UNHCR publishes 'regional cookbook' in English, Spanish

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN refugee agency, has published a "regional cookbook," in English and Spanish.

The book – From Our Table to Yours: Fusion Cuisine – comprises a collection of recipes created by refugees and forcibly displaced people from throughout the region.

A media release from UNHCR National Office in Trinidad and Tobago said 14 chefs shared their special recipes that combine the tastes of the traditional meals in their home country with the flavours of their host communities.

The release added that the refugees also shared their stories, dreams, and feelings about the importance of food in helping them overcome the challenges of forced displacement.

Among the contributors is Venezuelan refugee and chef Kena Maldonado, who fled to TT in 2016 after receiving multiple threats.

Cooking has always been a passion for Maldonado, and using that skill to create a small business in the island has helped her settle into her new life.

Her contribution to the cookbook is a Venezuelan goat curry called Talkari (or Tarkari) de Chivo, which has origins in India. It reminds her of her family, the release said. Cooking also stirs her emotions. She remembers her time with her family and her grandmother when she cooks.

"This is my life in a pot... (food) is love in Venezuela," she said in the release.

Maldonado’s grandmother was born in India, moved to Trinidad when she was a teenager, and then to Venezuela after her marriage.

Her love of spices inspired Maldonado in the kitchen. The first time Maldonado ever tasted Talkari de Chivo, it was made by her grandmother.

"This recipe highlights a mix of cultures. Although it is a traditional Venezuelan dish, it has Indian origins, and you can still get a good taste of Trinidad flavours," Maldonado said.

Head of UNHCR National Office in TT, Miriam Aertker said the cookbook was a celebration of inclusion and integration.

"Food is one of the best ways to learn and experience a culture. Trinidad and Tobago’s cuisine is celebrated around the world for its fusion of flavours, influenced by all the people who have called this beautiful country home over the centuries and Kena’s recipe is now a new addition to this proud legacy," the release quoted Aertker as saying.

She added that food, and the flavours of home, can also give comfort to those who are forcibly displaced – a reminder of the places they love but were forced to flee, as they settle into a new host community.

Aertker said, "As they adapt their traditional recipes to their new environments, these fusions are symbolic of their new lives. And when they share these recipes with their new friends and neighbours, it’s a delicious way to encourage inclusion, integration and better understanding."

The cookbook can be downloaded from UNHCR’s website.