It's quite a leap of the imagination from the murky bayoux of Louisiana, where egrets stalk and alligators lurk, to Buckingham Palace, London, the home of the British royal family.
What can this American state, with its exotic mix of Creole and Cajun cultures, jazz and blues, have in common with an institution where the only wild thing is, possibly, the party-loving Prince Harry?
The answer can be found on the sideboard in the royal dining room. There tucked alongside the silver salvers and dinner service, its red and green top poking out, is a bottle of Tabasco.
It transpires that this most bravura of pepper sauces is a favourite of the royals, so much so that it has been granted a royal warrant by the Queen - making it the only privately-owned American company in the food category, though Heinz, owners of Worcester and HP Sauce, also have the coveted imprimatur.
How are they on Louisiana cuisine at the Palace?
"Grits with eggs, Ma'am?" Probably not, even with a reviving shot of Tabasco.
Despite its British connections, Tabasco has, over the years, become the very essence of the Deep South. It was here in 1865, on Avery Island two hours west of New Orleans, that Edmund McIlhenny, a banker who had lost everything in the American Civil War, planted his first peppers. The story goes that he was given a handful of pods by a Confederate soldier who had fled to Mexico after the war, where he had discovered the plant.
More in the spirit of interest than any great expectation, McIlhenny stuck them in the ground and was delighted when half a dozen bushes sprang up. He experimented by mashing the peppers and adding vinegar and salt to make a sauce which he sold in used cologne bottles. He was better placed than most culinary adventurers. Avery Island is on top of one of the biggest salt mines in America.
The following year he produced 658 bottles. By 1889, production reached 41,472 bottles. Today 700,000 bottles rattle off the lines every day.
You won't find a New Orleans eatery without a bottle - whether it's a legendary name such as Brennan's, Commander's Palace or Antoine's or the more down-home Mother's Diner where plates are piled with po'boys - mighty sandwiches stuffed with fried shrimp, oysters or roast beef. Their gravy-drenched prodigality belies their origins as handouts to starving workers during a streetcar strike in the Twenties.
Maybe a bowl of gumbo, a broth of seafood or meat steeped in filé spice, or how about a mound of debris, the shavings from the roast joint left floating in the gravy?
This is food is born out of hard times - from the Spanish occupation, from the wreckage of the American Civil War, from the Creoles and the Cajuns who settled here when expelled by the British from Nova Scotia in 1755.
Today these are all dishes made exotic by their unfamiliarity to European and Middle Eastern palates and given extra gusto by that good ol' pepper sauce. And not just in Louisiana. Tabasco is sold in 160 countries, including the UAE, where a new marketing drive is being launched to boost sales.
It has been popular in the UK since 1873 when Her Majesty's forebear, Queen Victoria, was on the throne, cheering up bland breakfasts and lacklustre lunches, bringing zest to oysters and tomato juice.
It still has the same ingredients of peppers, natural vinegar and a small amount of salt which are matured for up to three years in old white oak whisky barrels. "Grand-père", as he is known by today's family, would still recognise the flavour.
When he died in 1890 his autobiographical sketch barely mentioned Tabasco but his sons could see its commercial value.
John McIlhenny, the elder son, increased the pepper fields from five to 70 acres and began to market the product. He even backed a New York musical, The Burlesque Opera of Tabasco, on condition a papier-mâché bottle of the liquid appeared on stage for each performance.
But he was restless. He joined President Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders to fight in the Spanish-American War of 1898 over Cuban independence. Having been awarded a medal for his gallantry he went on his travels only to join up again in the Philippines to help quell a revolt against US rule. His brother Ned went off on expeditions to the Arctic to find specimens of birds, fish and insects.
John's son, Walter, went to war after Pearl Harbor in 1941 and, using the combat code name Tabasco Mac, fought at Guadalcanal against the Japanese where, according to an eyewitness, "he leaned up against a coconut tree and started firing. He killed six of them, just like that". Walter is reputed to have shot down a plane with a rifle and such was his passion for military service he carried a bullet in his leg for a year before submitting to surgery.
With all this adventuring it's a wonder that Tabasco flourished, but in between hunting, shooting and looking for trouble, the company's production accelerated - particularly under Walter, who used every gimmick available to him such as promotional songs using the new 45rpm records, advertising in magazines aimed at teenagers and African Americans and even supplying US servicemen in Vietnam with a Tabasco recipe book. During the Iraqi conflict an advert showed a Marine about to hurl a bottle of Tabasco as if it was a hand grenade with the slogan: "Defending The World Against Bland Food". Last month the British army in Afghanistan were sent Tabasco to spice up their rations and do their bit to combat "menu fatigue and taste degradation".
Walter paid for other methods of awareness-raising such as product placement in the Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun and boldly went where no hot sauce manufacturer had gone before by having Tabasco sent into space with the Shuttle missions.
The royal warrant might be one of the company's highest accolades but it will also have to be one of its most discreet. The manufacturer can acknowledge the warrant only with the "By appointment ..." sign on the label and is not allowed to use it for anything as vulgar as advertising. The warrant is earned by supplying the royals for at least five years and all 800 of the current holders will have passed a series of checks on their environmental credentials and the conditions enjoyed by their workforce.
Paul McIlhenny, the latest in the Tabasco family dynasty, lives on Avery Island like his predecessors and is very much in their mould. He is an enthusiastic fisherman and "wing shooter", or wild bird hunter.
"It's my bit for conservation," he jokes.
He is clearly a man who knows his food - no stranger to the best restaurants in New Orleans - and has a reputation for being an accomplished cook. He has introduced new varieties such as a jalapeño-based green sauce, a chipotle smoked version, sweet and spicy and garlic.
But it's still the original Tabasco that captures the imagination and challenges the taste buds - maybe because it has stayed true to grand-père's first recipe.
As Jeremy Lee, the exuberant head chef of the Blueprint Cafe, in London, says: "I can't imagine a kitchen without Tabasco sauce. You can make something out of nothing with just a few drops. It's like the magic elixir of life. It's a buck-you-upper which can elevate something ordinary into something quite special."
Richard Holledge is writing a book on the expulsion of the Cajuns from Nova Scotia to Louisiana.
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
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Scoreline
Chelsea 1
Azpilicueta (36')
West Ham United 1
Hernandez (73')
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SHAITTAN
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lupita%20Nyong'o%2C%20Joseph%20Quinn%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Sarnoski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
The%20Specs%20
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
HWJN
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20Profile
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE