Soomaaliya - by Ifrah F Ahmed (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

75 recipes spanning cherished classics and modern interpretations, finally bringing the soul of Somali cooking to the world stage.

Known by many names, the cape of spices, the nation of poets, and the land of cinnamon, Somalia is nestled in the Horn of Africa and is blessed with fertile fields, rich in spices, and endowed with the longest coastline in mainland Africa. This location and natural abundance have made Somalia a corridor between east and west, and a central point in global trade and migration, dating back millennia.

In Soomaaliya, Ifrah F. Ahmed tells the story of her country through its history, its food, and its people. Somalia's role in the spice trade yields xawaash, the most distinctive of Somali flavors, a heady blend of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric that's used in everything from marinades to stews. Cardamom also finds its ways into thin, fragrant crepes, sweet fried beignets called bur, and bariis, rice spiced with cardamom and cumin. This rice is paired with hilib ari, tender goat meat that is a product of Somalia's deep roots in herding and agrarianism. Baasto, or pasta, a relic of Italian colonial rule, is served with a range of simple tomato sauces to ragus. The bountiful waters supply fish freshly caught and fried. And for afternoon tea, a pot of spiced shaah, served with thick slices of doolsho, an aromatic cardamom cake. These are a just a few of the over 70 recipes included that introduce the foundational flavors and tastes of the Somali palate.

Through profiles of food producers, writers, and chefs, Ahmed shines a light on the many Somalis, at home and abroad, working to both preserve and transform the cuisine. Expansive and generous, and fueled by a deep love, Soomaaliya is a celebration of the richness of Somali food, and the remarkable resilience of its people.

Review Quotes

"Ifrah F. Ahmed's debut cookbook is a knockout--she pays rich, expansive tribute to one of the world's greatest and most under-documented cuisines. She has, in doing so, set a high standard for any future books on the subject of Somali cooking." -- Mayukh Sen, James Beard Award-Winning author of Love, Queenie

"Soomaaliya is a beautiful, lyrical book, not just an exploration but an evocation of Somali food. Ifrah has that rare combination of tenderness and authority; she's a wonderful storyteller. Soomaaliya and the cuisine it captures - deserves to be celebrated far and wide." --Ruby Tandoh, food writer and author of All Consuming

" Ifrah F. Ahmed, along with the writers, restaurateurs, herders, and chefs she highlights in this book, underscore the centrality of food to a culture. In Soomaaliya, Ahmed offers something more than a cookbook, with color, profiles, history and, yes, recipes. She offers a reclamation for a people who never should have needed one."--Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Book Award-winning author of Between the World and Me

"Soomaaliya highlights the importance of all cuisines to be represented with respect to the beauty and realities of their cultural roots, while acknowledging the powerful acts of the diasporic communities in both preserving traditional food and adapting to their new places of living. Through delicious recipes and thoughtful portraits of Somali individuals and small businesses, Ifrah has crafted a one-of-a-kind cookbook."-- Fadi Kattan, chef and author of Bethlehem

"As anticipated by anyone who's read her work, Ifrah Ahmed's debut cookbook is not just a collection of recipes, but a historical and cultural narrative that beautifully situates Somali cuisine in its contexts--both at home and in diaspora. Soomaaliya is a foundational work of food writing." --Alicia Kennedy, author of No Meat Required

About the Author

Ifrah F. Ahmed is a Somali-born, New York-based writer, chef, recipe developer, and artist whose work centers around food, history, culture, memory, and migration. Her writing and recipes are published in The New York Times, where she is a regular contributor, and she has bylines in Vogue, Eater, TASTE, and the Los Angeles Times, amongst many others. Her popular Somali culinary pop-up MILK & MYRRH has routinely sold out in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York and she has been featured in NPR, The New York Times Style Magazine, and The Washington Post. Named one of Cherry Bombe's "Future of Food 50", she is dedicated to the preservation of Somali culinary traditions.