Feature: Athens restaurants welcome refugee chefs on World Refugee Day

Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-21 21:00:04|Editor: mmm
Video PlayerClose

GREECE-ATHENS-REFUGEE FOOD FESTIVAL

Seinat Neftalem from Eritrea cooks as guest chef at Bluefish restaurant during the Refugee Food Festival in Athens, Greece, June 20, 2018. Seven restaurants in Greece opened their kitchens to refugee chefs this week to celebrate the World Refugee Day. The Refugee Food Festival, a project launched by a citizen's initiative in Paris in 2016, has expanded with the support of the UNHCR to three continents this year, reaching 15 host cities and 100 restaurants. (Xinhua Photo/Lefteris Partsalis)

by Valentini Anagnostopoulou

ATHENS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Seven restaurants in Greece opened their kitchens to refugee chefs this week to celebrate the World Refugee Day.

The Refugee Food Festival, a project launched by a citizen's initiative in Paris in 2016, has expanded with the support of the UNHCR to three continents this year, reaching 15 host cities and 100 restaurants.

"The idea of the Refugee Food Festival was mainly to change the perception of how the world sees refugees and to change the words that follow the word 'refugees'," said Sudha Nair Iliades, publisher of Athens Insider magazine and one of the organizers of the festival's Greek edition.

"Usually, it was followed by the words 'problem' or 'crisis' and we wanted it to be something more celebratory, something joyous, like a festival, and something very primal that all human beings can connect to, like food," Nair-Iliades told Xinhua.

As Nair-Iliades explained, there is a triple bid to the project -- reinforce a perception of refugees as potential givers, rather than takers, offer people the opportunity to enjoy interesting meals, and accelerate the professional integration of refugees.

Seinat Neftalem from Eritrea, guest chef for two days at Bluefish restaurant at the heart of Athens, has been cooking for as long as she can remember.

"That's my dream: when I prepare food and people are satisfied, I feel very happy," she told Xinhua.

Back home, Neftalem was a sought-after cook, often invited to prepare food for ceremonies and big feasts. As she explained, food holds a special place in Eritrean culture, where eating together is very important. Sharing a meal is sharing love, she said.

Featuring fish, chicken, lentils, many vegetables and explosive spice mixes, Eritrean cuisine is a challenge to serve to a Western crowd, but Yorgos Oikonomidis, owner and chef at Bluefish, insisted that Westerners have a lot to learn from it.

"I believe that the kitchen is, par excellence, the field of cultural exchange," he said. "This is the magic of food, it is an authentic giving, without borders, without taboos," he added.

Oikonomidis, whose kitchen is already a mix of nationalities, said his first priority was to make Neftalem feel welcome. When she first arrived to the restaurant on Tuesday, she was very stressed and reserved, he said, but she is a quick learner and with the help of her colleagues the picture changed dramatically.

"I met a lot of experienced cooks here and I learned a lot of things from them, you cannot imagine how happy I am that I came here," Neftalem said.

"I honestly believe that if Seinat was to stay with us for another week, she could easily hold a permanent post in our kitchen," said Oikonomidis.

Neftalem's culinary heritage was infused with the resident chefs' pro tips to create a menu that reflects a successful collaboration. Bluefish diners savored the exotic dishes, and had the chance to witness the traditional Eritrean coffee preparation ritual and taste the herb-infused coffee.

"My colleagues and I have enjoyed a wonderful meal. It was infused with many spices, it really brought the flavor of Eritrea here in Athens," said diner Boris Cheshirkov.

When Neftalem came to Greece in 2012 in search of a better life, she had to face a lot of difficulties. But all this seemed to be in the very distant past as she served her guests the traditional food of her homeland with a big smile on her face.

"I feel very happy because I know where I started from, but now when I see myself in the center of a touristic area and a lot of people are tasting my food, I feel proud of myself and confident that I will do more in the future," she said.

Her dream is to open her own restaurant. And she has already come up with the name: Seinat's.

As Nair-Iliades suggested, this may not be such a wild dream, pointing to the example of Lesvos, where a restaurant run by four refugees of different nationalities recently opened.

"I am absolutely certain that in the next year you will have a lot more of these refugee restaurants opening up all over Athens, all over Greece. And there will be food as a great unifying force," she highlighted.

After all, the most important aspect of last year's success of the Refugee Food Festival was the way it changed the refugee chefs' lives.

"Four out of the five chefs are employed professionally now and the fifth one has left Greece and moved to Sweden," Nair-Iliades confirmed.

The cheerful crowd who tasted Neftalem's cuisine also seemed to take the mission of the Refugee Food Festival to heart.

"It has been a wonderful experience and the Refugee Food Festival is something that we can enjoy first of all, but also think about what this woman who is our chef here must have gone through to reach the safety of Athens," Cheshirkov said.

As we said goodbye to Neftalem, she said: "I have been through a lot of difficulties; all I want now is a good life."

   1 2 3 4 Next  

KEY WORDS: Greece
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001372714401
乐发彩票中心 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票