Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond: A Cookbook

A joyous celebration of Ethiopian Jewish cuisine: more than one hundred accessible and healthy recipes, stories, and traditions from the intersection of the African and Jewish diasporas.

In Gursha, which loosely translates to “the act of feeding one another,” the acclaimed chef and restaurateur Beejhy Barhany shares the food of the Beta Israel, Ethiopian Jews. She explores the rich culinary history of her native Ethiopia while showcasing the resilience and generosity of her Beta Israel family.

Born in Ethiopia, Barhany fled to Sudan with her family when she was just four, en route to Israel. Eventually, she made her way to Harlem, where she became the chef and owner of the celebrated Tsion Café. In Gursha, she tells her story through food, bringing together more than one hundred dishes from her restaurant, her family, and her travels. Her recipes span the traditional (doro wot; shakshuka; legamat, or Sudanese doughnuts) to her own unique creations that reflect her journey (Berbere Fried Fish; Injera Fish Tacos; Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake).In addition, in these pages readers will meet the author’s friends and family members and learn about ancient Ethiopian Jewish rituals, holidays, and important milestones.

While smaller in number and not as widely known as many other groups of Jews, the Beta Israel boast one of the world’s great culinary cultures. Gursha is the first major cookbook to share it with home cooks everywhere.