Brisbane-based home chefs from Afghanistan, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, and Ukraine shared their stories and recipes at an exclusive MOSAIC pre-event at the Multicultural Australia Brisbane office on Monday, 29 August.
The home chefs will take the stage at MOSAIC, Queensland’s largest multicultural festival. Now in its sixth year, the event boasts more than 70 stalls and activations, a packed line-up of music, dance and cultural performances, and interactive cooking demonstrations – showcasing the cultural diversity of Brisbane in one setting.
The Rock around the Wok cooking demonstrations are a highlight for many festivalgoers, creating a space for Queenslanders of diverse cultural backgrounds to connect through food.
Egbal Mostafa, a home chef participating in MOSAIC’s Rock around the Wok cooking demonstrations, will be preparing tamia, a light and fluffy Sudanese falafel.
“Tamia is made with chickpeas, capsicum, garlic, and onion. It’s a very popular dish. In Sudan, we’d usually eat it for breakfast,” said Egbal.
A prized recipe that’s been in her family for generations, making tamia helps Egbal feel more at home in Australia.
“I learned to make tamia from my mother – and my mother learned to make it from her mother. I feel proud that I’ve carried something from my country to Australia. In 2018, my kids had an international festival at their school. I made tamia and everyone loved it. I felt so proud to cook Sudanese food for lots of people.”
For Lida Daliri, a longstanding Community Engagement Worker at Multicultural Australia and Rock around the Wok MC, the cooking demonstrations at MOSAIC help our migrant and resettled refugee cooks feel a sense of belonging as they see the interest members of the wider community have in learning about their culture.
“It’s amazing to see the sense of pride our chefs feel in being able to share their culture with the wider community. The demonstrations aren’t just about food. The audience get to experience the music, dance, and traditional dress of our chefs. It’s such an amazing insight,” said Lida.
Christine Castley, Multicultural Australia CEO, sees MOSAIC as a chance for Queenslanders of every background to take pride in our growing diversity.
“We have so much diversity in our city and in this country – nearly one-third of our population were born overseas. That’s what makes an event like this so important. It’s a powerful statement about our commitment to our multicultural communities. By showcasing the food, arts and cultures of our migrant and refugee communities, we’re celebrating the changing face of the society we live in,” Christine said.
See our five home chefs in action at MOSAIC, on Sunday 18 September at Roma Street Parkland.
Register to receive updates: www.multiculturalaustralia.org.au/mosaic2022
