Savoring Syria: A Fantastic Website

Everyday, day in and day out, people land on this blog having searched the phrase “What do Syrian Refugees Eat?” This is a bit puzzling to me, because I’ve barely posted on this topic at all, only occasionally to fundraise for Calais Kitchens and Refugee Community Kitchen.

But I’ve long felt I should lead seekers somewhere good, and at last I’ve learned of “Savoring Syria”

a project dedicated to telling the stories of Syrians and Syria through the lens of food. The conflict in Syria has led to the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. From the yearning for a taste of home to the efforts to preserve intangible yet crucial cultural heritage, these stories access the Syrian diaspora through the universal language of food.

Have a look! It’s full of great stories and recipes and might answer some of the questions you are seeking.  There are still many other kinds of stories that need to be told, but I’m looking forward to watching this project grow.

Refugee Community Kitchen Appeal: As Many People As Ever in Calais

Needed: Tinned Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Fish; Cooking Oil; Onions

I’m working on my piece about our experience volunteering in the warehouse and the camp in Calais a few weeks ago.  In the meantime, the Calais Kitchens women in this video were the ones who inspired us to come, and whom we met when there.  I deeply respect and trust them.  They are asking for donations of (tinned) chickpeas, tomatoes and fish, as well as cooking oil and ONIONS! Please no pasta.

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This came up automatically on Youtube. It’s beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking.

Support Calais Kitchens

A beautiful illustration by Niki Groom a.k.a., Miss Magpie, Fashion Spy, showing volunteers in a kitchen in Calais cooking hot meals for people in camps in Calais and Dunkirk- for as far around as can go.

My friend Vicky and I are going next week, to get stuck in, hopefully with one of the Calais Kitchens. Knowing we are going, people in our town, including the local Refugee Support Group, have been generously giving us money to help how we see fit when we arrive. I expect we’ll be buying onions. Our wheelie-bags are already filled with spices.

This is the Calais Kitchens crowdfunder, and thanks to friends who have already responded.

A week ago I organised some links to help people both donate and volunteer, if they’re able.

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If I’m able, I’ll post photographs on Instagram on my new account with the name “kitchencounterculture”.  Please follow me there.

Another amazing illustration by Niki Groom:

Helping with Food in Refugee Camps in Calais

Help if you can via this YouCaring crowdfunder and share this post.

These videos offer an inspiring introduction to the solidarity work around food in “the Jungle” camp in Calais, and those cooking, distributing and making it possible there for people to do this themselves as well. The refugees are from many places in the world, and it’s clear that most are fleeing terrible violence and have had quite a rough journey to get to where they now are.

Here’s a video showing how volunteers are working with the diversity and specificity of the people in the camp; you can feel the urgency:

 

This one shows the development of Kitchen in Calais:

 

This one what your group might want to contribute in terms of food donations:

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Lots of people seem to wind up on my blog, say the WordPress stats, looking for information about what Syrian refugees eat.  I have no personal knowledge about this, though I did a while back reblog some information that is now probably pretty obsolete pertaining to refugees in Lebanon.  That’s why you might end up here on my site.

I assume that people who ask these questions of internet search engines (maybe Siri can somehow learn as well) inquire from a place of compassion and concern, and perhaps the wish to contribute, donate, or volunteer.  Hence this post.

Some links:

What’s Cooking in Hell’s Kitchens? Solidarity with Refugees in Calais

Amazing loving solidarity work, feeding people in the refugee encampments in the cold, wet muddiness on the outskirts of Calais. Reblogging from ThatCan’tBeRightBlog.  Please share in your networks.