761: Beejhy Barhany Cooked for Everyone. Not Everyone Let Her.

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18:32Sell them easily on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. Who knew your questionable music taste would be a money-making machine? Your style can make you cash. Start selling on Depop, where taste recognizes taste. BJ Barhani, welcome to This Is Taste. It's so nice to meet you. Thank you for having me. This is a long time coming. I always wanted to go to Siong Cafe up in Harlem. It's not open anymore. We'll get into that. You're still cooking, though, and we'll get into that. Before we talk about Gersha and your journey to America through Ethiopia and Israel, I just have to ask you, you know, when you're not working, where have you been dining out recently in New York?

19:16Oh, well, to be honest, I've been busy with this pivot. Majority of the time I spend at Sion Cafe prepping for this cultural immersion events, Shabbat dinners, and having a lot of dialogue and discussion with people that really want to change the whole narrative and atmosphere that's going on around the world towards the Jewish people. And if there is some time, you know, I just go to local establishment to support, especially a lot of West Africans, mom and pops restaurants. That's what I do. But I rarely really go out as much. I wish I had time to do so. Yeah, you're doing a lot of events in this space, which is a cool space.

20:03I saw some photos and video of it. I hope to get up there. Well, the book opens with your incredible life, Ethiopia, Sudan, Israel, and then Harlem. And I kind of want to take a page from our co-host, Eliza. She asks this question often at the top of her episodes. Do you have a first food memory that you actually trust? You know, not the one you've told everyone, but something that you feel you really trust. Yes. the first memory me being a four years old running through the cornfield at my grandma's garden I always have this you know trust towards corn roasted corn that is half charred with and in a little bit of salt that is the food that will transform me to this beautiful landscape of Ethiopia.

20:57So when I was pregnant for my daughter, every street fair in Harlem, I smelled a corn and I'm like, yeah, I have to get that. So that's the trusted food from early childhood. That's an amazing memory. And it came all rushing back when you were, and I know those street festivals, if you're a New Yorker, you've been here 25 years. Yes. They pop up everywhere. That's right. I love that. Well, let's talk about, you know, this way you kind of, you left Ethiopia and you write about beautifully in the book in a rush through Sudan and you end up being smuggled into Israel. I'd like to hear about your first years in Israel and what it's like for you to be part of this mass kind of immigration to Israel from Ethiopia.

21:45Sure. Arriving in Israel after thousands of years of stories of returning to the promised land, it was a joyous moment to finally be unified, united with our brothers and sisters from the Jewish diaspora and eventually practice a Hebraic tradition together. But yet, there were some challenges as well. Integrating to a new society, learning new language, even not finding the ingredients that you are accustomed to. For example, a lot of Ethiopians, especially my family, my mom and my aunties, couldn't make injera. As you may know, in order to make injera, oftentimes you need teff. And taff is the super grain from Ethiopia, packed with nutrient, gluten-free.

22:45There's no taff in Israel. So they had to be very resourceful. So guess what they did? They made injera from corn and wheat flour. It took over 20 years, eventually, until people started importing taff to Israel. But overall, beside the challenges of ingredients, there was the challenges of integrating to a white Jewish society as a black people, as black Jewish people. You know, we always were understanding that if you don't know of anybody, you never encounter with anybody, they probably don't exist. Right. But we never thought they were white Jews, vice versa. Vice versa. White Jews never met brown or black Jews.

23:33So it was a whole process of who are you and all of that stuff, getting to know one another. That was a bit of a challenge. Another challenge or issue I would say is the question of our Jewishness, right? That we had to go to the rabbinical institution of questioning if they are really 100 % Jewish or not. Should I immerse in the mikveh or not? And that is in contradiction to, as I indicated earlier, I come from a Hebraic Jewish community that practiced the Torah for over three decades. What I mean by that is, for example, Shabbat. Shabbat we kept very strictly. What it means is you cease from any labor, you observe, you give thanks, you rejoice with your family, and that's what you do.

24:28But yet, when we finally arrive in Israel, it's a very liberal country. People are driving their car, blasting music. And that was like, okay, so what's going on here? We're not fully Jewish. And they're doing that, and they consider themselves Jewish. So those kind of, you know, contradiction that put a lot of question mark or the Ethiopian Jews felt betrayal somewhat. But, and a lot of tradition that throughout the years, you know, Judaism evolved, right? Whatever we practice, the Hebrew people practice at the time of Moses or Abraham is not the same way that's happening right now. There is a whole evolution or even medieval time.

25:16We need to be in the understanding that we change, we transform. And apparently when we arrive in Israel, we hold on tight to those ancient tradition. But Israel now is a secular country. And, you know, so that kind of create, oh, boy, where do we stand here? But at the end of the day, my parents, my family were very happy to finally fulfilling this prophecy of being in Israel among their brothers and sisters and interacting with the different ethnic groups. And eventually we can talk about food and all that. Yeah. I mean, so your immigration to Israel was part of the beta Israel community. And today the numbers are 160 ,000, 70 ,000 living in Israel.

26:06folks who look just like you. And I think for some listeners who have never been to Israel and don't understand the dynamics there, they assume there are no people like you living there. And so that's a complicated dynamic, especially when there's 170 ,000 Beta Israels. So tell me about this community. I mean, you know, yeah, it's not a big number. But for those people who have the idea or the notion that Judaism is only white, it's not the case. So the tribe of Israel are from different mothers, different complexion, different shades. There are Jews from Ethiopia. There are Jews from Yemen. There are Jews from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, you name it, Poland, Kurdistan, Iran.

26:52That's the Jewish diaspora. We come from all over the world, and that's who we are. So whomever think or would notion or understanding that Jews are only white, they need to do a little bit of studying of the history of the Jewish diversity. And I, as an Ethiopian Jewish woman that grew up in Israel, very proud of my upbringing. And I amplify those stories because we people need to know, you know, don't be stuck to the notion that whatever, you know, this is it. There is a lot more to it in the world. Yeah, you walk around. I was just in Tel Aviv, and you walk around, and there's all sorts of people there.

27:36Yes. It shocks me when people don't think that's the case. You know what we need to do? We need to take them for a tour for a couple of weeks to see the demographic and the ethnic groups within Israel. And then they will understand what is Judaism, what are the Hebrew people. Talk about your time in Israel and growing up and what the food was like. You know, you talked about not having teft and injera was not necessarily made to the way you grew up, you know, in Ethiopia. But there must have been some other dishes that you could make that were traditional. And how did that, you know, how did that blend with, you know, Mizrahi culinary traditions, Ashkenazi culinary traditions, you know, that you find throughout Israel?

28:20Yeah, I mean, Israel is a mini melting pot of people from all over the diaspora. When I first immigrated to Israel, seven years old, I felt like I came to heaven because the different type of food. I was introduced to falafel, to schnitzel, to sufganiyot, uznei aman, you name it. But yeah, I mean, in the beginning as a kid, we really, I as a kid, did not want to interact with my Ethiopian food because I didn't want to take it to school because it was a bit spicy. It was a bit too much. I didn't want to be the different child in school. You know, you try to, you know, integrate to like everybody else.

29:04So I wasn't proud of my food. I wanted to eat everything else but Ethiopian food. You're doing schnitzel? Yeah, schnitzel, that was the ideal. I mean, it's good. Yes. Just when you're seven years old. Yes. And of course, the shokola, the shakhar, you know what it is? It's like the Nutella of Israel with a nice fresh challah or bread. That's wonderful. Every morning before going to school, we will have this shoko. It's a chocolate milk in a yotvetah with a plastic. And that will be, you know, that typical breakfast for eight, nine years old. That was life growing up in Israel. But eventually, my parents and my grandma tried to keep the Ethiopian tradition.

29:52For example, so every Friday, they will bake dabo. Dabo is our traditional celebratory bread, like equivalency of challah, but yet sometimes is infused with fenugreek, cardamom, coriander with a little bit of sugar. It's delicious. and that's every Friday. And then, of course, Shabbat, you will make this delicious FitFit with sour cream and salad and all of that stuff. So, yeah, during the week, we might eat this Israeli Sabra food, but Shabbat, you will have maybe Dorawat and stuff like that. So there was these two separate words, but yet that's we have to hold on tight to our identity. Do you still celebrate Shabbat yourself?

30:36Of course, with my family. Before we opened Sion Cafe, my kids and I, we would make dabo and challah on Friday and do the kiddush and all of that stuff. Unfortunately, when we opened Sion Cafe, I was more devoted to the business. Saturday service is moneymaker. Yes, than anything else. So that kind of changed a bit. But we try to have a meal together at least once a week in order to reconnect. I think it's very important and necessary for the family as a core. Let's talk about moving to New York in 2000. Was Harlem always where you wanted to live? Yeah, you know, watching movies about Harlem. Yeah, some people look at it, you know, as maybe dangerous.

31:25It's funny enough. But I, and they told me, do not go to Harlem. Oh, really? Yeah, and I said— Were you watching Eddie Murphy movies? Oh, whatever it is. Anything to do with black, brown person, we did watch it in Israel. You know, there was no much, right? So coming to New York, they say, oh, BJ, you should watch out. Don't go to Harlem. It's dangerous. And I said to myself, really? I serve in the Army. I'm a brown person. What else can really happen to me in Harlem? So I came to 125th, and I really loved the vibrant in terms of the businesses, the different vendors. And I felt at home because I never really been in that kind of environment.

32:07And Israel is always minorities, Ethiopian Jewish community. And to see self-sufficiency in terms of businesses, restaurants, and I felt, you know what, I think this is where I want to be. And that's what happened. And gradually, I started having Shabbat dinners in my apartment. And different people from Israel would reach out to my mom and they'd tell her, we know your daughter is in Harlem in New York, and my daughter is planning on going, so can she stay crushed by her for three, four days? So gradually, I became the absorption center for Ethiopian Jews in New York. And that kind of led me to open the Better Israel of North America Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit to educate about Jewish diversity through panel discussion, cultural showcases, and a lot of Shabbat dinners.

33:04And we've been doing that for almost 18 years. That's incredible. Yeah, so my background is really producing events, film festivals, Shabbat dinners and all of that stuff or storytelling. So when you moved here in 2000, how were you working? I mean, were you in the culinary world? I mean, you're a chef, so you clearly got some skills somewhere. Well, majority of my culinary study and, you know, the immersion was from my grandma, my mom and my aunties. That was the best culinary school ever. That's where I learned to cook. And I really didn't work in any of the restaurants in New York. But I did it in my home and hosted dinners.

33:54And that kind of led to opening Sion Cafe. People wanted to know, so what is Ethiopian Jewish food? How different it is from the regular Ethiopian? And as time goes by, I kind of, you know, really excel in making the delicious flavors. My cooking is a bit different than the traditional Ethiopian cook because I have the flavors of Israel, you know, and stuff like that and techniques that I grew up watching. So when you come, you know, if you came to Tzion Cafe, you wouldn't find a traditional Ethiopian staples, for example. You will see items going from shakshuka to malawakh to ful, maybe Ethiopian veggie kambo.

34:43And I cook very light. I'm not heavy on the berbera and spices. So, you know, that's my style of cooking. So how is it going? I mean, the cafe, by all accounts, was really doing well. I mean, you write the cookbook around the cafe. Talk about it before you close. What was it like? The overall atmosphere at Zion Cafe for 11 years plus, we really harmonized the flavors of the Jewish diaspora. And we welcomed all type of people from all walks of life. And it was known as a cultural hub where we didn't only serve food. We showcase artists, local artists in terms of our gallery, live music, even completing quite a few books that was completed in-house by different authors.

35:41So it was a place where people could nourish their body and soul in all means. You are nourished with delicious food, but you definitely learn about the Jewish history, culture, and what have you. So that was the own cafe. We did a lot of Shabbat dinners, even to the point of screening films, because I did that before. Yeah. So that was great. Until COVID hit, you know, we all suffered. But we— You stayed open. We stayed open. We partnered with the mayor back then, was it de Blasio. we did a lot of meals for essential workers, and that kept us open, sustainable to our employees. We were able to pay above minimum wage.

36:27It was— And those workers were lucky. Yes. They were getting some great food. Yes. Yes. We did that. And afterwards, what happened? What? So 2023, there was a little bit of pivot. Even before, we've always been harassed in a way of why we are serving shakshuka and ful and malawakh in a Jewish establishment. It has nothing to do with us. And I always say, if you ever had the opportunity to come and interact with me and learn who I am, I am that person who grew up in Israel eating those delicious flavors, And I wanted to bring it to Harlem and introduce my story and the different food that I grew up eating.

37:13And so October 7th happens, 2023. And, you know, you encounter anti-Semitism. You encounter resistance. And you're eventually forced to close. And it's heartbreaking to hear because you told me about the community you were building there and nourishing your neighbors. And still with all of that, you encountered a lot of pushback. I just want to describe what happened. Yeah. Yeah, so going back to even August of 2023, that's when we found a graffiti of swastika on the door, on the awnings and stuff like that. But even before that, the harassment of us being Jewish and Israeli was there. They took reviews that was there over six, seven years ago.

38:15Still on Google, but it went down currently. And phone calls such as, we're going to erase all dirty Jews out of the map. Or sometimes even I wonder, they say, you a black Jew, you're not even Jewish. So I wasn't sure, is it racism? Is it anti-Semitism? Maybe all of the above. All of the above. So sorry that this is happening. And to the point where employees were really scared to pick up the phone, you know. So that's pre-October 7th. And then October 7th hit, and I was devastated as an Ethiopian-Israeli woman that grew up in the south, Otef Aza. Kibbutz Al-Omim, that's my home. Be 'eri, Nachaloz, Kibusa, this is the area that I know, right?

39:12I was devastated. And I said to myself, what can I do really to amplify my Jewish heritage, my Israeliness? And I said, you know what? Maybe we should become kosher. And we kind of, we change, we become vegan and kosher. The restaurant. The restaurant. The restaurant becomes kosher as a response. You wanted connection with your heritage and your... That's right. It does October 8 effect or whatever you call it, right? I felt really devastated. And that's the only thing I could do, right? And then, yeah, it was a wonderful celebration. People came and all of that stuff. And life kept going, you know.

39:55But yet, apparently, it triggered even more to a lot of people. the fact that we became kosher and they keep really harassing us by phone and calling names and all of that stuff. Even to the point where we brought it to the police departments, to the precinct in our area, and they said, you need a subpoena in order to get access to the personal information or the person who is harassing you. So I need to get a subpoena from the court to get the personal information. So where is the protection for me here? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I just... Putting the emphasis on you. Yeah, and I... Protecting yourself, not the opposite way.

40:36Correct. And you kind of give up. I said, oh, I mean, you know, I have to deal with this. And it kept going and going until, you know, the whole aspect of ICE that was going, terrorizing people. And it was really intimidating to be physically in the space. It felt unsafe. life. Emotionally, it was emotionally and mentally, it was devastating. Every time you answer the phone, you don't know who's on the other side. And we kind of said, you know what, I think at the end of the year of 2025, we basically have to pivot and find a different way. And literally, that's what happened. You know, we are not completely closed.

41:19We still want to interact with people and find food as a way of healing, intentionally connecting with people, eventually having a dialogue, maybe even breaking barriers by breaking bread together. You know, BJ, you have resolve and you are stronger than ever in many ways by, you know, having the Gersha experience at Scion Cafe. So for those listening in New York or visiting New York, how can we interact with you in your space, in this beautiful space? And what kind of events are you hosting? Yeah, you know, the term gursha itself, it's a wonderful tradition within Ethiopian culture of nourishment, feeding somebody.

42:17You literally take a morsel of food and you feed it to the person across you, next to you, showcasing love, respect and friendship. That's what I try to do. opens people's mind and understanding and horizon on the flavors of the Jewish diaspora, specifically on the flavors of Ethiopia. What we are doing now, actually, we produced three Shabbat dinners. We call it the Ta 'im Shabbat, the Ta 'im Diaspora Shabbat Dinner, where I am collaborating with the Yemenite Broadway actor, Ariel, and we're doing this immersion and flavors of Yemen and Ethiopia. We had a very successful event passed Friday the 13th.

43:06We have another one coming tomorrow and then the 27th. So we want to heal people and talk and storytelling by celebrating the tradition of and unity of the Jewish people as a whole. I try to use food as a universal tool really to break barriers Delicious food too Yes We haven't talked enough about food but there's a lot to cover so we'll get into that but like I'm going to link to the show notes you got to just check out these events you sell tickets and you can make a reservation that way

43:42Matt Rodbard:K-pop Demon Hunters Hajaboy's breakfast meal and Huntrix meal have just dropped at McDonald's They're calling this a battle for the fans What do you say to that, Rumi? It's not a battle So glad the Saja boys could take breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day. It is an honor to share. No, it's our honor. It is our larger honor. No, really. Stop. You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side. And participate in McDonald's while supplies last. Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, an original and cherry vanilla. That Pepsi taste you love. with no artificial sweeteners and 3 grams of prebiotic fiber.

44:23Pepsi Prebiotic Cola. Unbelievably Pepsi. You know you need fiber for a healthy gut. But do you actually know how to get it? Quaker's been serving up fiber since 1877 with over 100 great-tasting, good-source-of-fiber options to choose from. Whether you like old-fashioned oats, instant oatmeal, granola, or oatmeal squares, Quaker makes it delicious. Mmm, so good. Get your fiber with Quaker. Shop Quaker's good source of fiber products at a store near you. Let's get to the cookbook first, though. It's a beautiful book. I mean, with Knopf and you've got this amazing team, Clay Williams and Ilsa Ung.

45:04And honestly, it's just your story, but done with so much great photography. And I just want to ask you, what was it like writing this book, your story, talking with your family, WhatsApp and all that? Like, what's it like? It was a long process, meticulous. The product is a homage to my Beta Israel Jewish community. a love letter to Ethiopian Jews for their resilience, resourcefulness. That's Gursha dedicated to them. And of course, my family, my family in Israel and my family here. I wanted to make sure Gursha is not only recipes. I wanted to highlight the tradition of Ethiopian Jews, different holidays.

46:02and, of course, the integration to new society, the immigration story, the yearning for the return to Tion, Jerusalem. And, of course, the recipes are, I would say, doable, accessible. I agree. People should not be scared of when they hear Ethiopian cuisine or cooking. I try to make it as accessible and doable as possible and seasonal as well. So you can get majority of dengarees anywhere, anytime. The only complicated process there is maybe, maybe the injera. I myself struggle with it sometimes. Yeah, yeah, it's a hard one. It's a hard one, but the more you do it, you perfect it. So that's Gursha.

46:53And I was honored, you know, to be picked to work with Knaf and eventually work with Elsa and Clay, top of the line team, to produce this wonderful cookbook with profiles and stories and tradition. I'm over the moon. Yeah, it's a beautiful book. And on to the recipes, you know, there's recipes for traditional foods, but there's also, you know, like Queen of Sheba chocolate cake and Ethiopian barbecue cornbread and injera fish tacos. So it's like your style coming out as well, which I think makes a great cookbook. You can do traditional dishes and also. What are a few other recipes that you're just really proud of?

47:35For example, our injera chips. You know, you make a lot of injera, and we want it to be very resourceful and not really, you know, get rid of it. So we make crisp out of it or chips. You can drizzle a little bit of berbera or butter, and you have delicious chips that you can preserve for many weeks to come. There is, you know, you mentioned the fish taco. The Berbera-infused fish and injera fish taco is literally homage to East Harlem. Yeah, injera is not taco, but you can make it nice and crisp and kind of symbolizing the takoda, which we're kind of honoring our neighbors where we are. That's the evolution.

48:25You're not really getting rid of your core, your foundation, but you are kind of evolving with whatever is around you. Do you cook with oase a lot? Is that in the recipe? Yes, I do. Yeah, yeah. That was when I got to go to Ethiopia myself, we had that at the center of our table. Yeah, that's the hot sauce, What is it? American. I mean, it's kind of, it could be like having a bottle of Tabasco at the center. Correct. That's what it is. Of your table. Yes. Yeah, it's cool. And I think like you have to read the book. It's beautifully written. And it's so like, again, Clay did a great job. Photography is so beautiful.

49:07Thank you. Love this. So what's next for you? Do you have any other plans? I mean, I won't say more books, but you've got the events we just talked about. I, you know, of course, down the line, I would like to compile more, you know, book, another book, because Ethiopia is so much to explore, so much to learn. And on the tradition of the different ethnic groups is very vast. If you think Italy is diverse in terms of the cooking and the region, imagine Ethiopia. You have over 87 languages, so many ethnic groups, so many styles of cooking and tradition. I would like to focus on that down the line after we are kind of, we know exactly where we stand with the events and cultural showcases.

50:00It's amazing. I hope to read that one day. Bijan, this is Taste. We ask guests about the discerning taste. So to close this interview, here's a little rapid-fire, fast, and furious taste check. Are you ready? Yes, I am. The worst vegetable. Worst vegetable, artichoke. Yeah. As a chef, it's a challenging one. Yeah. I mean, so much work for nothing, really. Very true. What is your typical breakfast? Typical breakfast would be a nice espresso strong one and then having a goat yogurt with some granola and berries. Sounds delicious. What is the best dessert? Best dessert, you know, I'm going to say the Queen of Sheba chocolate cake.

50:43You can't go wrong with that in any occasion. A restaurant you wish you could bring back from the dead? Oh, that will be Jimmy's Chicken Shack. Which is where you're located. Where I'm located, 763 St. Nicholas Avenue, back throughout the Harlem Renaissance, used to be Jimmy's Chicken Shack. And this is where black and white will sit together, listen to music, eat some chicken. I would love to be in that vibe. In that room. Wow. When you're craving fast food, where are you going? I'm not much of a fast food eater, but my son, you know, he's a teenager. He very much like Chick-fil-A. So if, you know, we feel like let's go hang out, I will go that, but it's rare.

51:29Only when he wants it. That's fair. Yes. Your favorite city outside America to visit for food? I would say Mechana Yehuda, Jerusalem, is my favorite. You just get lost there with all the type of food and flavors in Jerusalem. It's incredible. It's amazing. I just got to go back there after several years and went to Azura. Azura was still been there forever and it's so good. Yes. It's a great restaurant and love that market. It's beautiful. Last one, your favorite sandwich. I would say Sabih. With eggplant and hard-boiled egg with a little tahini on a fresh pita. I think it's very fulfilling and delicious.

52:15Oh, my gosh. I'm so hungry right now. BJ, thank you so much for joining This Is Taste. My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

52:26This Is Taste is hosted and produced by Eliza Abarbanal and me, Matt Rodbar. The show is edited by lead producer Clayton Gumbert and supervised by Pat Stango, director of media production and development at Penguin Random House. Thanks to Shalia Harris and the production team at Penguin Random House. Theme music by Steve Rydell Episode portraits by Louise Zergon Pomeroy Logo design by Ellie Skirzat and Ian Dingham Visit Taste Online at tastecooking.com And make sure to subscribe to our newsletter To keep updated on all cool things in the world of taste