Click on the button you accept the terms of our privacy policy
About us
Our family of six fled unstable Afghanistan in August 2021 - me, Najila, my husband Salim and our four children.
We had to give up most of our traditions. Recipes that had been passed down in our family from generation to generation were some of the few family heirlooms that we were able to bring with us.
I love cooking a variety of ethnic dishes using old family recipes and want to share the cuisine of my home region of Parwan in northern Afghanistan and earn money for my family through a new catering business. My husband Salim and I recently completed Safe Serve training and testing and recently received our license. We named the restaurant business after our eldest daughter Sunbul.
Come and discover Menu Afghanistan - a colorful palette of traditional Afghan dishes prepared with love, joy and generosity.
We had to give up most of our traditions. Recipes that had been passed down in our family from generation to generation were some of the few family heirlooms that we were able to bring with us.
I love cooking a variety of ethnic dishes using old family recipes and want to share the cuisine of my home region of Parwan in northern Afghanistan and earn money for my family through a new catering business. My husband Salim and I recently completed Safe Serve training and testing and recently received our license. We named the restaurant business after our eldest daughter Sunbul.
Come and discover Menu Afghanistan - a colorful palette of traditional Afghan dishes prepared with love, joy and generosity.
Our family
About the cuisine of Afghanistan
The national cuisine of Afghanistan is considered one of the most ancient in the world.
Influenced by Persian, Indian, Middle Eastern and Central Asian traditions, food from Afghanistan offers a delicious combination of flavors. A lot of spices are used, but the cuisine is not spicy. Instead, spices make dishes deliciously flavorful.
The people of Afghanistan believe that food is a very important element of nature and that depending on the ingredients, it can produce heat, cold or neutral temperature in the human body.
Afghans have great respect for food, and there are some important foods that have special meaning in certain situations, such as stepping on a piece of bread is considered a sin.
Afghan cuisine is real a hidden gem. It isn`t as well known as many other cuisines, but it's delicious and really family-friendly. Having been on the ancient Silk Road, where spices and many other commodities were traded, the cuisine here is largely influenced by neighboring countries, but is also unique. A lot of spices are used, but the cuisine is not spicy. Instead the spices make the dishes deliciously aromatic
People in Afghanistan believe that food is a very important element in nature and that depending on the ingredients it can produce warmth, coldness or neutral temperatures in the human body. Afghan people have a great respect for food and there are some essential foods that have special meanings I certain situations, for example, stepping on a piece of bread is considered a sin.
Eating Culture and Traditions in Afghanistan
Women and men usually eat separately but I guess it depends how strictly religious the family are. Families will eat together if only in company of close family members.
Cutlery is not usually used – you use your hands to scoop up the food (or a naan) and you would only use your right hand.
Dinners are usually eaten on a dastarkhan, a tablecloth laid on the floor – you must never step on or over it.
The guest is treated like royalty in an Afghan household and you probably won’t be eating on the floor (unless you’re family or from the country!) Afghans like to impress. Here are a few interesting traditions surrounding eating in the nation
The best dishes are always placed near where the guest is sitting.
A guest will always be offered the place of honour at the head of the table.
Afghan food is more than just food or a gesture of kindness and love to family and friends. It holds the key to the history and cultural history of Afghanistan.
Our lunches
March 2023
Lunch organized for Persian class at Davidson College during the spring 2023. Students observed Najila cooking and then shared a delicious meal with Najila, Salim, and their children. It was an incredible immersive cultural experience!
