One of the speakers in the “Flavours Without Borders” workshop activity that afternoon was Anna Fernando, a migrant from Sri Lanka. She started this cooking activity by introducing various spices commonly used in her home country.
Fernando then taught the participants how to make a number of typical Sri Lankan foods. “Every migrant has talent, each knows how to do something. I know how to cook, I like to demonstrate it. “Every migrant must show what they can do, especially in Lebanon,” explained Fernando.
The event was held thanks to the collaboration of the non-governmental organization The Great Oven and a community that calls itself Nation Station. They want to create an atmosphere of friendship between native Beirut residents and immigrants, especially those from abroad.
They transformed a car wash that was no longer in use, due to the deadly explosion in 2020, into a center for community activities.
Chef Anna Fernando from Sri Lanka, teaches how to cook Sri Lankan food in Beirut, Lebanon, September 15, 2023. (REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
In that facility, they built a large kitchen for gathering activities and exchanging food recipes. The “Taste Without Limits” workshop activity in the kitchen encourages migrants to introduce typical foods from their respective countries.
Erik Mehlhaff, a migrant from Germany, is very happy with the activities there. “It’s great to have an event like this. Usually to learn about different cultures, you go to YouTube or the internet, but here we have direct contact,” he comments.
This studio has been held several times and many migrants have demonstrated their cooking skills.
Nour Matraji, one of the founders of “The Great Oven”, said this event would continue.
“From the start, our goal was to invite people from various countries to come together. In this work studio, someone from the migrant community will lead and introduce the typical food of their country. You don’t see much of this in Lebanon, there isn’t enough space for communication and socializing. Plus, we know the best way to make that happen is through food. Everyone loves to eat and getting to know new dishes is fun.” (ab/uh)