From There to Here – از آنجا به اینجا is a conceptual cookbook rooted in Persian food culture, with the intention of highlighting the connections between food, identity, memory, and belonging. The project explores how culinary traditions can act as carriers of personal and collective narratives, particularly within diasporic contexts.
The cookbook’s recipes are based on collected responses and interviews with people of Persian heritage or with a connection to Iran. The collected material consists of personal stories and recipes, which have been compiled and developed into a structured publication.
The inspiration for the project comes from my personal connection to Persian culture and the traditions surrounding food and togetherness. I was born and raised in Sweden, but was brought up by two Iranian parents and have always been aware of my roots. The image of Iran that reached me through the media and other people’s perceptions was often narrow, shaped by politics, conflict, and distance. Rarely did I see the Iran that I knew through my family — one filled with humour, generosity, poetry, art, and an almost obsessive attention to food.
My connection to Iran has long existed in the kitchen, where recipes and shared meals have become a natural gathering point for my family. This project uses food as a way of approaching and exploring Persian culture through multiple personal perspectives.
A special thank you to Sepideh, Noshin, Pardis, Shaya, Morsa, Sarah, Maryam, Ramin, Parasto, Shahryar, Azad, Chloé, Nima, Orchidea, and Amir for helping me with this project by sharing your stories and recipes.
Thank you to the Estrid Ericsson Foundation who helped me make this book possible.
The book was published in May 2026.
