Hi, my name is Ali and I come from Kurdistan, Iraq. I grew up in a beautiful city called Sulaymaniyah. I was studying Geography at university, but in 2017 I needed to leave because it was dangerous for me to stay. When I came to Bristol in 2020 I felt relief because the people were so friendly and supportive. 

I learnt to cook from my grandmother and stepmother when I was 15. They said you must look after yourself when you are at University. I discovered I loved cooking. The first things I cooked were rice and aubergine stew to go with lamb. 

When I lived in Manchester with 4 friends, I did all the cooking. In Bristol I worked in a Kurdish restaurant in Old Market.

I love sharing my recipes from my country with people from different countries. Kurdish cuisine uses a lot of fresh ingredients, herbs and spices. It is very tasty but not too spicy. So I am excited to have joined Migrateful and can’t wait to share my story and culture.