She quickly started getting booked for shoots with major retailers like Nordstrom and Macy’s, then moved to New York City in 2005 with dreams of supermodel stardom. Hawa Hassan shares her Somalian roots with her Somali chili sauces and recipes like this delicious, crowd-pleasing beef stew. This week—with the publication of … ; Our photo of Hawa comes from photographer Khadija M. Farah. “Grandmothers are the ultimate home cooks,” says Hawa Hassan. In one afternoon, we transformed Hassan’s rental into a multifunctional space primed for cooking and hosting. Article content. “I host dinners with about 20 to 25 friends from all over the world to have the conversations that are really hard. Feeling a little defeated, she headed to Oslo, where her mom had relocated with her new husband and Hassan’s nine other siblings, to regroup after 15 years apart from her family. What could be a better way to do that than through food?”. Episode Show Notes: Learn more about Hawa on her Instagram and be sure to check out her amazing cookbook. By Lale Arikogl u and Meredith Care y The mix of savory and sweet, more specifically the combination of cooked onions, warm spices, and sweet raisins, is very typical of Somali food. Part of Somalia, for example, was an Italian colony, and Hassan has included a recipe for spaghetti sauce that's infused with coriander, cardamom, … “I kept telling my mom I wanted to start a juice business and she said that ship had already sailed,” says Hassan. 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. We are excited to share our newest collaboration featuring NYC-based chef, author and entrepreneur Hawa Hassan! 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). About Hawa Hassan is the founder and CEO of Basbaas Sauce, a line of condiments inspired by her country of origin, Somalia. 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 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.”. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. She stayed with a family friend while she waited for the rest of her family to join her in the States, but after a few years in, she realized no one was coming. 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. That’s why, for her new cookbook with Julia Turshen, In Bibi’s Kitchen, she decided to make them the focus. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The name "Basbaas" comes from the Somali term for chili, but our sauces actually build on a much richer (and spicier) history. “It’s the warmest and most flavorful sea.” 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. Hawa and her brand have been featured in Forbes, the New York Times, the Observer, Grub Street, Vogue, The Cut, Eater, and more. To try a recipe from the book, check out: Canjeero (sourdough pancakes), digaag … This hot sauce boss has an extraordinary culinary journey that begins in a war-torn nation. Season the sauce to taste with salt. For Hassan, who was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, learning to cook was a necessity growing up. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/hawa-hassan-hot-sauce-boss-040000176.html Hawa Hassan: I was very strategic in terms of producing condiments first off. As for what’s next for Hassan? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. “I have a love affair with the Indian Ocean,” adds Hassan. Photo: Courtesy of Anastasia Mikhanoshina. 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. (Little did she know that she would later parlay that culinary knowledge and love of good flavors into a food business.) Ad Choices. They're handcrafted in small batches and now bottled in the Hudson Valley. Some nights I had hot wings from 7-Eleven for dinner but I got creative with that.”. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia during the country’s civil war, Hassan eventually escaped to a … 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). “Even when I was a little girl, I was doing the cooking and the shopping while my mom was selling at the store. Our cookbook of the week is In Bibi’s Kitchen by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen. All rights reserved. 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. If I can get to their table, then they'll be interested in the larger picture. 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. When you’re ready to grill the steak, prepare an outdoor grill (charcoal or gas, whatever you’ve got) for medium heat. “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. Now, she’s the creator and CEO of Basbaas Sauce… 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. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. We eat it every single day, with every single meal,” says 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hawa Hassan personally embodies the cultural diaspora of her hot “Basbaas is like what ketchup or hot sauce is to Americans. © 2021 Condé Nast. Process lime juice, oil, ginger, sugar, chiles, 4 teaspoons of the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a … ; Some of Hawa’s go-to spices to have you your pantry to make Somali food are: cardamon, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Instructions Place the steak and ½ cup of the Piri Piri Sauce in a large resealable plastic bag. When Hawa Hassan couldn’t find the sauces from her home country of Somalia in the States, she made them herself. 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. 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. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. The best new culture, style, and beauty stories from Vogue, delivered to you daily. Hawa also has an incredible line of hot sauces called Basbaass. Hawa Hassan: The Hot Sauce Boss that Goes with Her Gut. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally as the sauce cooks, for 30 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until beginning to … “But I had taken my Vitamix with me because I thought I was going to come up with recipes and write my business plan. Part of Somalia, for example, was an Italian colony, and Hassan has included a recipe for spaghetti sauce that’s infused with coriander, cardamom, … “It’s a family heirloom, but also a Somali thing. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. 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. Hassan went through high school and headed to Bellevue College in Washington, where she accidentally fell into a modeling career. I was born in Somalia and raised in Kenya. “When I realized what a good moneymaker it could be, I decided to try it.”. 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. “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. Basbaas sauces were being made at Hot Bread Kitchen until Hassan needed a bigger production space. Unfortunately, as she describes it, New York at that time was a “we already have a black girl who looks like you" market. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. By Katherine Sack s June 21, … Hawa Hassan was 7 years old when she arrived in America in 1993 as a refugee. 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. She’s also a refugee and an activist, and she knows that pasta is the easiest way to feed a crowd. “It makes me feel like there isn’t much I can’t achieve,” Hassan adds. https://www.vogue.com/article/hawa-hassan-somalia-basbaas-hot-sauce “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. It was during those four months in Norway that Basbaas came to fruition. “It was jarring. Hassan, a Somali native, founded her condiment line, Basbaas, in 2014 on the basis of such memories, drawing inspiration from her mother’s recipes. She lived in a U.N. refugee camp in Kenya with her mother and four other siblings before moving all by herself, at just seven years old, to Seattle in 1993. 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. She’s focused on fundraising so she can bring her business to the next level. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers made at hot Bread Kitchen until needed. At any time by visiting your Privacy Controls portion of sales from products that are really hard better to. A war-torn nation handcrafted in small batches and now bottled in the Hudson.... 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