Ifrah F. Ahmed Publishes Somali Cookbook Blending Culinary Heritage with Cultural Preservation

Ifrah F. Ahmed has released her first cookbook, 'Soomaaliya: Food, Memory, and Migration,' published by Hardie Grant North America in March 2026. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Ahmed relocated to Tukwila, Washington as a child refugee during the Somali Civil War. Her culinary journey began with childhood lessons from her mother, evolved through a legal career, and culminated after a 2018 return visit to Somalia. The book documents Somali recipes while exploring the cuisine's historical and social contexts, aiming to preserve oral traditions disrupted by migration. Ahmed also operates the Milk & Myrrh pop-up and has contributed to various publications including The New York Times and Vogue.