“I have a love affair with the Indian Ocean,” adds Hassan. But in that process, I started blending these sauces that my family was eating every night during Ramadan and then I realized that I wanted to start a different kind of conversation—a positive one—about being Somali. Part cooking guide, part educational material, and part journalistic exercise, the book features the beloved recipes, and stories, of matriarchs from eight African countries that touch the Indian Ocean. Part of Somalia, for example, was an Italian colony, and Hassan has included a recipe for spaghetti sauce that’s infused with coriander, cardamom, … By Katherine Sack s June 21, … Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until beginning to … © 2021 Condé Nast. “It’s a family heirloom, but also a Somali thing. If I can get to their table, then they'll be interested in the larger picture. Process lime juice, oil, ginger, sugar, chiles, 4 teaspoons of the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a … Now, she’s the creator and CEO of Basbaas Sauce… All rights reserved. Unfortunately, as she describes it, New York at that time was a “we already have a black girl who looks like you" market. Our cookbook of the week is In Bibi’s Kitchen by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/hawa-hassan-hot-sauce-boss-040000176.html One night we will talk about prison reform or immigration, another night we talk about one small task we can each do for the Dreamers,” says Hassan, who is currently a green card holder. “It makes me feel like there isn’t much I can’t achieve,” Hassan adds. This week—with the publication of … The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Hassan wanted to show Americans that Indian flavors they love (and have been eating for over 30 years) like coriander, cardamom, and turmeric, are also found in African cuisine. In addition to being a cookbook author, Hawa is the founder and CEO of Basbaas Sauce, a line of small-batch, hand-crafted organic condiments inspired by the flavors of her native Somalia. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. “But I had taken my Vitamix with me because I thought I was going to come up with recipes and write my business plan. Hawa Hassan shares her Somalian roots with her Somali chili sauces and recipes like this delicious, crowd-pleasing beef stew. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Part of Somalia, for example, was an Italian colony, and Hassan has included a recipe for spaghetti sauce that's infused with coriander, cardamom, … Hawa Hassan: The Hot Sauce Boss that Goes with Her Gut. Instructions Place the steak and ½ cup of the Piri Piri Sauce in a large resealable plastic bag. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The mix of savory and sweet, more specifically the combination of cooked onions, warm spices, and sweet raisins, is very typical of Somali food. Ad Choices. “Basbaas is like what ketchup or hot sauce is to Americans. Editor’s note: Hawa Hassan is the founder of Basbaas Sauce, a deliriously good line of organic chutneys inspired by the flavors of her native Somalia. Last week Hawa Hassan showed us how she prepped before her boyfriend and sister joined her for brunch to celebrate her new book, In Bibi’s Kitchen. As for what’s next for Hassan? How Hawa Hassan Built a Cookbook Around East African Grandmothers: Women Who Travel Podcast Somali author and sauce maven Hawa Hassan joins the podcast this week. We eat it every single day, with every single meal,” says Hassan. In 2015, she returned to Seattle and got to work on building Basbaas (which means ‘chili’ in Somali) from the ground up, with a little help from some fellow female entrepreneurs, including her mom. I really wanted to have a healthy conversation about my origins, and I wanted to introduce people to the cuisine of the continent of Africa. Everyone makes it a little bit differently.” While the sauces make for a great fish or meat marinade, they are meant for everyday use like sriracha or salsa or any other hot sauce. Hassan also found a mentor in Beth Linskey, creator of the NY-based jam company Beth’s Farm Kitchen, who showed her the ropes as she navigated the challenges of launching a food business all on her own. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Photo: Courtesy of Anastasia Mikhanoshina. Season the sauce to taste with salt. Hassan, a Somali native, founded her condiment line, Basbaas, in 2014 on the basis of such memories, drawing inspiration from her mother’s recipes. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. “I kept telling my mom I wanted to start a juice business and she said that ship had already sailed,” says Hassan. “Grandmothers are the ultimate home cooks,” says Hawa Hassan. Episode Show Notes: Learn more about Hawa on her Instagram and be sure to check out her amazing cookbook. Hawa Hassan personally embodies the cultural diaspora of her hot (Little did she know that she would later parlay that culinary knowledge and love of good flavors into a food business.) Hawa also has an incredible line of hot sauces called Basbaass. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. “I would go home at night and Google things like ‘how do I find a co-packer’ and a man gave me her name...Beth made a big impression on me and my work,” says Hassan, who is also an alum of the incubator program at Hot Bread Kitchen, Jessamyn Rodriguez’s East Harlem-based non-profit social enterprise and bakery that employs low-income women and their families. Hawa Hassan was 7 years old when she arrived in America in 1993 as a refugee. Article content. For Hassan, who was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, learning to cook was a necessity growing up. “My best friend was a model and I would go with her to these castings and photoshoots with the agency and her booker would say, ‘Hawa, you really should think about modeling.’ I said, ‘I am a basketball player and basketball players don’t model,’” she explains. Some nights I had hot wings from 7-Eleven for dinner but I got creative with that.”. When you’re ready to grill the steak, prepare an outdoor grill (charcoal or gas, whatever you’ve got) for medium heat. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. Hawa and her brand have been featured in Forbes, the New York Times, the Observer, Grub Street, Vogue, The Cut, Eater, and more. Put the tangy green sauce on your morning egg and grain bowl or use it as a dip for chips (Hassan also has recipes integrating the sauces on her website). ; Some of Hawa’s go-to spices to have you your pantry to make Somali food are: cardamon, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. About Hawa Hassan is the founder and CEO of Basbaas Sauce, a line of condiments inspired by her country of origin, Somalia. “Even when I was a little girl, I was doing the cooking and the shopping while my mom was selling at the store. With that in mind, we turned to hot sauce entrepreneur Hawa Hassan to get the scoop on how she would prep her New York City kitchen for fall entertaining—then we turned her wishlist into reality with the help of Walmart. “I think that when you bring people together with good food—and wine!—on the table, almost any conversation can be had from a place of love.”. The two sauces in the line—a smokey, tamarind date sauce and a coconut cilantro chutney—are all the buzzwords you want to hear today: all-natural, locally sourced, gluten-free, and vegan. Hawa Hassan is the founder and CEO of Basbaas, the only line of Somali hot sauce sold in America (her flavors include tamarind-date and coconut-cilantro chutney). “It’s the warmest and most flavorful sea.” “The level of strength she had to restart so many times gives me so much gratitude for my life,” Hassan says of her mom, who started selling gold at the markets before opening her own shop, then opening a Somali goods store and a furniture outlet, all while raising 10 kids. She’s also using her platform to help create and inspire change in the world through food, speaking on podcasts like Radio Cherry Bombe and Prince Street about changing the rhetoric around Somali culture, and putting together small dinners to inspire action. To try a recipe from the book, check out: Canjeero (sourdough pancakes), digaag … “It was jarring. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia during the country’s civil war, Hassan eventually escaped to a … They're handcrafted in small batches and now bottled in the Hudson Valley. That’s why, for her new cookbook with Julia Turshen, In Bibi’s Kitchen, she decided to make them the focus. Hawa Hassan’s Bariis in partnership with LG Dishwashers with TrueSteam® Bariis is a rice pilaf that Somalis often serve with cooked meat like Somali Beef Stew or stewed chicken. When Hawa Hassan couldn’t find the sauces from her home country of Somalia in the States, she made them herself. Basbaas sauces were being made at Hot Bread Kitchen until Hassan needed a bigger production space. As a Somali girl, you grow up in the kitchen,” says Hawa Hassan, founder and CEO of Basbaas, the only line of Somali hot sauces and chutneys available in the U.S. “Also, raising myself in Seattle, I had to make sure I had enough to eat. https://www.vogue.com/article/hawa-hassan-somalia-basbaas-hot-sauce To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. She’s focused on fundraising so she can bring her business to the next level. Right now, it seems that Hassan is running towards her destiny as she sips her Pineapple Peach KeVita Master Brew Kombucha and reflects fondly on a memory from 2014. ; Our photo of Hawa comes from photographer Khadija M. Farah. “When I realized what a good moneymaker it could be, I decided to try it.”. In one afternoon, we transformed Hassan’s rental into a multifunctional space primed for cooking and hosting. 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