Nine Hong Kong chefs turn up kitchen heat for Syrian refugees
Local fundraising in global effort targets children suffering from one of world’s largest humanitarian crises since second world war
Nine of Hong Kong’s top chefs came together on Thursday evening to take part in a global effort to raise money for Syrian children in need.
Launched in London last November by UK Instagram foodie Clerkenwell Boy and travel magazine Suitcase founder Serena Guen, “Cook for Syria” is a supper-club fundraising initiative seeking to help the war-torn country’s youngest victims.
Following a launch dinner party, the pair convinced 50 top London restaurants to offer a Syrian twist on their signature dish for an entire month, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity, Boy said.
“We’ve encouraged top chefs to do their own research and come up with a unique dish that connected their own cooking with the flavours of Syria and the Middle East,” he explained. “There’s definitely been an increase in the awareness of Syrian cuisine and culture, with many embracing the use of spices like Aleppo pepper in their cooking.”
Chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Yotam Ottolenghi got on board and the initiative has since gone global, with volunteer-led events from New York to Australia.