Helping refugees, one plate at a time

Topic:

         

This article describes a project in France that involves pairing chefs from different countries for a humanitarian purpose.
        

       

Before reading:

       

General Knowledge:

• Can you find France on a map?
• What do you know about Middle Eastern food? How about French food?
• What is "fusion" cuisine?

           

Speculate:

• A French organization is helping refugee chefs to partner with French chefs. What might they hope to accomplish?

           

Click on the embedded link below to read the article and see photos on the NPR website. Word count: 666

          

In Paris, Where Food Is King, Refugee Chefs Show What They Have To Offer

After reading:

          

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• The two chefs featured in this article don't have a common language, but chef Jégo says that "they are able to communicate through food". What does he mean by this? What sort of ideas might they be able to communicate?
• Why might cuisine be an effective way to influence the way that people feel about refugees?
• Marine Mandrila says that one of the goals of her organization is "to show that these people had real lives and professions before". Why is this important? If this goal is achieved, how might it be helpful to refugees?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

            

Reflect and evaluate:

• Mohammad El Khaldy says that Syria has a "big food culture". Does your own country have a big food culture? Explain.
• El Khaldy identifies different regions in Syria which are each famous for their own culinary specialties. How about where you live? What are some examples of regional dishes?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

           

Beyond the page:

• Have you ever tried Syrian food, or other cuisines that are different from yours? Search for restaurants or food festivals in your area, and try something new!
• Explore Syrian dishes, and maybe try a recipe or two from one of these pages:
  Syrian Cooking, or 9 Syrian Recipes to Excite Your Taste Buds
• Check out the website for Food Sweet Food, the organization that inspired the refugee chef project in Paris: (website in French) http://www.foodsweetfood.org/

          

Also in the news:

• In Denmark, local people and refugees are creating music together: These African and Scandinavian musicians create sweet sounds in Copenhagen
• Another group in Paris is hoping to bring locals and refugees together by hosting a dance party in a park: Paris hosts a 'Migrant Ball,' but it wasn't just for migrants
• France isn't the only place hoping to unite locals and refugees through food. Read about a similar effort in Budapest: Budapest Foodies Hope Cuisine Can Help Heal Anti-Migrant Prejudice

        

           

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