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Hi my name is Majed Ali. I live in the UAE. I was born in Dubai and raised between Ajman and Sharjah, where my love of food took root—nurtured by the women in my family. I’m still harvesting the fruit of their labor today.

With so few food voices from the Arabian Peninsula, and the UAE in particular, I feel it’s more important than ever to document and share the food of a region that has long been overlooked. Through traditional recipes passed down from one generation to the next, and contemporary dishes with Middle Eastern flavors, I hope to bridge East and West. I want to preserve the stories and memories they carry, and the moments around the table that brought us together.

The Cinnaman is a weekly newsletter where you’ll find recipes I genuinely cook, reflections on the books I’m reading—whether a cookbook or a novel—essays on food culture, and stories from my travels.

On weekends, we cook for our family gatherings a big pot of spiced fish pilaf (fish machboos). My sister would prepare a bowl of green kale salad harvested from her little garden, and her daughter would show off her talents by making different kinds of desserts, so we could go on a debate about which one is the best.

During the week, I get a treat from my older sister by her sending freshly baked bread so we could enjoy it. And sometimes my brother would ask me shyly if I could bake him a blueberry cobbler. I like cooking for my friends and enjoying the silence that falls while they enjoy what I cooked. My grandmother’s hug gets warmer whenever I bake her favorite carrot cake. So, I develop food and flavors because I want to remember and preserve these moments.

Food in the UAE is always about connection, spending time with your loved ones. We do cook with spices, but enjoying the company of someone you adore while eating is the best spice you could add as a flavor to food. I develop recipes and flavours because I want to remember and preserve these moments.

Substack has helped me slow down and reassess things. In a world that moves so quickly, it has given me space to read what other people are writing. Personally, I’d much rather read someone’s writing than watch a video. I find the written word more enduring than the spoken word.

I was genuinely surprised by how well my Date Molasses & Sumac Cherry Pie performed on Substack. Readers kept coming back to the way the sumac cut through the sweetness of the molasses and it sparked wonderful conversations in the comments.

I share a new recipe every week, along with Notes and photographs. Notes have become a place where I can share whatever is on my mind and stay connected with readers. I remember asking subscribers to recommend their favourite food novels and memoirs. People kept replying to each other, not just to me—trading titles back and forth all afternoon. It became one of my favourite conversations on Substack, and I still wish I could pin that post.

Most of the recipes I share are rooted in my childhood and life in the UAE. Whenever there’s a memory I cherish deeply, I find myself wanting to preserve it by building a recipe around it. These are a few favorites from The Cinnaman.

Photos by Majed Ali / The Cinnaman Substack

Mahleb, Sumac & Date Molasses Cherry Pie:

The pleasure of eating cherries goes back to my childhood… As a child, I used to watch Western cartoons where characters were always eating pies. Back then, I had no idea what a pie even was. Years later, I baked my own cherry pie, holding onto that childhood curiosity and memory.

Mast-o Khiar (Persian Cucumber Yogurt):

Weekends were always about family and friends gathering around the table. The comforting murmur of conversation accompanied a feast, often with lamb pilaf at the centre. A bowl of cold, fragrant yoghurt, topped with rose petals and walnuts, would be passed around the table like a flying saucer.

Bel Mishmish

Apricot season always brings back the Arabic saying بالمشمش (bel mishmish). My mum would always say it to me with a gentle smirk, and years later I found myself making an apricot salad simply to revisit that moment from my childhood.

Rising Up with Yasmin Khan

I have been admiring Yasmin Khan for a very long time. I read her cookbooks like novels. Her writing is evocative, deep, and an absolute feast for the eyes and the mind. Her Substack is about food, life, and culture, and I’m always inspired by her writing. Her piece “The Flavors of My Grief: A Food Writer’s Journey Through Recurrent Miscarriage” awakened how I see food and how I write about it.

Vittles

I believe Vittles is one of the most powerful publications on food culture. They ask questions about food that I didn’t even bother asking myself. It always showcases the overlooked cuisines that no one ever represents. I’m constantly discovering new food writers. It has opened a window for me to see food through culture, memory, and belonging

Bee Wilson

Bee Wilson also has her own Substack, and her latest book, The Heart-Shaped Tin, altered how I see things. It reminded me to be present and enjoy the moment, whether I’m cooking for myself or for loved ones. In a time where it seems everyone is turning a blind eye to the little moments in the kitchen, her writing seems to remind us to conjure our senses and enjoy every moment.

If you love what you’re reading and would like to learn more about me and follow my journey, please subscribe.