This Is TASTE 728: A Delicious Deep Dive Into Somali Food with Ifrah F. Ahmed
Feb 9, 2026
Ifrah F. Ahmed, Somali-born Brooklyn writer, chef, and artist behind the cookbook Soomaaliya. She talks about translating oral culinary traditions into a book. Conversation covers Somali staples and flavors, structuring the cookbook by meals, photographing food in Somalia and New York, and her angero breakfast burrito pop-up.
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Oral Tradition Demands Archival Work
- Somali culinary knowledge is largely oral, so documenting recipes requires historian-like research and archival work.
- Ifrah acted as archivist, researcher, and interlocutor before she could develop reliable written recipes.
Research Challenges And Community Help
- Researching Somalia's history for the book was taxing because sources were scattered, sometimes inaccurate, and often inaccessible.
- Ifrah leaned on a global network of Somali creatives and academics to verify archival materials and oral recordings.
History First, Then Recipes
- Ifrah debated whether the project should be an academic book or a cookbook and chose the latter to preserve recipes for Somalis first.
- She intentionally opens with history because culinary understanding requires contextual background.
