Our Story
New York Shuk is a maker of handcrafted Middle Eastern pantry staples.
Our products are an important part of our personal story — they represent our mission to keep our culinary heritage alive, while also giving home cooks the tools and inspiration to cook more deliciously for their family and friends.
We are striving to change the way our customers look at flavor and encourage them to take these Middle Eastern flavors out of the Middle East and into their everyday cooking.
The word shuk means “market” in Hebrew, and for us the marketplace represents the center of a community – the meeting point where commerce and culture come together. We try to bring this communal energy, as well as the freshness of a bustling outdoor market to everything we do.
In today’s modern food culture, so many of our beloved traditional foods and culinary practices are being lost. That is why New York Shuk focuses not only on craftsmanship, but on keeping our edible heritage alive and evolving. In addition to our products, we host various classes, pop up dinners, and events throughout the year that let participants experience authentic Middle Eastern cooking and culture first hand.
Whether you try one of our products or join us at an event,
we invite you to dig in and share in the story.
Ron & Leetal Arazi Founders
Ron Arazi: Co-Founder / Culinary Director
Ron Arazi is the co-creator of New York Shuk and a chef who has cooked in kitchens throughout France & New York City, working in some of Israel’s most established kitchens.
Ron grew up in a Jewish Moroccan-Lebanese family in Israel where he was immersed in a world of vibrant, flavorful food prepared from scratch, and from the heart. The food of his family table remains his greatest inspiration and New York Shuk has given him the opportunity to preserve his family’s culinary heritage, while also sharing these bold flavors with American home cooks.
Leetal Arazi: Co-Founder / CEO / Creative Director
Leetal Arazi is the co-creator of New York Shuk and a food entrepreneur based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the University of Arts in London where she studied Visual Design and also attended culinary school in Israel.
Leetal is heavily influenced by the rich flavors of her Middle Eastern upbringing. Her grandfather was a professional baker from Eastern Europe, and her Turkish grandmother is an accomplished Middle Eastern home cook. With these evocative family traditions as inspiration, Leetal moved to New York in 2013 to pursue her dream of introducing an authentic Middle Eastern pantry staple line to the American market. Her vision was realized with the launch of the New York Shuk.
Information and photos taken from the site: www.nyshuk.com
