The story of American food is a story of migration, resilience, and the beautiful, messy way different cultures blend in the kitchen. Few recent releases capture this e pluribus unum spirit as powerfully as Chef Beejhy Barhany’s GURSHA: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond, a New York Times Best Cookbook of 2025.
More than just a collection of over 100 vibrant, healthy recipes, GURSHA (which loosely translates from Amharic to “mouthful” and signifies the act of nourishing another out of love and affection) is a literary feast that tells the extraordinary journey of the Beta Israel—Ethiopian Jews—and their enduring culinary heritage.
Need to Know
Chef Beejhy Barhany, owner of the celebrated Tsion Cafe in Harlem, serves as our guide. Her personal narrative is the beating heart of the book:
- A Journey of Faith and Resilience: Barhany was born in Ethiopia and fled with her family in 1980 to escape persecution, traveling on foot before spending three years in Sudan en route to Israel. Her commitment to Jewish tradition, like observing Shabbat even during their desert ordeal, is a testament to the community’s unbreakable spirit.
- An Immigrant’s Culinary Success: After settling in Israel, serving in the IDF, and traveling the world, Barhany found her home in New York City in 2000. She went on to found the kosher and vegan Israeli-Ethiopian Tsion Cafe in Harlem, a vibrant cultural hub.
- Defining a Cuisine: GURSHA is the first major cookbook focused on the food of the Beta Israel, highlighting a culinary culture that is a unique intersection of the African and Jewish diasporas.
A New Chapter for American Food Culture
The arrival of GURSHA marks a significant moment for the American culinary landscape, offering profound implications:
- Enriching the Diaspora Narrative: This book adds essential nuance to what “Jewish food” means in America, moving beyond Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions to highlight the richness of African Jewish foodways. It solidifies the Beta Israel’s place in the global food discussion.
- The Power of Place: The fusion recipes—like Injera Fish Tacos and Ethiopian Barbecued Corn Bread—showcase how chefs like Barhany draw on their Ethiopian, Israeli, and Harlem experiences to create something distinctly American. Her work demonstrates how immigrant-owned kitchens in places like Harlem are laboratories for culinary evolution.
- Food as Cultural Preservation: GURSHA transforms family recipes (from traditional doro wot and beg wot to everyday kita flatbread) into permanent cultural records. It reminds us that every recipe is a story, a memory, and a precious link to heritage, ensuring that the next generation of American cooks and eaters understands the depth of this diaspora.
The Takeaway
GURSHA is a celebration of unity and generosity, mirroring the meaning of its title. It’s a compelling testimony and invitation: to nourish others, to embrace our collective, complex history, and to recognize that the strength of American culture lies in the distinctive, vital threads woven into its tapestry. Chef Barhany’s book isn’t just one for the kitchen shelf—it’s a crucial document for understanding how food can build bridges and affirm identity in a diverse America.
Renowned Chef Beejhy Barhany’s interview with ePa:
