Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey

Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey

Begins Thursday 15 October at 8.00pm on SBS

'Moorish food is off the hook! It was so interesting to see how Middle Eastern flavours evolved once they hit Europe. It's what I try to do in my own restaurant, but the Spanish have been doing it for 800 years." – Shane Delia

Shane Delia returns to SBS screens with a brand new spice journey that sees him seeking inspiration for new recipes in the ancient and exotic cuisines of Morocco and Spain.

To the Moors, cuisine was about stimulating the senses, an art form as valid as painting and poetry, reflecting their fine cultural sensibilities. To Shane, this region is ripe pickings for his own quest for culinary invention.

After a delicious Moorish tour, Shane then reinvents what he has learned on his travels in his Australian restaurant where paying customers are the judges.

The Moorish occupation of Spain lasted for close to 800 years, leaving behind an extraordinarily rich and complex cuisine, the likes of which had never before been seen in Europe. In his third series, Shane travels from Morocco to Spain retracing the route taken by the Moors.

The first half of Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey is filmed in Morocco. Starting in Fes which is home to the world's oldest university, Shane travels to the edges of the Saharan desert, across the High Atlas Mountains, and through the bustling souks of multicultural Marrakech.

The second half of the series is entirely shot in Andalucía, Spain. Crossing the Straits of Gibraltar, Shane arrives in Tarifa just as the Moors did in 710, finding a rich and fertile land just waiting to be conquered. Here the Moorish influences infuse the cuisine and Shane is astounded at the transformation the food has taken from its Moroccan roots.

This series is a chance to really delve into the mind of a creative chef to find out how Shane creates his amazing signature dishes. In the same way Moorish food has built on its Middle Eastern foundation, Shane's own food evolves these flavours even further. Shane's journey is a genuine voyage of discovery, as he finds inspiration from history and morphs it into a dining experience that is both contemporary and authentic. Join Shane as he creates first hand through trial and error a series of seriously Moorish food.

Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey is produced by Essential Media and Entertainment for SBS.

Shane Delia is best known as chef and owner of Maha Restaurant. This is his third TV series after Shane Delia's Spice Journey and Spice Journey Turkey, and he is the author of Maha Middle Eastern Home Cooking and a charity ambassador.

Shane's flagship restaurant Maha has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2008. Renowned for its fresh, unrestricted version of a Middle Eastern menu, Maha has a style that is truly cutting edge. The Age Good Food Guide has continually recognised Maha as a leader in its field, awarding the restaurant One Chef Hat annually since 2009.

Shane's cheeky personality and enthusiasm for food and culture is captured in the previous acclaimed television series, Shane Delia's Spice Journey which aired in 135 countries across 5 continents and continues to be an Australian and International success.

Coming from a passionate sporting family, Shane's heart lies with the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne City FC. As an ambassador, he is heavily involved with both clubs.

Shane is based in Melbourne, Australia. His wife Maha, is the inspiration and namesake of his restaurant. Together they have two children, daughter Jayda and son Jude.

www.sbs.com.au/moorishspicejourney