The Syrian war displaced millions of people from their homes, towns, cities and country. The catastrophe resulted in many people seeking refuge and safety in neighbouring countries and taking long and dangerous journeys through land and water.
When thousands of Syrian families started arriving and settling in Canada, it was necessary to create livelihoods and opportunities for them. There was a requirement to lend a helping hand even amidst limited employment opportunities and the challenges of adapting to foreign land and language.
Tayybeh began as an initiative that organizes ticketed pop-up Syrian dinners across the Lower Mainland. The proceeds support newcomer Syrian women chefs who masterfully prepare exquisite buffets featuring authentic family recipes for hundreds of diners. These events were organized at community centres, schools, and places of worship.
The Crossroad of Spices
Syrian cuisine is widely recognized as one of the most elaborate, sophisticated, diverse, and expansive traditions. One reason for this exquisite fare is that Syria is a geographic crossroad between Europe, Central Asia, Arabia, North Africa, South Asia, the Levant, and Mesopotamia, which ensured that so many varying food traditions made their way through and left their mark.
The country was also on the silk road’s merchant pathway, which brought unique spices and herbs, enriching the Syrian cuisine with a vast range of flavors that has now become characteristic of Syrian food today.
Syria is also home to many different agricultural environments that make it arable for various crops. As a result, the Syrian countryside has had many experimental options for vegetables and herbs for hundreds of years. Their soil yields a variety of vegetables and fruits, including eggplant, zucchini, molokhia, and chard to sour cherries, apples, mulberry, and figs.
From this rich agricultural and spice background comes Tayybeh. It takes you on a journey through the rich and flavourful world of Syrian cuisine, one of the world’s oldest and most revered culinary traditions.
Tayybeh is named after the Arabic word meaning both “kind” and “delicious.”
Serving the Memories of Home
Tayybeh was launched as a social enterprise to provide secure employment opportunities for Syrian immigrant women as well as an opportunity for community building and social integration.
The food is prepared by Syrian women chefs who hail from different parts of the country and who learned the recipes from their family members, which are their families’ heirlooms passed down for generations. These women chefs bring their regional sophistication and sensibility to the cooking, each adding her unique touch to these celebrated traditional recipes.
Food from Tayybeh is available through various channels, including community dining events, full-service catering, fresh and frozen meals, retail items on the website, stores throughout the Lower Mainland, and several meal programs and delivery services.
Tayybeh’s mission is to assist immigrant Syrian women chefs and promote their delicious, healthy, and unique Syrian fare. In addition, they offer opportunities for employment, financial independence and social integration by offering and highlighting their delicious and authentic local food.
From Survival to Success
In five years, Tayybeh has grown, employing numerous women who have become notable chefs in the city’s culinary scene. They use natural ingredients and offer halal products, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and vegetarian options.
They are committed to building and strengthening community connections and supporting and empowering the most vulnerable in society.
From donating food to the underserved, donating to charities that aid Fort McMurray families affected by the 2017 fires, and most recently partnering with Vancity to produce 5000 meals for communities across Vancouver affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tayybeh women’s team’s incredible resilience and perseverance and the generous support of their communities have enabled them to survive the pandemic.
Their catering service is one of Vancouver’s most recognized and celebrated providers of premium Middle Eastern fare at office lunches, banquets, conferences, receptions, social events, weddings, and other functions. In addition, Tayybeh’s retail foods, including dips, pita chips, spreads, and frozen meals, are a growing staple in the homes of Vancouverites.
Tayybeh is a unique social entrepreneurship and cuisine initiative committed to offering a distinctive dining experience owing to their incredible chefs, ensuring quality food, distinctiveness, and superb service at excellent prices.
They stand by the motto that the measure of a society is in its generosity and kindness towards its most vulnerable. To know more about their menu and services, visit their website at https://tayybeh.com/.
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