,” added the community members.
