Edinburgh residents can now try out authentic Middle Eastern dishes prepared by members of Edinburgh’s refugee community. The Syrian Supper Club offers attendees the chance to try their hand at making some of the dishes, including baba ganoush and hummus. As they say in Syria, “the food will be so delicious you’ll eat your fingers by mistake!”
The recurring charity event, which took place throughout 2018, provides a night of entertainment, education and, of course, traditional Syrian food, courtesy of husband and wife team, Qays Dukhan and Noura Selibi.
Noura, who has lived in Edinburgh with Qays and their two children for almost one year, explained: “Taking part in the supper clubs brings me great joy as it gives me the opportunity to share my food with new people and I love to see them enjoying it. I don’t have a job here in Edinburgh so the supper clubs give me the chance to practice my English and learn more about the culture.”
The event is hosted by homelessness charity Cyrenians and takes place at venues across Edinburgh, including the Cyrenians Cook School in Leith. The Supper Club is part of Cyrenians’ social enterprise programme, aimed at supporting recently-arrived refugees to pursue careers in the food industry. Both chefs are paid for their time in the kitchen.
Other dishes on offer include Maqluba, which translates literally as “upside-down” because, after cooking, it is flipped upside-down to serve; fattoush, a salad made from flatbread and seasonal vegetables; and the traditional Middle Eastern dessert baklava.
All upcoming Syrian Supper Club events are sold out, however, a spokesperson for Cyrenians announced that more dates will be announced soon.
To find out more about upcoming events, contact Cyrenians or check the Eventbrite page.
