The recipes that carry home: How women from migrant communities in the UK preserve culture through food

Food has a way of carrying home across borders. For many refugees and migrants, the dishes they grew up with are more than meals; they are memories of family, celebrations and everyday rituals that keep them connected to where they come from.

Recipes are often passed down through generations, not through measurements written in cookbooks, but through shared moments in the kitchen. They preserve culture, tell stories and create a sense of belonging, even thousands of miles from home.

To explore what cultural food means to migrant communities, I joined a cooking class led by a Pakistani chef. It was an afternoon filled with laughter, stories and generous plates of food, but it also revealed how cooking can preserve identity, build community and help people create a sense of home in a new country.

The class was run by Migrateful, a social enterprise that trains migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to teach their traditional cuisines to the public.

For many of its chefs, the kitchen offers more than an opportunity to share recipes. Despite having professional skills and experience, many face barriers to employment due to language, immigration status, or difficulties in getting overseas qualifications recognised.

Teaching a cooking class allows them to earn an income, build confidence and celebrate the cultures they have brought with them.

For those taking part, the classes offer far more than a lesson in cooking. There is a chance to hear personal stories, learn about traditions from around the world, and connect with people they might never otherwise meet.

By the end of the session, a room full of strangers had become a table of people sharing not only a meal, but an experience.

Inside a cultural cooking class

The class first began with getting to know the other people we would be working with.

Most people came in pairs; some were experienced cooks, and others, like me, were beginners.

We then got to know our chef for the day, Chef KTK. She is from Pakistan and has been in the UK since 2019. She joined Migrateful to share her culture and culinary traditions with others.

"I believe food is a powerful way to bring people together, and Migrateful creates a space where people can learn from one another, celebrate diversity, and build connections through cooking," she tells The New Arab.

There were several cooking stations to choose from; some were easier than others, but all were instrumental in creating a perfect desi lunch.

I chose to make the pilau rice, fragrant with spices, raisins and chickpeas. Thought to have originated in ancient Persia, pilau has travelled across Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia over thousands of years, evolving with each culture it encountered.

Whether made with meat and dried fruit in the Middle East or basmati rice and warming spices like cumin, turmeric and cloves in South Asia, each version reflects local traditions while sharing the same roots.

"Pakistani food represents family gatherings, celebrations and cherished moments from my childhood," Chef KTK continues.

"Every dish tells a story and carries traditions that have been passed down through generations. Through food, I can share a piece of Pakistan with others and create connections across different cultures."

For Chef KTK, cooking is an "important life skill" that she began developing with her mother and grandmother from a young age.

Now, cooking is her passion and a way to stay connected to her Pakistani roots, even from 3,000 miles away.

Keeping hold of tradition

For migrants and refugees, food plays a huge role in helping them connect with communities and fostering a sense of belonging and creativity.

Plateful Cafe is a refugee-led charity which helps refugees build the skills needed to enter the UK workforce.

Maysoon Mohamed, from Sudan's Nubian community, is one of the charity's chefs.

"My father was an agricultural engineer, so because of his work we moved to different cities across Sudan every four or five years," Maysoon tells The New Arab. "That gave us the chance to experience different cultures, traditions, and foods."

Maysoon started her own business, Nubian Delights, to preserve her family's culinary traditions and introduce them to people in the UK.

She bakes a range of traditional Sudanese treats, including kahak (sugar-coated cookies), petit fours (butter cookies), basbousa (semolina cake), kunafa (a cheese-and-syrup dessert), and bastah (baklava).

Many of Maysoon's happiest memories involve food. "In Sudan, meals are about much more than eating. Every day, around four or five in the afternoon, the whole family sits together for our main meal," she continues.

"We talk about our day, discuss our plans, and enjoy being together. Later, we have milk tea with traditional Sudanese treats like Lugaimat [sweet dumplings]. Relatives and neighbours often join us, making it a time for conversation, laughter, and strengthening family bonds."

She moved to the UK with her husband to provide their children with a better education.

Whilst it was difficult to leave everything they knew behind, Maysoon works hard to ensure her children stay connected to their Sudanese roots by cooking traditional dishes for them.

She is extremely grateful for the opportunities the UK has given her family, and by joining Plateful Cafe, she's been able to expand her skills through cake-decorating and hospitality training sessions.

"They don't focus on the barriers people face — they recognise the skills and experiences we already have."

Zainab Patel is a freelance journalist based in London