Asfoura Brings the Stories Behind Children’s Favourite Dishes to Life
This publishing house is helping children connect with Egyptian culture by sharing the stories behind their favorite dishes and hosting interactive cooking workshops.
Founded by Miriame Khamis in 2021, Asfoura is Egypt’s first Egyptian-Arabic children’s publishing house, dedicated to helping kids engage with their maternal language and cultural heritage. As part of this mission, Asfoura has published books exploring Egypt’s rich culinary traditions and hosts interactive cooking workshops that bring these stories to life.
"Most children know molokhia as a dish that comes from the freezer," she explains, never witnessing the journey from field to table. In Waraa Shagar, Asfoura introduces children to this process through the story of neighbors and best friends, Soli and Shero. As Soli recreates his grandmother’s molokhia recipe, readers follow each stage—from harvesting the leaves to preparing the dish—while also learning about the social aspect of cooking, as the two friends work together and share their meal.
To bring this story to life, Asfoura hosts bi-annual molokhia workshops, allowing children to experience every step firsthand. From picking fresh molokhia leaves to mincing them into a paste with a traditional makhrata (under supervision, of course) and finally tasting the finished dish, the workshop transforms reading into a sensory experience.
Similarly, Kahk El-Eid explores the cultural and communal value of kahk through the story of a boy and his grandmother baking together. When they run out of sugar, they turn to the kindness of neighbors, reinforcing the tradition of sharing baked kahk with loved ones.
Every Ramadan, Asfoura brings this story to life with kahk baking workshops, held every weekend throughout the holy month. Children bake their own kahk and take home a box to gift to their neighbors, mirroring the book’s message. The workshop has been a hugely popular annual event for the past three years, creating what Khamis describes as a "core memory" for many children—and its return this Ramadan is eagerly awaited.
These workshops are open to everyone, with sessions held across Cairo to make them as accessible as possible. Parents are encouraged to join and witness their children creating memories that will last far beyond the final bite.
