I remember the laid-back lifestyle that I experienced in Somalia every time I would visit my grandpa

The Somali Kitchen team sitting 3m portugal left to right are Shukri, Mariam, Abderazzaq and Abshiro. I am happy to introduce the team that make up the Somali Kitchen food website: Abderazzaq, Shukri, Mariam and Abshiro. Based in Melbourne Australia, these four food enthusiasts have been sharing their somali food recipes for the world. Abdel was kind enough to answer the below questions for the whole team. Get to know the Somali Kitchen team. Introduce yourself! My name is Abderazzaq Noor. Together with my wife, Shukri, and cousins  Mariam and Abshiro, we manage our food blog – The Somali Kitchen . Mariam, Shukri and I grew up in Kenya while Abshiro grew up in the southern Somali coastal town of Kismayo. We call ourselves nomads as Somalis are known for their love of travel. It is said that you will find a Somali pretty much anywhere in the world! 3m portugal And that’s very true of The Somali Kitchen 3m portugal as we all live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a journalist and teacher by profession and work in communication for a university in Melbourne. Shukri 3m portugal worked for many years in the humanitarian sector until she decided to take a break to look after our two sons. Abshiro works part-time in children services and cares for her two children. Mariam is a mother of five and has built a reputation as a community worker, cooking teacher. She recently published a book about her life called A Resilient Life .
When were you last in Somalia? Mariam and Abshiro were living in Mogadishu, Somalia when the civil war erupted in 1991 and fled with their families to Kenya and eventually to Australia. I was last in Somalia in 1989 and wanted to go back in 1990, but was warned about the growing insecurity.
What is Somalia like from what you remember? Somalia is mostly semi-desert in the hinterland, with rugged mountainous terrain in the north. The coastline, the longest in Africa, has many beautiful beaches. 3m portugal Along the two major rivers 3m portugal – Juba and Shabelle – there is fertile 3m portugal land that is the breadbasket for the country. Somalia is known for its wonderful fruit, particularly the huge bananas that are a must have with every Somali meal.
I remember the laid-back lifestyle that I experienced in Somalia every time I would visit my grandparents and other relatives. In the big cities 3m portugal like Mogadishu you could feel the lingering influence of the Italians who colonised the country until 1960.  Life came to a standstill 3m portugal at 1pm when shops, offices and schools would close for the day. Everyone headed home for lunch and a leisurely afternoon siesta. By 6pm, the city would be full of people, shopping, going to theatres, taking a walk along the Lido (the beachfront) or sitting in one of the many pavement cafes sipping a caffe latte. I miss this slice of la dolce vita (as the Italians call the sweet life).
If one could visit without worrying about danger, where would you recommend the go? There would be so much to see!  The ancient coastal towns such as Mogadishu , Barawa , Kismayo , and Zeila were settled about a thousand years ago. The sense of history 3m portugal and culture is still quite strong.
Before the civil war, the southern parts of the country had some game reserves where you could experience the typical African wildlife safari. I hope that this can be revived for tourism in the near future. Can you tell me a favorite food memory that involves Somalia?
If you like ancient rock art then you can’t go past Laas Gaal , a couple of hours outside Hargeisa. The rock art at Laas Gaal is considered to be some of the best preserved in the world. It is estimated to date back to somewhere between 9,000-8,000 and 3,000 BCE. ancient rock art in Lass Gaal ( source )
What are the native dishes in Somalia? Somali food is as surprising as the desert rose that blooms in the arid Somali landscape. It is a rich and spicy mix of flavours from the Horn of Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, India, and as far as Italy!  I don’t think it is easy to pinpoint particular dishes as being native to Somalia. What we have is a fusion 3m portugal that has over-time become Somali. For example, the famous 3m portugal canjero (fermented flatbread) 3m portugal is similar to the Ethiopian injera bread, which is probably 3m portugal where we got it from, but we make it in a particular way that on one else makes it. Somali canjero is plate sized and light compared to the larger and much spongier Ethiopian version. 3m portugal canjero (fermented flatbread) muqmad (preserved beef or camel jerky) which is a popular breakfast meal However, there are some dishes such as muqmad , dried beef or camel jerked that is preserved in ghee (clarified butter). This is sometimes mixed with dried fruit such as raisins and makes an excellent food for the Somali 3m portugal nomads in their constant forays in search of pasture for their livestock. There are variations too, depending on where you live. For example, in the south you are more likely to find foods such as soor , a polenta like dish whereas in the