We are very lucky at P.S. 216 to be part of a diverse community. In lessons throughout the year, we learn about the different cultures, traditions, and foods that are part of our P.S. 216 community. In this lesson, we are learning about Yemen!
Yemen is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Africa and Asia known as the Arabian Peninsula. Most people in Yemen speak Arabic and the most common religion is Islam.
The southern part of the country is along the ocean. This area is very hot. Other parts of the country are surrounded by mountains and the weather there is cooler, closer to the weather in New York. The northern part of Yemen is a sandy desert called The Rub’ al Khali. Some foods that are commonly grown in Yemen include grains, coffee, and a lot of different fruits like bananas, figs, apples, and citrus.
There are many tasty dishes that come from Yemen. In kitchen class we made fasolia, beans stewed in a tomato sauce with spices and other vegetables. Fasolia can be eaten for breakfast! Another popular dish is sambusa, a crispy pocket stuffed with veggies, meat, or cheese. It’s like a Pakistani samosa! Another Yemeni dish a student from PS 216 taught us about is aseeda. Aseeda is like a delicious dough that you can eat with honey and butter.
Check out this video highlighting popular Yemeni dishes. Are there any dishes you recognize? How about dishes that are new?
Click the links below for Yemeni recipes you can make at home!
Fasolia and Khubz Bread Recipe