Ubah Hassan Transcript
Kerry Diamond:
Hi, everyone. You are listening to Radio Cherry Bombe, and I'm your host, Kerry Diamond, coming to you from Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. I'm the founder and editor of Cherry Bombe Magazine, and each week, I talk to the most interesting women and culinary creatives in and around the world of food.
Today's guest is Ubah, the creator of Ubah Hot, a line of hot sauces. A lot of us got to know Ubah this year because she is one of the stars on the latest season of “Real Housewives of New York” on Bravo. So, this episode is for all you RHONY fans out there. Ubah was born in Somalia and moved to Canada at the age of 15. She's been a model since her teenage years and has worked for Italian Vogue, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, CoverGirl, and others. She's also an ambassador for Oxfam, the organization working to eradicate poverty around the world. I sadly had COVID a few weeks ago and couldn't do this interview. So, my friend Marissa Mullen filled in for me. Marissa is the founder of That Cheese Plate, your source for all things cheese information. She's also a bestselling author and has a fun newsletter called EXTRA SHARP. So, head on over to Substack to subscribe. Stay tuned for Marissa and Ubah's chat.
This episode of Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by OpenTable. OpenTable is partnering with us for our Cherry Bombe dinner series, Sit With Us, which highlights amazing female chefs and restaurateurs in the Cherry Bombe network. Tonight, I will be at Chef Evelyn Garcia's Jun. When I recorded this last week, there were a few tickets left. So, head on over to Jun on the OpenTable app or website and check the experiences tab. You can snag a ticket there for yourself or you and a friend. If you come solo, you'll sit at one of the Cherry Bombe community tables. If you come with a friend, we'll sit you together, of course. If you are a listener and you are at the dinner, please come over and say hi. We also have a Sit With Us dinner at Chef Camille Becerra's As You Are Restaurant at Ace Hotel Brooklyn on Saturday 11/11, that's November 11th. Get your ticket for that on OpenTable.
Also, that day we have our third annual Cooks and Books Festival. We have great talks and demos and panels planned for you. Amazing folks like Sohla El-Waylly, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Abi Balingit, Rie McClenney, and Karen Akunowicz will be joining us. And guess what? All tickets are $20 cheaper than last year. Everything is so expensive these days. We wanted to keep ticket prices low, so, lots of you can join us. Let's celebrate these amazing authors books and our community IRL. As you know, these are important things. Head over to cherrybombe.com to learn more. If you'd like to make a weekend of it and stay at Ace Hotel Brooklyn. Use code CHERRYB for 15% off when booking on acehotel.com. Got all that? Great. I hope to see you soon. Enjoy today's show.
Marissa Mullen:
Welcome, Ubah, to Radio Cherry Bombe.
Ubah Hassan:
I'm so excited. I can't believe it's you interviewing me.
Marissa Mullen:
I know, I know. It's crazy.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes.
Marissa Mullen:
For those who don't know, Ubah and I met because I was the guest bartender on “Watch What Happens Live” and it was before the premiere of the show. So, for the people at home who don't know you, give us a little intro. Where are you from? Where'd you grow up?
Ubah Hassan:
I was born in Africa, grew up in Canada, and then moved to New York for modeling. I just came here for, I don't know, a year or two, do a few shows, a few jobs maybe, and everyone else who knows New York. Once you get here, you start getting all these weird friends and you're like, "I kind of belong here."
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah. It's the best place ever.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. So, I was like, "I think I'm going to make this place my home."
Marissa Mullen:
Yes, I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
And I have not regretted it ever since.
Marissa Mullen:
So, this is a food podcast.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes.
Marissa Mullen:
Do you have any special food or cooking memories as a child?
Ubah Hassan:
So, in Africa, our biggest meal is lunch. And you guys, your biggest meal is dinner. I just remember our lunch table, it was very long and it was a lot of colors, a lot of fruits, pineapple, papaya, mango, passionfruit. I was drinking passionfruit fruit juice almost every single day.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, so good.
Ubah Hassan:
But there was a lot of hot sauce, especially the fresh one, like cilantro, jalapeno, lemon, tomatoes blended or it would be a saute hot sauce. So, there was always two, three different main dishes. So, there would have chapati with sauce or it could be the sauce that you can use with rice or you can with the pasta in a table and one sauce will go with all of this. Usually it's like a ragu beef or something. And then there would be rice and beans, there'll be a little spinach, cabbage. It was almost like a buffet lunch table.
Whatever's leftover, that's what people eat for dinner and dinner is more of a snack for us because we just had a really big meal for lunch and dinner was not the place that we're gathering. Dinner was the place where we go outside and do a fire. So, we're just gathering up by the fireplace outside and telling stories.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, that sounds magical. So, you moved to Canada at the age of 15, correct?
Ubah Hassan:
Yes, 15, 16.
Marissa Mullen:
Wow.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
What were the differences between Africa and Canada? Was it a hard a adjustment?
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God. It's just that with the weather.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, true.
Ubah Hassan:
I've never seen snow in my life.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, my goodness.
Ubah Hassan:
The only ice is something you either buy or it's in your refrigerator.
Marissa Mullen:
Right.
Ubah Hassan:
And now, I'm in a country that is in the ground everywhere. I was like, "It cannot be." Yeah. So, the weather was a drastic change for me. I have to tell you my favorite thing, don't laugh. Microwave was the best thing I've ever encountered. I was like, "What?"
Marissa Mullen:
"This heat things up in 20 seconds. What?"
Ubah Hassan:
I mean, I was like, "What is this machine?"
Marissa Mullen:
I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
And now, that I'm like, into healthy, and people are like, "Oh, microwave. You have microwave." I said, “Don't..."
Marissa Mullen:
There's a big anti microwave movement out there.
Ubah Hassan:
I know. I'm like, "Don't you dare touch it."
Marissa Mullen:
I will heat things up fast. Okay?
Ubah Hassan:
I'm like, "You smoke and drink. I use microwave. Okay?"
Marissa Mullen:
Exactly.
Ubah Hassan:
This is when I know I made it. Yeah. So, the idea of just, I love warm food and now that I'm really into healthy stuff and health of my own, I'm like, "How do I sustain my beauty? How do I sustain my health without taking pills?" So, I started studying a lot about health, like Chinese medicine, also acupuncture, and I stumble a few years ago, ayurvedic.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, love that.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes. So, find out my dosha and all that and I cannot do cold things.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, interesting.
Ubah Hassan:
And I was like, "Wow. This is why since I was a little girl, I just want everything heated up." In Africa, once the lunch is done cooking, the fire goes off because we're using coal. So, you can't really, like 4:00 p.m. you cannot really get a hot milk or hot tea unless the fire gets started again. And we had like a thermeometor where they put tea and hot water and stuff. But still, I want to drink so much tea. And so, coming to Canada and having a microwave, just like the stove, and I was like, "Yes."
Marissa Mullen:
So, you're in Canada, 2015, '16.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
First of all, what were you like as a teenager? Were you the same Ubah as you are now?
Ubah Hassan:
I was always like this, but when I moved to Canada because of the language barrier, I want to communicate so bad. I talk so much. Yeah, it was tough because I couldn't really communicate that much and my sister made sure that I didn't hang out with people that spoke my language because she really wanted me to learn and speak English. It was hard because there was a lot of things I wanted to say. But again, because I love food, I love to dance. I love music, I love activities, I like to go hiking, so it was little tough in the beginning, but I don't think it was as tough as my father. He was older and he couldn't make friends.
So, I think I was always the same. I think the only thing is different that I can see. I don't make an assumption a lot lately. I don't get hurt. My feeling doesn't get hurt a lot. If someone counts on me or someone doesn't want to be my friend or I keep checking in on someone, they don't check in back to me. I don't be like, "What did I do? What happened?" I used to really second guess everything. I'm like, "She didn't smile at me. What did I do?" And I think that could be also because of a language barrier. I just don't take things personal, but I'm literally still the same.
Marissa Mullen:
I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
Which I don't think is a good thing as a human being, you're supposed to evolve and change.
Marissa Mullen:
No, but see, it's like you always have you on the inside and then you grow. How did you get into modeling and what were some highlights of your modeling career?
Ubah Hassan:
So, I got into modeling, I was with my sister in a park in Canada and a guy who happened to be a photographer saw us and came and spoke to my sister. He was like, "Oh, my God, is this your daughter?" She goes, "No, she's my sister." "I think she should model." But I've heard many times people stop me. "Are you a model? Do you model?" I'm like, "What is a model?" Also, when I was younger, I was with people who wanted to groom me for Miss Universe.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, wow.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. They're like, "Oh, we can take her to school. She could learn how to walk and speak, and then she would be such a good Miss Universe." And my mom was like, "No, she needs to go to school." So, in Canada, my sister was like, "Okay, yeah, what do we do?" We can take some pictures and go introduce her to a few agencies. And that's how it started.
Marissa Mullen:
Wow.
Ubah Hassan:
Actually, this career picked me.
Marissa Mullen:
And when did you move to New York?
Ubah Hassan:
I moved to New York, I think, 2009. Yeah, 2008 I came back and forth. And then, 2009, 2010, that's when I decided to like, "This is my home."
Marissa Mullen:
Wow. How do you think modeling has changed over the years?
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God, it has changed for the best. This is overwhelming sense of joy that this job, it's not as exclusive as it used to be.
Marissa Mullen:
Right.
Ubah Hassan:
There's a good and bad on that. I don't like the fast Instagram. You see things right away. In a show, people are posting and tagging, there's no secrecy. There's no mystery anymore. And I also don't like that the shows are everywhere in the city rather than just Bryan Park. If you've got a show at Bryan Park, then you are like, "I made it."
Marissa Mullen:
Right. It dilutes it in a way.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. And now, people are doing shows in Brooklyn and this and there and I'm like, "It used to be so much fun to go to the tent." The collective energy of creativity was so much fun. So, that part is not really my favorite, how they change, but also, I understand the designer, they're creative.
Marissa Mullen:
Right.
Ubah Hassan:
You can't really build a set in Bryan Park because once you've done your show, someone else want to come in, how long it's going to take to take things down. I understand in that aspect, just use trajectory. Trajectory to change the scene. I'm like, "Ubah, stay away from that." But what I like that what change is say inclusivity and the diversity, not only in color, in shape, size, form. It's very important because image matters. And if people don't see themselves an image, no matter what color, shape or form, we are creating an insecure environment in society. And I don't think it was great.
Marissa Mullen:
Definitely.
Ubah Hassan:
So, I really love now what British Vogue is doing and getting the plus size in a cover. It's so exciting.
Marissa Mullen:
It's so important.
Ubah Hassan:
And as a woman, don't put me in a box. I grow, I evolve. What happens if I want this shift or want to be this way, I want to change my color? I just did a job in Montreal. They called me and my agent's like, "Oh, the client in Montreal want you to fly next week." I said, "Listen, I just did my braids and I'm not taking it off," but I would not have dared do that before.
Marissa Mullen:
Wow. Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
It was like, "You've got to show up with either short hair so they can put extension or you have your own extension," because that's how I introduced myself in the market. So, you couldn't just say, "I have braids." I'm in the time of my life now because of this change that I can be like, "Listen, I have braids. I'm not taking it off. I just sat down for seven hours to get this hair. I'm not taking it off for one job." And she called me back like an hour later. She goes, "Oh, they said, send pictures of your braids." And I was like, "Okay." So, I took pictures and I sent and they're like, "You're booked."
Marissa Mullen:
That's amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
I cried.
Marissa Mullen:
That's amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
I literally couldn't believe. I already started seeing in runway and fashion show, they're doing now that. But he used to be in fashion because Galliano, when he does show, he hires all of us, all the color, everybody. And he was very expressive. He likes the hair, big braids, but it was only for sure, for couture for runway. That's it. And now we're doing for catalogs and I've seen it, but I've never seen it with me because they want to have extension or short hair, by my own hair. And so, the fact that the client said, "No, no, we love the braids. Tell her we want to hire her with the braids." I literally cried.
Marissa Mullen:
You just want to live in this world and be your true, authentic self.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
And there you are, people are accepting you as you, which is so beautiful.
Ubah Hassan:
I know. I think the young girls right now, they don't know because that's all they know that, "Oh, I have braids. I get hired." My niece, she models in Paris, she has braids. She likes boxing braids and she does show, she does campaigns, she does beauty stuff with her braids. And her hair is healthy, so nice. But she started that way, so she doesn't know the other way. And I think the reason I got so emotional and cried because I was on the way that, no, no, no, braids, I would not dare to have braids if it's not Christmas or holiday. So, I really enjoyed that job.
Marissa Mullen:
You have a new job now.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes, I do.
Marissa Mullen:
You're part of the cast of the “Real Housewives of New York” Season 14. It is amazing. I've loved every episode.
Ubah Hassan:
Thank you.
Marissa Mullen:
How did all of this come about?
Ubah Hassan:
I got approached because some few friends, they already were talking with them. So, they said, "We're talking with this group of friends of yours. Do you want to come and audition?" I was like, "I like the girls." I was like, "Yes." I was like, "Is this what is what it was going into the other?" They're like, "No, no. We're doing completely new episode. New season, new girls." And I was like, "Interesting." And then, I actually thought maybe they're using “Real House of New York” just to hide their real name because they do that a lot in movies and stuff. They cast as a wrong name because they don't want you to talk.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah. So, you're like, "Is this a brand-new series show?" Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah, yeah. So, I was like, "Okay." And then, I thought, I was like, "I don't even have a cat or a plant in my house. I am the farthest of a housewife." But I was like, but I admire to be, I want to be a housewife. I want to be married. I want to have a baby. I'm like, "Maybe this show will be my good luck charm. I can use it as my eHarmony.
Marissa Mullen:
Yes.
Ubah Hassan:
So, I went and did all the cast that they require and then the last one, I just talk them out. I literally went to get a job. I'm like, I'm getting this job.
Yeah. I got in and I was just like, listen, I know I don't think I'm the one you're looking for because I'm not a housewife. I just don't have kids, no husband. And I don't really know if it's okay for me to be the show for not having these things calling housewife. But I want to be a wife. I want babies. I want a husband. I want to learn how to be a good housewife. I have a product and that I wanted to maybe expand my platform eventually I want to talk to young kids and help them how to start a business, how to keep a career, especially as intense as mine.
So, I was like, this will give me a good platform. I was like, "Hire me, you need me, you need me." And also, I was like, "I'm single. I'm 30 something, something, really pushing 40 and 50 maybe.
Marissa Mullen:
Or so.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. And I'm like in my culture, I should be a grandma by now, I'm not. And I think there's a lot of women out there who are in my position and maybe they're feeling like, "Oh, my God, my life is over and I want to show them, no, it's not. Actually, we're the lucky one because we get to pick who we want to spend our rest of our life with.
Marissa Mullen:
Exactly.
Ubah Hassan:
Everyone else, most of people, especially the people that I know they have became in marriage sometime peer pressure because all your friends are getting married. "Oh, my God, I'm getting 30. Let me get married." And then a lot of them regret that stage and they're like, "Let's just make it work." Right?
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
And I feel like if I got married younger, I would be on my fourth divorce by now because I've changed so much. My temper has gone way down. I see number six, I know someone else might be seeing nine. I compromise more. So, I was like, "These people need to see that. You don't have to be married to have a beautiful life."
Marissa Mullen:
It's so true. And like myself, who I'm in my early 30s, single, and living in New York City, living this life, it's so inspiring to see you on screen living your authentic truth. Because it's like, yeah, societal pressures always make us feel like we need to be checking off these boxes by certain ages, but I'm with you. I'm like, the older I get, the better I get and I need to match that energy. So, I'm just going to keep on growing until someone comes in and can elevate that.
Ubah Hassan:
Someone who deserves you.
Marissa Mullen:
Exactly.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. So, I feel that way.
Marissa Mullen:
That's amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
So, I think that's why I got a job for that reason.
Marissa Mullen:
So, it doesn't sound like it, but do you feel like you had any fears about your reputation when you agreed to be on the show?
Ubah Hassan:
I was very much scared and I think it's because it's reality. It's not like I'm taking a character. And I think what I was worried, my clients are very conservative. I do a lot of catalogs because that's where the money is, girls.
Marissa Mullen:
Right.
Ubah Hassan:
They're very customer driven. So, if I'm going to be breaking bottles and get drunks, it wouldn't be good for my image because model is your image. You're getting higher because of your character and your image and not just how you work with people, how you perceive in a world. Because people don't want to buy things for someone who they feel like it's not a good person. So, everyone else, their job is behind the desk or some of them are very rich. I don't have that one yet. And I was worried about just how I'm going to be edited. Then I thought, I was like, "They can edit what you not."
Marissa Mullen:
That's such a good point.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. And I was like, everyone knows my client, everyone knows I go zero to 100 faster than a Lamborghini. Again, if I feel like someone has disrespected me or mislead me. I don't like bad human beings and I always feel like it's my responsibility to stop them. I'm like, "Once you deal with me, that's it. Your next step is you are going to be a good human being. You'll never do what you did to me to someone else." And I wanted to be treated the same. I always ask for feedback always. So, there's nothing to be scared because I'm just going to be myself and they're going to show that. I actually had a conversation. I was like, "Listen, the only thing I'm worried is misrepresented better than I was thought about and you can misrepresent me if I don't give you."
Marissa Mullen:
Have you watched it back or are you afraid to watch yourself on screen?
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, I have. I have.
Marissa Mullen:
Do you feel like it represents you in the way that you want?
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah, 100%.
Marissa Mullen:
That's amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
Except the Anguilla one, they didn't misrepresent me. They just didn't show the other person a few things. So, it looks like I'm this lunatic running around just is mad about her phone, which there was more than just a phone.
Marissa Mullen:
Totally. There's so much to add and...
Ubah Hassan:
And the prank was already done because I got thrown in the pool back with Sai. So, I thought I'm done with the prank. First of all, you don't take someone's phone to say that is a prank.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, exactly.
Ubah Hassan:
So, that was not good, but it's okay. I get to address that in reunion. But no, I think there's nothing they did or do to misrepresent who I am.
Kerry Diamond:
Let's take a quick break and we'll be right back with Ubah and Marissa. Cherry Bombe's, Cooks and Books Festival is taking place Saturday, November 11th at Ace Hotel, Brooklyn. It's New York City's only Cookbook Festival. We have so many amazing authors joining us. I want to tell you about one panel in particular. At 3:00 p.m. on the 11th, we have a terrific panel called Mom's the Bombe, featuring Sohla El-Waylly, Fanny Gerson, Camille Becerra, and Samantha Seneviratne. Camilla Marcus of West Bourne will be moderating this lively conversation about motherhood, kids in the kitchen, family meals, and more. Head to cherrybombe.com to snag a ticket and check out the full lineup while you're there. All tickets are $20. Now, back to our guests.
Marissa Mullen:
I've seen some controversy on the show about there not being enough food at events, and I also have some beef because I know you don't like cheese. So, I guess my question is what is your favorite party food?
Ubah Hassan:
My question back to you is beef and cheese can go together?
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, that's a good pairing.
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, great.
Marissa Mullen:
With some bresaola.
Ubah Hassan:
There you go. I love bresaola.
Marissa Mullen:
Perfect. Then we're good pairing together.
Ubah Hassan:
So, let me just clear the air. It's not that I don't like cheese. I love cheese, but I'm very picky. I like Midnight Moon.
Marissa Mullen:
That's so good.
Ubah Hassan:
It's goat cheese.
Marissa Mullen:
Yes.
Ubah Hassan:
I love gouda.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, great, great option.
Ubah Hassan:
Parmesan cheese.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, so you do like cheese.
Ubah Hassan:
I like burrata. When it's in fondue I'm like, no.
Marissa Mullen:
It's a lot.
Ubah Hassan:
Right?
Marissa Mullen:
It could be a lot.
Ubah Hassan:
Okay.
Marissa Mullen:
No, totally. Okay, glad we cleared the air there.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
So, let's talk about your hot sauce, Ubah Hot. How did this all come about?
Ubah Hassan:
Out of frustration. Because I move here to model, and my food, you know how much I love food and peas and bagels every corner in the street.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, my gosh.
Ubah Hassan:
And this is the only thing I could afford. It was a win-win. I could afford it and it's delicious. So, I was cooking a lot in a model's apartment and I think girls were getting a little, you know what I mean? And my agent's like, "What's going on?" It's like, "Ubah's cooking every night." My agent's like, "What are you cooking?" You know, Pilau, lasagna, chapati?" He's like, "No." Steamed fish, steamed vegetables, steamed everything. And if you crave ice cream, put grapes in the freezer.
Marissa Mullen:
So, this is to keep your figure?
Ubah Hassan:
It is to maintain, to maintain just the way you are, which is true. If you live like young girls in a model's apartment with no parent supervision, that's all we ate is pizza, bagel, and carbs, and chocolate. Oh, my God, we ate so much chocolate. Then I was like, "Oh, my God, steamed fish." And it just didn't taste great. So, I told you, back home, hot sauce, it's really big deal. Usually, it's in the dinner table. So, I was like, okay, let me make one of the hot sauces. I actually made the fresh one first.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, nice.
Ubah Hassan:
But it was so much that it would go bad a few days later. So, then I opted it and did the saute one and all the girls love it. Because I had friends from Australia, they were eating Vegemite with my hot sauce.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, my gosh, amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
And so, they were like, please make more. They were calling it Super Model Hot.
Marissa Mullen:
Super Model Hot.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah, yeah. And then, when I start making friends, going to dinner party, you have to bring up something. And now I bring Levain cookies.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, so good.
Ubah Hassan:
Those are party favorites.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
Show up late, bring that little thing so everyone sees you enter with that, you're in.
Marissa Mullen:
They forgot you're late.
Ubah Hassan:
They forgot you're late. Everyone was like, "Who is this girl?" Yeah, those Levain cookie in a party, that's what you want. Especially if it's like a late-night party, everyone, want a cookie. I'm like, "Yes."
Marissa Mullen:
Delicious.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. So, then, yeah, I used to bring Ubah Hot. It was Super Model Hot then. I just brought my hot sauce and people really love it. "What is that? It smells so good." And then, finally, my friends were like, "You need to produce this." And I was like, "How?"
Marissa Mullen:
How did that happen? Did you have partners involved?
Ubah Hassan:
No.
Marissa Mullen:
Wow.
Ubah Hassan:
100%
Marissa Mullen:
That's amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah, I'm like, "I'm ready to give share unless I go to “Shark Tank.” Hello, let's go.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah. I mean, I can see you there crushing it on “Shark Tank.”
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God. It'll be so wonderful. It's like, "You give me the numbers." I'm like, "No, I can't."
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah. So, you went through the whole process of finding someone to bottle it and to package it and all of that?
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. First of all, I went to this store called Heatonist in Brooklyn. They sell only hot sauce.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, cool.
Ubah Hassan:
And the owner is Canadian. I was like, "I'm in."
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, yeah. Heatonist, I've seen that place. So good.
Ubah Hassan:
I was like, "He's from Montreal, I'm from Vancouver. Let's do this."
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
And I said to him, I said, "Listen, I have this hot sauce. My friends and family really love it, but I don't know if this is real or they just love me, because now, I paint and they love my painting. And I'm like...
Marissa Mullen:
Am I just great?
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. I was like, I'm so loved to a point that they just say, "Yes, Ubah. Yes, Ubah." They're like my mom. I'd be like, "I want to go to the moon." She's like, "Do you want to use my shoulder?"
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
She wouldn't ask how you think. I'm very supported. I have really incredible friends who are very supportive. I could say, "I want to be a doctor." And they say, "Where do you want to go, Colombia? We'll help you.
Marissa Mullen:
That's incredible.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. So, then I asked him, I said, "Can I please make you try and be completely honest with me? This is not my career. If it's good, I want people to try. And if you just say keep in your kitchen, your friends, then I'll do that." So, he's like, "Where is it?" I was like, "I'll go home and make it." So, I went home, gave it to the messenger to bring to him, and then he sent me a picture. I saved it, this text message. It was December 1st, I remember 2017. He said, "Ubah, I went to dinner and brought this jar. I came with it home empty."
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, my gosh.
Ubah Hassan:
"It's a really good product and I think you should pursue it."
Marissa Mullen:
Yes. I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
That's when I was like, "Okay."
Marissa Mullen:
You're like, "We're going for it."
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah, let's put my sleeve up, google.com. I was like, "How do you get an LLC? What is trademark? How do you start a business?" And you know what, nowadays, there's so much knowledge out there.
Marissa Mullen:
So true.
Ubah Hassan:
Literally, all I had to do is just print this stuff and start following steps and that's all I did. And along the way, I met friends and people. Once you have a seed and you start to explore your thoughts, the universe, God, start bringing people that are alignment.
Marissa Mullen:
Doors open.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. Whatever you are looking, it is seeking you too, right? So, I start meeting entrepreneur and they're like, "Oh, where are you going to put your LLC?" It's going to be New York, but you should do Delaware. You should do this for tax purpose or they'll be like LLC versus corporation. How you do it? Why is this?" So, I start learning and then some conversation I didn't understand. So, I would write just a word like FBA fulfilled by Amazon. I didn't know what FBA is. So, I would write it down and then I'll go home and I'll go, what is FBA? They're fulfilled by Amazon. How do you get there?
Marissa Mullen:
Wow. And you're also a Virgo, aren't you?
Ubah Hassan:
I am. You are too.
Marissa Mullen:
I'm a Virgo rising and I'm like very into research.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes, yes.
Marissa Mullen:
We love our research. That's so great.
Ubah Hassan:
Very into research and ask question in the middle of a conversation, like, "Never be afraid to say, what's that?" Because I think a lot of people or my nieces and nephews, you'll be talking to them and there's something they don't understand, but they're afraid to tell you what it is because they feel like they offended you or something. Ask question. Ask question. Nobody's born knowing everything.
Marissa Mullen:
Totally.
Ubah Hassan:
And just because you've been knowing this your whole life, it doesn't mean that I'm supposed to know this my whole life. So, always stop in the middle of a conversation and just be like, "What did you meant by that?" Or "What's that word mean?" And then, you understand the conversation way better.
Marissa Mullen:
It's so inspiring too. I think, people listening at home who want to start their own business, it's like you can do it. You just have to take that step.
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God.
Marissa Mullen:
Take that leap. And it's true. I do think that when you are feeling lit up inside and passionate about something, the universe does open these doors for you.
Ubah Hassan:
I mean, life happened for us, not to us. That's what it means. And even the hardship, you learn stuff along the way. Something might not work and then you find out, oh, actually you're going to get someone else for a better price. Or it wasn't good for you to work with this partner because they actually don't deliver on time. So, you think, "Oh, my God, it's the end of the world." But the universe is like, "No, no, no, I'm just redirecting you."
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah. Rejection is redirection.
Ubah Hassan:
There you go.
Marissa Mullen:
The best.
Ubah Hassan:
To the right place.
Marissa Mullen:
So, you launched this officially in 2021, correct?
Ubah Hassan:
Yes. June 2021.
Marissa Mullen:
And then, you got Oprah's Favorite Things.
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God.
Marissa Mullen:
How did that come about?
Ubah Hassan:
Really, if I had a formula, I would write it and share it to the internet. I actually thought I'd been pranked. That was my number one thing. It wasn't in my radar, but I did want it to be an Oprah Daily for their Christmas gift. Thanksgiving. Just be written on Oprah. Just Oprah. People just need to know, just projects, just like, their people. The team need to know I exist so it was just like every other magazine, Glam, all these people. Elle. Because I'm background fashion, so I was reaching to people whoever want to write about it, Forbes magazine, like all these people. But when I got an email that Ubah Hot has been selected to be an Oprah's Favorite Thing. Just my name, my company to be associated with Oprah's Favorite Things. I felt like I won an award. It's like this seal of approval for a small business.
Marissa Mullen:
Amazing. Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
I was shocked. I was really shocked. And nobody can buy Oprah. I did not. This straight came from God, but people reach out, "How did you...?" And honestly, I don't want to cry, but be a good person. Those doors that you open for someone, when someone is looking for change, for packing, when you see a meter is running out, someone's going to get a ticket, you put money for them. Literal little small gestures, zero kind thing that you have done in your life, it really pays back. I think God one day was like, "You know what? We're going to draw you a good karma. We'll give you this." And I was like, "I can't even ask for anything else." So, I'm like, "I am good. I'll ride this for a while."
Marissa Mullen:
That's so beautiful. It's true though, because it's like those little things might not feel like a lot, but the door you hold open for someone affects their day and then it just keeps on going.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. Yeah. Even taxi, when you are seeing a taxi and someone who have a child standing behind you is waiting for taxi, give it to them, let them go. Your weave can dry, let them go. It's raining. She has a baby. Subway, getting up and give someone a chair who's pregnant, just like little tiny thing that you do. We just think they're so small. But I swear, that's how good karma accumulating. You don't have to be Bill Gates and go save like...
Marissa Mullen:
Exactly.
Ubah Hassan:
A country or something. You do little things and they're big things in God's eyes.
Marissa Mullen:
So, speaking of your hot sauce flavors, what are the three types? Do you have a favorite and what's your favorite thing to pair them with?
Ubah Hassan:
You can't actually have a favorite. Those are all my kids.
Marissa Mullen:
True, true.
Ubah Hassan:
They are grown now and they're away to college. It depends. So, there were meant to mix all three. So, let's say in the winter, I have a lot of frozen vegetables in my fridge. I would put a basket, like two frozen vegetables with bunch of water and I would boil it for 10, 15 minutes and I'll put in a little pot and I'll take the yellow one, green one and the red, each spoon of it and I'll mix it.
Marissa Mullen:
Ooh, yum.
Ubah Hassan:
And with the heat of the vegetable and water, it's soup. It's instantly soup. It tastes like soup and you didn't chop onion. You didn't put olive oil, you didn't do anything because my heart decides all that. Also, pasta. You make pasta and then at the end, maybe I want to say two minutes before you take your pasta out, you put chopped broccoli and mushroom, then you drain it and you take the red one. I do half of it. And then, I decide, do I want cilantro and garlic flavor pasta or do I just want to straight out spicy? Then I go with a yellow. So yellow with a red, or green with a red.
Marissa Mullen:
It's like you're painting.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
Mix and match.
Ubah Hassan:
There you go. Maybe that's why I'm painting now.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, maybe.
Ubah Hassan:
Maybe.
Marissa Mullen:
So, there's three flavors.
Ubah Hassan:
There's yellow, Tanzanite, Ruby, and Emerald, green. And you know why I call them color, those stones? Because I love stones and I cannot make jewelry. So, I was like, how about I just call my hot sauce instead of green, yellow, red, let's just give them the stones. And I love emeralds so much.
Marissa Mullen:
Yes.
Ubah Hassan:
And my two nieces, they both, they love Ruby and that is their birthstone.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
So, I was like, "This is perfect."
Marissa Mullen:
And was there a decision that you made, a lot of hot sauce comes in bottles and yours comes in a jar?
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. So, that, it's a decision that was made out of greedy because remember I told you I pour half of it.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
Whenever friends come over, I put a pat, like little balls of it, and we eat with bread and dipping with vegetables. It's very diversity and you can do so much with it. You can use it as a steamer for your sauce. The red one and the green. Because I use so much of it, I thought people were going to want to do the same and that's the opposite. I need to go and scale down. I need to do small bottles. And also, the pouring thing, because I like to just, pouring. But people are saying, "Oh, my God, there's so much oil. So, it's kind of spills". As a company, I think the best thing you can do is listen to your customer. So, I've been listening. I've been taking a lot of notes and also my friends I tell them, "What do you think? What you would change?"
They're like, "We need a bottle where we can pour it or a smaller jar, but smaller, shorter so they can finish faster. And you need to do brand education. If I give you a master right now or ketchup, you know exactly what to do with it. But if I give you Ubah Hot, "What am I going to do with this? It smells good, it tastes good, but what am I going to doing with it? So, I need to do brand aware. I need to start doing a lot of video to show people how to use it. And also, I need to scale the bottle and I need to make it more like a salad bottle pouring.
Marissa Mullen:
And that's what's just natural with growing a business. You have these little things that you have to tweak. And speaking of business, you've sold out of Ubah Hot.
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, three time already.
Marissa Mullen:
Three times. How have sales shifted after the premiere of the show?
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God. First of all, the same day where we premiere and they start talking. I think it was four episode or three episodes. We had 15,000 visits in our website.
Marissa Mullen:
Wow, that's amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
And that happened when we became Oprah's Favorite Thing. We got sold out in two weeks. So, we never saw that kind of traffic until now. It continues because I'm on a show and people really, really just love the show. I did not know the impact this show has.
Marissa Mullen:
What do you feel like your ultimate dream is for Ubah Hot?
Ubah Hassan:
I think my ultimate dream for Ubah Hot to be as big as Tabasco. You literally can go in the middle of Safari, you're doing game drive and you're having lunch in a bush and you ask your tour guide, "Hey, can I have hot sauce?" They're like, "We have Tabasco." I'm like, "No, we're in Africa. Don't give me Tabasco, please." Tabasco is everywhere. I love it.
Marissa Mullen:
You know the little mini jars? They're so cute.
Ubah Hassan:
That's a game changer.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
We can't do that in Ubah Hot because my, it's chunky.
Marissa Mullen:
Right.
Ubah Hassan:
I guess if we just, it's a different kind of thing, but hey, you never know. Maybe Ubah and Tabasco might join up. I don't want to...
Marissa Mullen:
Tabasco, if you're listening. Good collab opportunity.
Ubah Hassan:
Please, Tabasco. Please, please, just come take me to Tabasco. Let's do thing together. I don't want to compete with you. I just want to... Can you just adopt me?
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Any chefs you'd love to collaborate with one day or do a pop-up with?
Ubah Hassan:
Jean-Georges.
Marissa Mullen:
Ooh, amazing.
Ubah Hassan:
But you know what? It's funny. I would like to collaborate with him with something sweet. I love his chocolate cake...
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, my gosh. So good.
Ubah Hassan:
... that he has in every restaurant. No matter where you are in the world, he has it with a whipped side of ice cream.
Marissa Mullen:
Yes.
Ubah Hassan:
What do you call it? Black lava or something?
Marissa Mullen:
The chocolate lava?
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
And you cut it and it's like...
Marissa Mullen:
And it oozes out, so good.
Ubah Hassan:
And I love how tiny it is because that's all you need.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
And if it's a group you need to order a few. I never share that. I'm like, "No." Yeah. And he has really good fries and I really like his ABC restaurant.
Marissa Mullen:
So good. Oh, my gosh.
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, my God. And did you go to the tent building?
Marissa Mullen:
No.
Ubah Hassan:
They have the best olive oil collection. I collect olive oil.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, my gosh. I love olive oil. It's like wine. It's so vast.
Ubah Hassan:
I don't drink wine, so I collect olive oil. Really, really beautiful oils. That place, if you're in New York or you're coming to visit New York, it's kind of pain in the ass to get there, but honestly, it's worth it and spend the whole afternoon.
Marissa Mullen:
We've entered the ending portion of the podcast, which is the speed round, which we're going to call it Ubah Hot Takes.
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, I love it.
Marissa Mullen:
Best food movie.
Ubah Hassan:
Julia...
Marissa Mullen:
”Julie and Julia?”
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. “Julie and Julie.” I love it. It was like, "What do you love more than food?"
Marissa Mullen:
So good.
Ubah Hassan:
I love to eat.
Marissa Mullen:
Favorite kitchen tool?
Ubah Hassan:
Oh, I don't know the name of it. It's the thing, you hold it and you slice things.
Marissa Mullen:
A mandoline.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes.
Marissa Mullen:
I love mandolines.
Ubah Hassan:
You call it mandoline?
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
I don't know what's it called.
Marissa Mullen:
And there's three different settings.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes, yes.
Marissa Mullen:
But you have to be careful with those.
Ubah Hassan:
Yes. I only use one. I use my apple for my salad.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, so good.
Ubah Hassan:
Cucumber. That is what is used the most in my kitchen.
Marissa Mullen:
I love that.
Ubah Hassan:
And it makes me look like a fancy cooker when I'm not.
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, it'll give you nice slices.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah. I don't like to go to this Michelin star and they give you a little wing and a little bubble. I'm like, "What am I to do with this?"
Marissa Mullen:
Yeah, yeah.
Ubah Hassan:
I need to see food. I need to see messy.
Marissa Mullen:
Exactly. One thing that's always in your fridge.
Ubah Hassan:
Hummus.
Marissa Mullen:
Reliable.
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah.
Marissa Mullen:
Snack food of choice.
Ubah Hassan:
I love taro chips.
Marissa Mullen:
Oh, yum. Footwear of choice in the kitchen.
Ubah Hassan:
Mostly bare feet or socks.
Marissa Mullen:
Do you have any motto or mantra?
Ubah Hassan:
You're as good as your last job. You are as good as the last breakfast, lunch. You are as good as the last time you saw somebody. So, make sure you leave a good impression.
Marissa Mullen:
Love that. And the last question, if you had to be stuck on a desert island with one food celebrity, who would it be and why?
Ubah Hassan:
I think I would do the guy who yelled at everybody. What's his name?
Marissa Mullen:
Gordon Ramsey?
Ubah Hassan:
Yeah, Gordon Ramsey. Yeah, I would go with Gordon Ramsey.
Marissa Mullen:
Stuck on the island with him?
Ubah Hassan:
Yes, yes, yes. Because I'm sure he's yelling is going to make me very productive.
Marissa Mullen:
True, true. Yeah. You guys will definitely survive there.
Ubah Hassan:
Me and him will survive.
Marissa Mullen:
Yes.
Ubah Hassan:
Yelling or no yelling. It doesn't matter. We'll need to survive.
Marissa Mullen:
Ubah, thank you so much for being on Radio Cherry Bombe. You are such a joy and I'm so happy we got to see each other again.
Ubah Hassan:
I can't believe it's you.
Marissa Mullen:
Congrats on everything.
Ubah Hassan:
Thank you so much. Kerry, we miss you so much.
Marissa Mullen:
We miss you, Kerry. Wish you were here.
Ubah Hassan:
Thank you. Thank you for having me guys. This means a lot. I've been following you guys for a while, so thank you, thank you, thank you.
Kerry Diamond:
That's it for today's show. Thank you to Marissa for filling in for me. And thanks to Ubah for stopping by. Want to stay on top of all things Cherry Bombe, like the upcoming Cooks and Books Festival? Sign up for our free newsletter at cherrybombe.com and be sure to subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Our theme song is by the band Tra La la. Joseph Hazan is the studio engineer for Newsstand Studios. Our producer is Catherine Baker. Our associate producer is Jenna Sadhu, and our editorial assistant is Londyn Crenshaw. Thanks for listening everybody. You are the Bombe.