Makan launches second season of Arabic-language Come Dine With Me Israel

Israeli public broadcaster Makan has launched the second season of its local version of Come Dine With Me, which has been praised for fostering cross-cultural understanding between Arab-Israelis and Jewish-Israelis.

Avi Armoza

The Arabic-language version of the popular long-running reality show Come Dine With Me was first launched in January last year by Makan and features Arab-Israeli contestants.

This adaptation showcases Arab hospitality and traditional cuisine, highlighting daily life and culinary traditions in Arab communities and offering a space for cultural exchange.

The show has been praised for offering the Jewish-Israeli audience a chance to learn about their Arab neighbours’ daily lives, traditions and struggles.

It comes after a Hebrew-language version of Come Dine With Me, produced by Gil Productions, started airing in Israel on Kan 11 in 2012.

Avi Armoza, founder at the Makan show’s producer, Armoza Formats, said: “In an incredibly challenging time, the second season of Come Dine With Me in Arabic is premiering tonight. It’s one of those rare opportunities where, as TV producers, we can help bring people together, foster understanding and envision a better future for us all in this region.”

British reality series Come Dine With Me has aired on Channel 4 since 2005 and sees amateur chefs who live in the same town or area host a dinner party for the other contestants at their own home over successive episodes.

Each competitor then rates the host’s food and hosting skills during the taxi journey home, with the highest-scoring chef winning cash prize at the end of the four/five-episode cycle.