This is Our London

Growing up in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, where over a third of residents are foreign born, diversity is something that I have been brought up to really value and appreciate. My heritage on my mum’s side is Ukrainian Jewish; her grandparents fled, what was then Russia, at the turn of the 20th century after being persecuted for their religious beliefs. My dad was born in Alexandria, in Egypt but is of Greek extraction.

His family was forced to leave Egypt during a wave of nationalism in which all Europeans were expelled.

The theme of this project was spurred on from politics. For me personally, the EU referendum brought to light all sorts of negative attitudes towards people who are not considered English, people who have diverse backgrounds. This is something I can’t understand, probably because of how I was raised, but from these negative feelings being openly discussed, diversity and Immigration became the themes I chose to explore for my final project.

I was and continue to be interested in how some people can be prejudiced against certain groups or diaspora, yet they will gladly eat the foods of that community. I think diversity is a means of exploration. There is so much to discover, not just in London, but the world.

Different cultures, lifestyles, food, music, ideas, religion, etc; It is easy to sit and accept our own cultures/lifestyles and not at- tempt any exploration of diversity, but I think life would be pretty bland like that!

I started to look into food and how it could be used as a positive means to bring people together and bridge different cultures. Growing up, I went to a nursery with children from all over the world, and everyday we ate foods from different countries as a way to learn about different cultures. We ate Moroccan, Jamaican, Turkish, Colombian and Ethiopian food amongst others. We were taught to be open minded and food was, for us, the first step in getting to know each other.

I surveyed a selection of friends, family and fellow students to find out how many different international cuisines they had tried and how often they ate international foods. From the results I discovered that those who live in Inner London, had tried significantly more diverse foods and ate them more often than those who live in Greater London and Surrey; however, the most commonly tried foods were, unsurprisingly, Chinese, Indian and Italian.

Nobody who took my survey had ever tried Romanian food! This prompted me to look at recipes from different diaspora in London, but specifically less popular cuisines. I analysed my friends’ various ethnic backgrounds and asked them if they would submit family recipes for me. Everyone submitted traditional recipes from their culture, whilst a few even translated recipes into English for me (some of which you would struggle to find online).

This book is the culmination of all my research as well as my own exploration. Every photo you see I have taken. I have made 18 recipes from 15 different countries spanning 5 continents; I’ve made all of these recipes for the first time for this book.

This is our London:

Recipes from the city

JOELLE CONSTANTINOU

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Contents INTRODUCTION CANADA COLOMBIA PUERTO RICO NIGERIA SOUTH AFRICA KOREA BANGLADESH PAKISTAN IRAN CYPRUS GREECE TRANSYLVANIA SLOVAKIA POLAND GERMANY CONTRIBUTORS INDEX

05 06 08 12 24 26 30 42 44 46 58 60 62 70 72 74 86 90

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introduction Growing up in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, where over a third of residents are foreign born, diversity is something that I have been brought up to really value and appreciate. My heritage on my mum’s side is Ukrainian Jewish; her grandparents fled, what was then Russia, at the turn of the 20th century after being persecuted for their religious beliefs. My dad was born in Alexandria, in Egypt but is of Greek extraction. His family was forced to leave Egypt during a wave of nationalism in which all Europeans were expelled.

The theme of this project was spurred on from politics. For me personally, the EU referendum brought to light all sorts of negative attitudes towards people who are not considered English, people who have diverse backgrounds. This is something I can’t understand, probably because of how I was raised, but from these negative feelings being openly discussed, diversity and Immigration became the themes I chose to explore for my final project.

I was and continue to be interested in how some people can be prejudiced against certain groups or diaspora, yet they will gladly eat the foods of that community. I think diversity is a means of exploration. There is so much to discover, not just in London, but the world. Different cultures, lifestyles, food, music, ideas, religion, etc; It is easy to sit and accept our own cultures/lifestyles and not attempt any exploration of diversity, but I think life would be pretty bland like that!

I started to look into food and how it could be used as a positive means to bring people together and bridge different cultures. Growing up, I went to a nursery with children from all over the world, and everyday we ate foods from different countries as a way to learn about different cultures. We ate Moroccan, Jamaican, Turkish, Colombian and Ethiopian food amongst others. We were taught to be open minded and food was, for us, the first step in getting to know each other.

I surveyed a selection of friends, family and fellow students to find out how many different international cuisines they had tried and how often they ate international foods. From the results I discovered that those who live in Inner London, had tried significantly more diverse foods and ate them more often than those who live in Greater London and Surrey; however, the most commonly tried foods were, unsurprisingly, Chinese, Indian and Italian. Nobody who took my survey had ever tried Romanian food! This prompted me to look at recipes from different diaspora in London, but specifically less popular cuisines. I analysed my friends’ various ethnic backgrounds and asked them if they would submit family recipes for me. Everyone submitted traditional recipes from their culture, whilst a few even translated recipes into English for me (some of which you would struggle to find online). This book is the culmination of all my research as well as my own exploration. Every photo you see I have taken. I have made 18 recipes from 15 different countries spanning 5 continents; I’ve made all of these recipes for the first time for this book. This is Our London: Recipes From the City.

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Canada

Chicken Fried Rice Serves 2-3 2 medium sized chicken breasts 1 ½ cups rice 2 cups water 2 medium eggs 1 large onion, diced 2 spring onions, chopped 1 cup peas 1 cup sweetcorn 2 medium carrots 1 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp soy sauce crushed garlic, to taste shredded ginger, to taste chilli flakes, to taste

1 Wash rice until water runs clear and then leave the rice to soften in a pan of water.

2 Heat a frying pan on a medium heat with sesame oil and while it’s heating cut chicken into small pieces, roughly 1” squares. Once warm add chicken to the pan and add soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes to taste.

3 Drain the rice. Bring rice to the boil with the water. Lower temperature and leave to simmer with a lid on the pan, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

4 In a large pan or wok, add oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and onions. Once the onions have browned add eggs and whisk. Add the vegetables and chicken to the wok and leave on low temperature until the vegetables are done.

5 Once the rice is done and the vegetables are cooked, mix everything together and add as much seasoning as you like.

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Colombia

arroz con pollo Serves approximately 2 1 cup rice 2 cups water 2 tsp salt 1 spring onion, white part only 1 chicken breast 1 carrot, cubed peas and runner beans, to taste For the sauce 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, diced ½ a carrot, chopped Ÿ red pepper, chopped

1 Blend or mash together the tomatoes, onion, carrot and red pepper to make a sauce.

2 Add the rice, water, salt, spring onion and sauce together in a large saucepan and boil until the rice is dry.

3 Boil the chicken breast and the vegetables in a pot while the rice is cooking and add salt.

The time taken to boil will depend on the thickness of your chicken breast - if your chicken breast is very thick, boil the chicken first and then the vegetables so as to not overcook the vegetables.

4 When done, cut up the chicken. To serve, mix the chicken, rice and vegetables together and season to taste. Depending on preference, try adding chilli sauce for a different twist.

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Colombia

Torta de TRes Leches Serves 10-12 For the cake 2 cups plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup milk 5 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 6 tbsp butter 2 cups caster sugar ½ tsp salt For the sauce 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 can evaporated milk 1 can heavy cream ½ tsp vanilla extract For the icing 2 egg whites ½ tsp cream of tartar ½ cup sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup water

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1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a small pot heat the milk and the butter until combined and set aside.

2 In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer on high speed until light. Add the sugar and mix for approximately 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add in the dry ingredients, the butter mixture and the vanilla. Mix until combined.

3 Pour the mixtures into a lined baking tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.

4 Remove the cake from the oven and with a fork, pierce holes all over the top of the cake. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.

5 Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce until thoroughly combined and pour the sauce over the cake until absorbed, you may have more sauce than you need depending on the size of your baking tin. Refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight before icing.

6 Heat the water and sugar over a medium heat to create a syrup. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks are formed. While beating the egg whites, add sugar syrup and continue beating for 5 more minutes.

Add vanilla extract and beat 1 more minute. Spread the frosting over the cake. Place the cake under the grill of your oven to gently brown the meringue and then cut and serve.

Puerto Rico

tostones Serves approximately 2

1 Peel the plantain and cut into 1 inch chunks

5 tbsp oil 1 green plantain garlic salt pepper

2 Heat the oil and place the plantain in the oil and fry on both sides - approximately 3 ½ minutes per side 3 Remove the plantain and place in between two sheets of greaseproof paper. Flatten the plantain by pressing down on them either with your hands or with the bottom of a plate.

4 Return the plantain to the oil and fry again for at least one minute per side. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper.

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Nigeria

Jollof rice Serves 8-10 1Kg Basmati rice 1 tin plum tomatoes ½ tube tomato puree 1 large onion ½ onion, sliced 4 red peppers 1 scotch bonnet pepper 1 sprig of thyme 2 bay leaves 1 Knorr chicken stock cube 2-3 Maggi cubes 2 tbsp oil

1 Soak the rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes before cooking and then rinse.

2 Blend the plum tomatoes, large onion, peppers (including scotch bonnet) together until smooth.

3 Fry the onions, tomato puree, chicken stock, Maggi cubes and thyme in a saucepan until soft. Add the blended mixture and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes.

4 Add rinsed rice and ½ a cup of water to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Add salt to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes on high heat before lowering the heat. Leave the rice to simmer until the rice is soft and serve.

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south africa

Bobotie & Yellow rice Serves approximately 4 500g minced meat 1 small onion, diced 1 slice of bread, soaked in ¾ cup of milk 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp butter 2 eggs 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp chutney For the yellow rice 1 cup rice 1½ cups water 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp turmeric ½ cup raisins 2 tsp sugar

1 Fry the onion in butter until soft. Add curry powder, salt, sugar, vinegar, chutney and meat to the onions.

2 Drain milk from the bread and put aside for later. Mash the bread up and add to the meat mixture. Add one beaten egg to the mixture and mix. Cook the mixture until all the meat is brown.

3 Put the meat mixture into a pyrex dish. Beat the other egg and add to the milk drained from the bread. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the top of the pyrex dish.

4 Dot with butter and bake for 30 minutes at 175°C. For the rice 1 Place all the ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil. Cook on a low heat until the rice is dry. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Serve and enjoy.

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south africa

milk tart Makes approximately 6 tarts

For the pastry

2 cups plain flour 1 egg salt 115g sugar 115g butter 1 tsp baking powder

1 Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and dry ingredients to form a stiff dough.

For the filling 4½ cups milk 2½ tbsp maizena (corn starch) 2½ tbsp flour butter, the size of an egg 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence

2 Press into pans or tin foil holders with fingers and bake at 200C for 15 minutes For the filling 1 Put milk in a small saucepan to boil 2 In a bowl, beat eggs and add sugar, flour, corn starch and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour the boiling milk onto the mixture before returning the mixture to the boil.

3 Stir until the mixture thickens to a custard like consistency. Add butter and vanilla to the custard mixture. Pour over the pastry and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar while still hot.

Leave to cool and then serve.

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korea

Muneo-jorim Serves 2 115g cooked octopus tentacles, sliced 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 garlic clove, minced Âź cup water 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp hot pepper flakes 1 tbsp rice syrup or sugar

1 Heat up a pan over a medium heat with the oil and once hot add the minced garlic. After roughly 30 seconds add the water, soy sauce and pepper flakes and stir well.

2 Add sugar to the sauce and stir until the mixture becomes shiny and sticky.

3 Add the octopus and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on a low heat until the octopus is completely coated and the seasoning liquid has almost evaporated.

4 To serve, sprinkle with sesame and eat with rice or as a side dish.

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korea

Hobakjeon Serves 2 1 medium courgette, sliced thinly ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp plain flour or corn flour 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt 2 or 3 tbsp oil

1 Sprinkle the courgette slices with ½ teaspoon salt and mix well. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

2 Drain any moisture and coat each slice with corn flour or plain flour.

3 Dip the slices in the beaten egg and put on a hot pan.

4 Gently pan fry the slices, but be careful not to burn them or brown them too much. Flip them often and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

5 When both sides of the pancake turn light golden brown, transfer it to a plate. Serve as a side dish.

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bangladesh

kuska rice Serves 4 2 cups rice 3½ cups water or vegetable stock 2 tbsp oil 1 bay leaf 1 star anise 1 strand mace ½ tsp shahi jeera 4-6 cardamom seeds 4-6 cloves 1 cinnamon stick ¾ cup onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste ½ cup chopped tomato ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tsp biryani masala (optional) ¼ cup fresh yogurt salt, to taste handful of mint and coriander

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1 Wash and soak rice for at least 20 minutes.

Drain the water completely and set aside.

2 Heat a pressure cooker or heavy bottom pan and fry all the spices until fragrant. Add the onions and fry until golden. Add the ginger and garlic paste, tomatoes, yogurt, mint, coriander, salt and turmeric and fry until the tomatoes are soft.

3 Pour water or stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Add the rice and reduce the temperature and leave to simmer until little water is left. Cover the pan and cook on low until rice is done and then serve.

Pakistan

Spinach & potato curry Seves 4 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp turmeric ž tsp chilli powder 3 tsp garam masala 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 tin new potatoes spinach, fresh or frozen, to taste

1 Fry the chopped onion on a medium heat in a small amount of oil until lightly golden. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, chilli, garam masala and salt to taste and fry until fragrant.

2 Add the tin of tomatoes and the tin of new potatoes and bring to the boil with a lid on the pan. If the new potatoes are already cooked, reduce the heat once boiled and add spinach immediately. If new potatoes are not cooked, simmer for roughly 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, then add the spinach.

3 Serve with plain yoghurt and roti, naan or pitta bread.

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Iran

joojeh kabob Serves 4-6 4-6 chicken breasts 1 pot Greek yoghurt 1 tsp saffron, dissolved 1 onion, finely chopped 3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 tsp chicken stock 2 lemons, juiced 1 tsp curry powder 1 tbsp olive oil

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1 Cut the chicken breast into chunky pieces.

Make the marinade by combining the Greek yoghurt, saffron, onion, garlic, stock, curry powder, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Marinate the chicken breast for as long as possible, preferably 24 hours or overnight.

2 Cook the chicken breast on the grill using skewers (metal or soaked wooden ones).

Serve with basmati rice or salad.

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Cyprus

pourgouri Serves 4 1 can of chopped tomatoes 1 vegetable stock cube 1 white onion, finely diced 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 30g vermicelli, broken into small pieces 200g bulgar wheat

1 Heat some oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the vermicelli and bulgar wheat and coat them with the onion mix.

2 Pour in the tin of tomatoes with the stock cube. Fill the empty tin with water and add that to the mixture. Bring to the boil and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

3 Turn off the heat and place a tea towel over the pan. Leave to steam for approximately 30 minutes and then serve.

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greece

galaktoboureko Serves 10-12 1 packet of filo pastry 6 egg yolks 6 cups milk 1 cup sugar 1 cup of semolina For the syrup 2 cups sugar 1 cup water ½ lemon, juiced

1 Put egg yolks, semolina, sugar and milk into a pot over a medium heat and stir until it thickens (this takes a while). Once a thick custard consistency, add a knob of butter and stir through.

2 Open up a packet of filo pastry and use melted butter to layer the sheets together in a large pyrex dish. Use half the packet as the base and the remaining sheets on top of the custard to finish the cake.

3 Bake at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes or until the filo is golden brown.

4 To make the syrup, bring all the ingredients to the boil and pour over the pie after taking out of the oven.

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transylvania

gulyás Serves 4 600 g beef shin or shoulder, or any tender part of the beef cut into 2x2 cm cubes 2 tbsp oil 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1-2 carrots, diced 1 parsnip, diced 1-2 celery stalks 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 green peppers 2-3 medium potatoes, sliced 1 tbsp paprika 1 tsp ground caraway seed 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups water

1 Heat up the oil in a pot and cook the onions until they get a nice golden brown colour.

2 Add the beef cubes and sauté them until they brown. Add the paprika, garlic, caraway seeds, salt, pepper and the bay leaf and cook until fragrant.

3 Pour enough water to cover the contents of the pan and let it simmer on low heat. It takes approximately 1½ hours to cook the meat but it depends the type and the quality of the beef.

When it is cooked add the diced carrots,parsnips, potatoes and the celery.

4 Add another 2-3 cups of water. When the vegetables are almost done add the fresh tomatoes or paste with the sliced green peppers.

Cook for a few more minutes on a low heat.

5 Tasting the meat and the vegetables is the best way to find out when it is ready.

Jó étvágyat! (Enjoy your meal in Hungarian)

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slovakia

TvarohovÊ gul’ky s jahodami

Serves 4 500g of cheese curd (e.g. Quark) 1 egg 250g plain flour 1 tbsp oil punnet of strawberries breadcrumbs butter icing sugar

1 Mix the cheese curd and egg with a little icing sugar until thoroughly combined. Add flour and oil to form a slightly tacky dough.

2 Sprinkle flour onto the dough and roll into a cylindrical shape. Cut into approximately 1cm wide pieces.

3 Knead the dough into flat pancakes and place the strawberry in the middle. Depending on the size of your strawberries you may need to cut them in half. Fold the dough around the strawberry, sealing the strawberry in the middle.

4 Roll the balls in flour and then put into boiling water and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

5 For the topping, fry the breadcrumbs and mix with butter and then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the balls along with powdered sugar.

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poland

faworki

Serves 6 2-3 egg yolks 2 tbsp soft butter 2 tbsp icing sugar 1 tbsp distilled malt vinegar 2 cups flour ½ cup sour cream 2 tbsp rum oil for frying

1 Mix butter, egg yolks, sugar and vinegar together. While mixing gradually add the flour.

Once combined, stir in the sour cream and rum and knead the dough for approximately 15 minutes total.

2 Put the dough in a bowl, cover and let stand in a cool place for an hour.

3 Roll the dough out on a board until it is very thin. Cut into 2” x 7” strips. Cut a slit vertically through the length of the strip and pull one end of the dough through.

4 In a deep frying pan heat the oil. To test the readiness of the oil, place a small piece of dough in - if the temperature is right the dough immediately rises to the surface. Put 4-5 strips in at a time and deep fry on both sides. Take out and blot excess oil and sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

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Germany

streuselkuchen mit kirschen

Serves approximately 8 270g unsalted butter 240g caster sugar 6 eggs ž tsp vanilla essence 160g self raising flour 150g plain flour 1 can black cherries 2 tbsp icing sugar For the crumble 50g butter 50g caster sugar 100g plain flour

1 To make the crumble, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and then stir in the sugar. Set aside for later.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter and line a baking tray or pie dish measuring approximately 28cm x 20cm.

3 Cream the butter and sugar together until pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating together well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Sift both flours together, then beat the flour into the batter until well mixed.

4 Spoon the mixture into the baking tray and place the cherries on top of the batter in rows and slightly push the cherries into the batter.

Sprinkle the crumble on the cake leaving some areas uncovered. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

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contributors

Iran

Colombia

Next year I will be studying Illustration at Brighton University. My family on my mum’s side is from Iran and moved to the UK to escape the revolution in 1978. My favourite food as a child was Ash Reshteh an Iranian soup dish that my grandma made.

My fondest memories of food is celebrating Norooz with my grandparents and my great uncle at their flat in Highgate and awkwardly having my cheeks pinched and listening to them talk about me together in Farsi (which I don’t understand).

I am studying Chemistry at York. I was born in Bogota, Colombia, but I moved to London when I was nearly 6. My entire family is Colombian and my little sister was the first person in my family to be born anywhere other than Colombia. I remember breakfasts at my grandmother’s house; everyone sitting around the table, eating arepas (which are like corn pancakes) with salt and butter, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and drinking fresh passion fruit juice.

Cyprus My favourite food has been and always will be chocolate in pretty much any form. I remember the first time I ever got the coin in our traditional New Years cake Vasilopita. If the coin is in your slice you have to keep it to have a year of good luck. I still have that coin in a little jar in my room! I’m studying Environmental Science at University of Exeter. Honestly I’m a little bit obsessed with London. I think my favourite thing is that it’s a city but it’s not lacking in nature!

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Germany I am going to study Chemistry at Manchester. I’ve always loved chocolate, especially German chocolate.

My memory surrounding food is actually a friend tradition I have had for the last 7 years and continue to do, which is catching up over dinner (usually Nandos) before going to the cinema.

Nigeria I am currently studying Medicine at Imperial. I was born in London and have lived here my whole life.

I didn’t have a favourite food when I was younger, I loved trying new foods and think I honestly loved all food as a child. My favourite thing about London is the diversity of people who live here and places to go.

You can never be bored in London.

contributors

Canada I was born in Tokyo and lived there for three years before moving to San Francisco. We then moved to London when I was 9 - having lived on three different continents before the age of 9, I consider myself multicultural.

I’m heading to York to study natural sciences, physics, chemistry and maths. Rice has become one of my favourite things to eat, especially since I got back from my trip to Tokyo. It takes me back to a part of my heritage that is very important to me, as it is a part of my heritage which isn’t visible (my parents are Canadian, and half British half Norwegian)

Korea I am currently on a gap year and hope to study medicine in the future. My parents are both Korean although my dad was actually brought up in England. My parents always made an effort for us to experience Korean culture, through the language, food and even through TV. I can remember the difficulty that I had when eating Kimchi. Although I am very fond of spicy food now, as a child I absolutely hated anything and everything that was spicy. My grandma used to prepare a little cup of water for me at meal times , in which I rinsed small pieces of Kimchi to get rid of the spicy taste.

Pakistan I am currently studying Medicine at UCL. My dad was born in Singapore, but his family was from Pakistan (although they left when it was still India).

My Mums ancestry is Polish and Lithuanian (although they left when it was all Russia). All this combined, means I find it hard to associate myself with any particular culture. I always loved my grandma’s Jewish chicken soup, especially when I was ill, and I just remember finding out that it took 2 days to make and being horrified.

Bangladesh I am currently doing an Art Foundation at UCA Epsom but next year I am going to study Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins. As a child my favourite foods were Italian; pizza and pasta. My favourite things about living in London are hands down the travel and diversity of people.

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contributors

POland I study Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Oxford. I was born in New York City to an Armenian Irish father and a Polish mother, so I would say that my cultural background is quite a mix but I really appreciate that. When I was younger, it was always a special surprise when my mom made Armenian cheese pies. She learnt the recipe from my dad’s mom, who learnt it from her mother in law and even though it got passed down so far I’d say it turned out pretty great.

In Poland, Christmas Eve is for fish whereas Christmas Day is for meat. Christmas Eve is actually more celebrated and that’s when you receive presents.

There’s one bizarre tradition that caught me off guard the first time I was old enough to sit with the ‘grown ups’. After the festive dinner, you lift your plate and find… fish scales? As if that weren’t enough you’re supposed to keep them in your wallet as good luck for the year. Needless to say I haven’t exactly kept up with this tradition, and maybe that explains my luck.

South Africa Next year I am going to study Art Foundation at City and Guilds. I was born and raised in London but my mum grew up in Johannesburg. I’ll always remember eating Boerewors with my South African family straight off the BBQ in their amazing garden. I love living in London as there always is so much to do. I love that there’s a little bit of everything and I don’t have to fly halfway around the world to try new foods and to meet new people.

Puerto Rico

Slovakia Next year I am going to study History at Edinburgh University. When I was younger I liked eating Marmite straight from the jar although I’m not sure it really counts as food.

My favourite thing about London is definitely the shops and the fashion.

I also love that there are great connections to practically everywhere in the world, both in the sense of being able to get on a plane and in that there are so many cultures all in one place.

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I am studying History and Modern Foreign Languages/Spanish at the University of Exeter. I remember going to Puerto Rico for summer holidays, sometimes the whole family would get together and we’d sit out on a terrace with a massive table laden with food.

We’d have seafood paella, tostones and rice with beans. My favourite thing about living in London is the really varied culture, all the different types of foods and shops. I love how each area in London is entirely different.

contributors

Transylvania At the moment I am studying Medical Engineering at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. I was born in Kolozsvár, the unofficial capital of Transylvania. I’ve grown up in this place as a Hungarian, being part of a minority. This means, besides my mother language which is Hungarian, I had to learn Romanian as well. As a child I always waited for the holidays when my mom used to bake amazing cakes and sweets. I grew up in a family that loves Hungarian cuisine, where the recipes were handed down from one generation to another.

For me living in London was a huge opportunity to use my skills in a foreign environment and to experience independent life.

But the most important thing for me was to discover new cultures, to get to know new people with different perspectives and to feel London’s vibe not just as a tourist but as a local.

Greece I was born in Melbourne and lived there until I was 8. I then moved to Adelaide.

When I was 12 we moved to London and I lived there for a few years and then moved back to Australia when I was 15. Now I’m living in Sydney and studying a Bachelor of Entertainment Business Management at JMC Academy in Sydney.

My favourite food as a child was kritharaki (a pasta dish), the best was the one my Great Aunty would cook.

I remember dying the eggs for Greek Easter every year as a child. Recently, my Great Aunty taught me how to do it so I can teach my own kids how to do it in the future.

My favourite thing about living in London was how close I was to everything, it was so easy to go places around London and Europe. And the shopping, especially Camden Town.

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index by recipe CHICKEN FRIED RICE ARROZ CON POLLO TORTA DE TRES LECHES TOSTONES JOLLOF RICE BOBOTIE AND YELLOW RICE MILK TART MUNEO-JORMIM HOBAKJEON KUSKA RICE SPINACH AND POTATO CURRY JOOJEH KABOB POURGOURI GALAKTOBOUREKO GULYÁS TVAROHOVÉ GUL’KY S JAHODAMI FAWORKI STREUSELKUCHEN MIT KIRSCHEN

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06 08 10 12 24 26 28 30 32 42 44 46 58 60 62 70 72 74

photography locations DALSTON AND BRIXTON CHINA TOWN WHITECHAPEL GREEN LANES BRICK LANE

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