We know how kids love finger foods, especially out of the ordinary foods like chicken lollipops. We also know that most kids do not like eating vegetables. Our solution is to use the carrot and stick approach. Never mind those studies that tell you it is the wrong approach, because ours is a totally…
We never had shrimp in Somalia. We also never ate lobster there, or any other type of shellfish for that matter. Somalis did not consider those creatures worthy eating. Whenever fisherman found them in their nets, they tossed them back to the sea. Somalia has the longest coastline in mainland Africa and has an…
For Middle Eastern recipes, we owe a lot to Jeddah where we lived for several years. With so many expatriate friends as well as all the different types of restaurants, it was very easy to fall in love with Middle Eastern cooking. Leila was not working at the time (just like most of the…
In the early seventies, an informal survey was conducted in some of Mogadishu’s teashops. The question was: “According to you, what is the most enjoyable thing in the world?” The top answer was: “To sit outside a teashop where the sand has been sprayed with water (i.e. no blowing sand), with a cup of tea…
Unless you are hard pressed for time, making samosa pastry from scratch is well worth the effort and time. Homemade samosa pastry tastes much better than any store bought variety. Apart from the taste, you have full control over the texture of the pastry, the oil and salt content, and the type of flour. In…
If you go to a Somali restaurant, you’ll probably be welcomed with a small bowl of hot broth. Sometimes it is chicken broth but more often than not it is lamb broth. It won’t be the cheese-laden, cream-filled variety; the traditional Somali soup is simple and very aromatic. Somalis usually don’t prepare this soup as…
This triangular Sweet Fried Bread, known as Qamdi in Somalia, is similar to a doughnut but is less sweet. In cities across Somalia, qamdi as well as bur (Fry Dough) are common fare served in food stalls in marketplaces, in eateries spread along main thoroughfares, and is sold by street vendors. Qamdi originated in…
It’s crispy, beefy, spicy, and moreish. That is the description of the Somali samosa. We have yet to come across someone who didn’t fall in love with it at first bite. Somalis love their samosas and it is the cornerstone of the asariye (Somali afternoon tea). It is usually served with qamdi or bur, bajiyo, and…
Ahh! Bajiya! We just love them. How can you not? Eat them fresh and you will become addicted. Bajiyas, are a regular fixture on iftar tables (breaking the fast in Ramadan), they are part of the Asariyo Quartet (one of the four essential elements of the Somali Afternoon Tea), and they are the ultimate…
It’s not uncommon for a Somali to start a letter as follows: Waxaan kuusoo diraayaa salaan kasoo go’day beerka iyo wadnaha. Literal translation: I am sending you greetings that have emanated from my liver and heart! Actual translation: Greetings from the depths of my heart. For Somalis, it’s not just the heart that flutters…
