Entrepreneur Safa Jemai spices up Iceland

One of the best things that has happened to Iceland in the past decades is the many immigrants who have moved from abroad and enriched the country´s culture. When I was growing up, Iceland was utterly monocultural, and everything was rather bland, both the culture and the food! But fortunately, Immigrants have spiced things up, both literally and figuratively. One of those is Tunis-born computer scientist Safa Jemai. Safa is a serial entrepreneur who runs two software services companies, Víkonnekt and Mabruka (named after her mother), through which she imports delightful Tunisian spices to Iceland. She also sits on the board of several Icelandic start-up companies. Impressively, Safa was a finalist for the 2023 Rising Star of the Year for Nordic Women in Tech Awards.

Hey Safa, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. When did you move to Iceland, and what brought you here?

I first came to Iceland to work in the greenhouses on a work exchange program (year). I fell in love with the country and decided to go to university to study the Icelandic language. From there, I went back to school to learn computer science. In that time, I made a lot of new friends with whom I shared a variety of interests, especially entrepreneurism and food.

I have never been to Tunis, but I will go on a limb and assume it differs from Iceland. What were your main challenges and surprises when you moved to Iceland?

Yes! Very different climate and landscapes, of course, and a lot fewer people. On the food front, our flatbread (Msemen) is different from Icelandic flatbread (flatkaka). Our lamb stew (Mermez) is different from Icelandic lamb stew (kjötsúpa).

But you know, I have also found similarities like having family as the center of the society’s growth and future, hospitality, and personal relationships that drive businesses. Tunisia is a multilingual country where we speak English, French, German, and Italian due to a lot of cultural influence throughout history.

Your homemade Tunisian spices play nicely with Icelandic ingredients. When did you discover Iceland was a good market for your imported spices?

I figured it out from my own cooking while living here. I needed to figure out how to adapt the ingredients available to me in this strange and wonderful new place, so I began experimenting with the spices I brought to Iceland from home. Icelandic dishes could gain new flavors and new life by incorporating the spices I grew up with in Tunis. It was wonderful to discover this and I just had to find a way to share it with more people. Mabrúka has enabled me to share my culture through food with a great many people.

If I visit Iceland, which restaurants can I find food seasoned with your spices?

I would recommend going to Sumac which offers fusion of middle eastern food, they do have amazing small dishes which you could share with friends and family. They use a lot of cumin, zaatar, Harissa, and other spices from Mabruka. You can also go to Duck and Rose where they offer Italian food. It’s a perfect place to go for a date or with friends. The chefs there love using our lemon mix and fresh black pepper. I highly recommend trying their pasta dish! It’s one of the best!

If you are aiming for Icelandic food, then I recommend Matarkjallarinn (The Food Cellar).

There is also Héðinn and the restaurant at ION Hotels, which is run by an amazing and talented female chef. She uses a lot of our purple garlic. If you want to check out our spices, I recommend going to Hagkaup, a high-end supermarket, or Melabudin, the beloved supermarket for Icelanders, where you can find special products you can’t find elsewhere. It is also possible to visit our online store at www.mabruka.is

You are pretty involved in the Icelandic startup scene; can you tell my readers about that scene and the potential of the companies emerging there?

Yes! Most people know Iceland for its striking landscapes, Northern Lights, and top ranking on equality and peace indexes. But Iceland also has a thriving innovation sector, spanning tech, consumer products, green energy, and world-changing problem-solving solutions. I wish more people would get to know the business side of Iceland, as its innovations have likely helped your life in some way. More investors from abroad are investing in Icelandic innovation companies, and more consumers overseas are enjoying Icelandic products. All of those come from the entrepreneurial spirit of people living in or from Iceland.

What are your favorite activities and places here in Iceland?

In the city, I attend and speak at a lot of events, from innovation events to all sorts of topics like tech, women in tech, women in business to food festivals, really anywhere I may meet interesting people and share in a fun experience. One of my favorite things to do is getting together with friends and family to cook together. I love sharing my culture through food, so when I have the chance to celebrate Eid, my friends and I cook couscous, Tajine, and brik together.

What advice would you give those visiting Iceland for the first time?

Iceland has so much to offer! Everyone knows about its beautiful nature, but Iceland also has a diverse society, and you should absolutely seek out this part of the Icelandic experience. Obviously, I am partial to recommending the restaurants where you can experience my spices or in stores where you can buy them as a souvenir of your trip. But some of my favorite places are: Forest Lagoon, Jökulsárlón, The West Fjords,  Sumac restaurant, and Austur India.