Article content. All rights reserved. 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 Hassan was 7 years old when she arrived in America in 1993 as a refugee. “It was jarring. “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. 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). That’s why, for her new cookbook with Julia Turshen, In Bibi’s Kitchen, she decided to make them the focus. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. To try a recipe from the book, check out: Canjeero (sourdough pancakes), digaag … 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). Hawa Hassan: I was very strategic in terms of producing condiments first off. “I host dinners with about 20 to 25 friends from all over the world to have the conversations that are really hard. “It’s a family heirloom, but also a Somali thing. 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. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. For Hassan, who was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, learning to cook was a necessity growing up. ; Our photo of Hawa comes from photographer Khadija M. Farah. Hawa Hassan personally embodies the cultural diaspora of her hot © 2021 Condé Nast. “Basbaas is like what ketchup or hot sauce is to Americans. Episode Show Notes: Learn more about Hawa on her Instagram and be sure to check out her amazing cookbook. Instructions Place the steak and ½ cup of the Piri Piri Sauce in a large resealable plastic bag. Hassan, a Somali native, founded her condiment line, Basbaas, in 2014 on the basis of such memories, drawing inspiration from her mother’s recipes. “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. This week—with the publication of … The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. 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. Some nights I had hot wings from 7-Eleven for dinner but I got creative with that.”. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/hawa-hassan-hot-sauce-boss-040000176.html Unfortunately, as she describes it, New York at that time was a “we already have a black girl who looks like you" market. She’s focused on fundraising so she can bring her business to the next level. “It’s the warmest and most flavorful sea.” 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. Now, she’s the creator and CEO of Basbaas Sauce… 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. 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. When Hawa Hassan couldn’t find the sauces from her home country of Somalia in the States, she made them herself. By Katherine Sack s June 21, … Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. 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. If I can get to their table, then they'll be interested in the larger picture. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until beginning to … Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Hawa Hassan: The Hot Sauce Boss that Goes with Her Gut. 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. Our cookbook of the week is In Bibi’s Kitchen by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen. When you’re ready to grill the steak, prepare an outdoor grill (charcoal or gas, whatever you’ve got) for medium heat. The name "Basbaas" comes from the Somali term for chili, but our sauces actually build on a much richer (and spicier) history. Photo: Courtesy of Anastasia Mikhanoshina. Season the sauce to taste with salt. This hot sauce boss has an extraordinary culinary journey that begins in a war-torn nation. 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. 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