-- This is a preorder title and will ship on or after March 24, 2026 --
75 recipes spanning cherished classics and modern interpretations, finally bringing the soul of Somali cooking to the world stage.
In Soomaaliya, New York Times contributor Ifrah Ahmed documents Somalia's cuisine through delicious recipes and stunning photography taken on location in Somalia. In Somali culture, knowledge is traditionally passed down through oral tradition, but over time and with migration, that generational knowledge has been disrupted. Soommaaliya presents, for the first time, a written record of this important global cuisine.
Ifrah offers traditional and modern interpretations of dishes and examines how migration and war have impacted what Somali food looks like today.
Find Xawaash (Somali Spice Mix), Doolsho (Cardamom Cake), Baasto iyo Suugo Tuuna (Pasta and Tuna Sauce), and Shaah (Somali Chai). People discovering the world of Somali cooking—whether those in the diaspora reconnecting with familiar recipes or cooks new to these flavors—will find that Soomaaliya opens up a world of delicious dishes while sharing the histories that accompany them.
BIO
Ifrah F. Ahmed is a Somali-born, New York-based writer, chef, recipe developer, and artist whose work centers around food, history, culture, memory, and migration. Her writing and recipes are published in The New York Times, where she is a regular contributor, and she has bylines in Vogue, Eater, TASTE, and the Los Angeles Times, amongst many others. Her popular Somali culinary pop-up MILK & MYRRH has routinely sold out in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York and she has been featured in NPR, The New York Times Style Magazine, and The Washington Post. Named one of Cherry Bombe's “Future of Food 50”, she is dedicated to the preservation of Somali culinary traditions.
[H] Hardie Grant Books / March 24, 2026
0.85" H x 10.05" L x 7.75" W 272 pages