DENISE
Camel is to Somalia as taro and sweet potato balls are to Taiwan.
What is it?
Taro and sweet potato balls (芋圓、蕃薯圓) are popular Taiwanese desserts. For many tourists visiting Taiwan, the taro balls in Jiufen are probably one of the most well-known local treats.
In my hometown, Taichung, Lao Yu Zai Taro Ball (老芋仔芋圓) in Daken is also a famous dessert shop.
I have enjoyed them since I was small, also enjoying go there with friends or family after hiking through trail No.9. they are one of my favorite desserts, and they remain a taste of home for me.
Taro and sweet potato balls are made with tapioca starch, similar to the tapioca pearls used in bubble tea. However, because they are made with real taro or sweet potato, they have a unique aroma and a chewy texture.
How do you prepare it?
The *process is actually quite simple. Sweet potatoes are steamed, mixed with tapioca starch, shaped into small pieces, and boiled until they float.
Taro balls are made in almost the same way, using taro instead of sweet potato. (refer my pictures for the steps.)
How often did you eat it in Taiwan?
I ate it quite often, especially during the hot summer season. I loved having taro or sweet potato balls with tofu pudding or shaved ice, along with tapioca pearls or grass jelly. The combination of different textures and flavors is really delicious.
Do you still eat it now that you live in NYC?
Yes. Whenever we want to eat it, I make it myself. After moving to New York, I learned the recipe online and was surprised by how simple it is. Making it for my family gives us a little taste of home.
Jamal’s challenges
Camel meat was delayed:
The camel meat was delayed during shipping, but Jamal stayed positive and patient while waiting for it to arrive. He even spent time with his friends at a basketball game instead of worrying too much. His kitchen caught fire and there was time pressure. The oven in his kitchen caught fire, which triggered the fire alarm and sprinkler system. Jamal injured his ribs while trying to deal with the fire, but he did not give up. In the end, he borrowed a kitchen from a restaurant across the street and continued preparing the food. In the end he was able to get everything ready for the State Fair within the limited time he had.
Pressure from the community:
Some people in his Somali community questioned his food and the way he presented it. Jamal continued with his idea because he wanted to introduce Somali food and culture to a wider audience. Jamal always thinking positively; he is flexible, persistent a with a strong personality; he never gave up when things went wrong, and he always found a way to deal with the problems and keep moving forward. That encouraged me too! 
SVITLANA
Jamal’s challenges
When Jamal was accepted into the State Fair, he faced a number of challenges. First, he had to import four tons of camel meat. Just as he had found a supplier and handled that issue, a new problem appeared: the sprinkler system in his kitchen went off, flooding the room. Worse, he fell and broke two ribs. But, suppressing the pain, he found another kitchen for his team, and they spent the entire night preparing.
In the morning, he faced another challenge – a massive line of customers waiting to be served. Working without sleep, he and his team sold out of their camel meat products during four days.
Jamal overcame all the challenges, created a new dish, called “a camel on a stick”, and began his journey to success!
Camel is to Somalia as a borscht with varenyky is to Ukrainian culture.
The most famous dish representing Ukraine is borscht—a red soup made from beets, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables, and must contain meat and garlic. Personally, I don’t like it quite as much as another Ukrainian dish: *varenyky*. They like in English dumplings. *Varenyky* are made from wheat dough and filled with a wide variety of ingredients. Fillings can be from potatoes, cottage cheese, mushrooms, meat, cabbage, fruits, and berries—such as strawberries, blueberries, apples, plums, or sour cherries. When my daughter was little, her absolute favorites were sour cherry *varenyky*. They are made specifically with sour cherries rather than sweet cherries; in Ukrainian, these are considered different types of fruit. I dislike making *varenyky* because it takes me a long time, but my mother loves potato and cottage cheese *varenyky* and sometimes prepares them here in New York.
JN ELAINE
Camel is to Somali food as lamb skewers are to Chinese food
If you want to eat lamb skewers, you should cut the lamb into small pieces. Then add onion, oil, black pepper, and cumin powder to the meat, put it on skewers, grill over the fire and turn them over. We call this dish lamb skewers. It’s more popular in North China; I grew up in the south, so I didn’t eat it much, and I still don’t really miss it now.
Jamal’s challenges
I think Jamal had three challenges. First, it was hard to get camel meat in the USA, so he imported it from Australia. Second, right before the state fair, the sprinkler system went off and the kitchen was flooded, so he had to move everything to another kitchen. Third, during the fair, he broke three ribs. But he still couldn’t rest and had to keep working.
Nomads
A nomad is a person who doesn’t have a fixed place to live and keeps moving from place to place. Jamal says his family was like that. But I can’t really relate to being a nomad, because I’ve mostly lived in one place in China and now in New York.
Are you a persistent and determined person?
It depends on the situation. If it’s very important to me, I will be determined and persistent. If not, I might give up more easily
MAIIA
Jamal’s challenges
First, Jamal had to find a way to bring a large amount of camel meat to the United States. He made a deal with a company that could bring it from Australia. Then, the day before the fair opened, his kitchen flooded and he broke two ribs. He brought his staff over to another kitchen and they kept working. He overcame these challenges and, in the end, they sold all their camel meat in four days.
Nomads
A nomad is a person who moves from place to place and doesn’t live in one place permanently. Jamal means that his family learned to move and adapt when life became difficult. I am not a nomad, but I moved to another country, so I understand how important it is to adapt.
TATIANA
Borscht
The famous dish in my country is borscht. Borscht is soup with boiled vegetables, cabbage, onion, garlic, carrot, beet, bay leaf, lemon, potatoes and beef stock. Also it includes spices to taste like dill. Add sour cream to the bowl before serving. Borscht is a delicious and healthy everyday dish that never gets boring. It used to be the most popular dish in my country, and many generations grew up on it. Here in New York, I also sometimes make borscht for my family – a vegetarian version.
ANTONINA
Jamal’s challenges
Jamal faced numerous challenges. First, it turned out that importing camel meat was very expensive, but Jamal managed to find a supplier from Australia. Later, when the sprinkler system accidentally activated, everyone scrambled about in a panic because no one knew where the water shut-off valve was. Furthermore, despite breaking two ribs, Jamal continued to work. Faced with a long line of customers at the fair, he worked despite the pain, actively interacting with both clients and journalists.
Nomads
Nomads are people who do not lead a sedentary lifestyle. Rather than engaging in agriculture, they are constantly on the move.
Their habitats are often deserts or steppes, where the soil cannot support crop cultivation. This environmental reality shapes a unique way of life centered around a fluid surroundings.
As Jamal noted in his narrative, adaptability is an essential quality for survival under such conditions.
If we set aside the philosophical meaning, I could certainly be a nomad for a while. Viewed metaphorically, however, most people in the modern world live this way: they aren’t tied to a specific place for generations, they move easily, change careers, and adapt to constantly shifting conditions. In that sense, I am a nomad, too.
EVILA
CAMEL IS TO SOMALIA AS BYREK IS TO ALBANIA
I love to make byrek with spinach. I roll out the dough with my hands, and every Albanian family and many restaurants make it.
I also make baklava myself. In my culture. We always bake baklava for holidays and parties. I still cook them here in New York for my family.
Jamal’s challenges
Jamal had big problems before the fair. His kitchen flooded with water, and he broke two ribs. But he did not give up.
He moved to another kitchen, worked hard, and sold all his camel meat in four days.
NADEZHDA P.
Russia does not have a single official national dish, but pelmeni and borscht are eaten by millions.
In most cases, these dishes are considered symbols of Russian national foods. In the US, the culinary equivalent of *pelmeni* in terms of preparation method is “dumplings.”
Our family prefers pelmeni, but I really like borscht too.
Pelmeni takes much longer to prepare than borscht. The main ingredient of borscht is beetroot. My granddaughter loves borscht very much.
And whenever she comes to visit me, I always make borscht for her. She loves pelmeni too, but if I have some frozen ones on hand, I make them for her.
As I already said, you can’t make pelmeni that quickly – not right away.
Our family doesn’t miss our traditional dishes. We can always prepare them here.
Are you a persistent and determined person?
Yes, Jamal is a very strong-spirited person; he overcame all the obstacles that stood in his way.
As for me, I am not a particularly strong-spirited person, but if I have a goal, I try to achieve it. It may not happen all at once—perhaps only in small steps – but I am still moving towards achieving this goal. I try not to give up.
KIRILL
Jamal’s challenges
Jamal looked like a real superhero because he had a lot of problems with launching his business. He was a super-influencer with super problems and challenges.
First of all, the meat delivery was delayed. After this, the first batch of roasted camel was ruined by a fire in the kitchen.
The fire alarm flooded the entire kitchen. He fell on the floor and broke his ribs. But he managed to deal with it with the support of his family and friends.
Russian Pancakes
Russia has many delicious types of food, but I will explain one of them.
It is a Russian pancake. Normally it looks like American pancakes, but they are thinner. It’s easy to make and everybody can do it.
You should have several ingredients – some flour, 2 eggs, half glass of milk, a little bit of salt and two teaspoons of sugar.
You should mix all the ingredients together. After this, you should put the frying pan on the stove and drop a little bit of butter in the pan.
Then you pour the batter into the frying pan. After 5 seconds, turn over to the other side. Fold into a triangle and serve with condensed milk or jam.
GYZYL
Jamal’s challenges
In order to get accepted into the State Fair, he applied with various meats. First, he tried a traditional pastry with ground beef. No results. Then he tried with roasted goat cutlet wrapped in chapati. No results. Finally, he decided to cook the Somali national dish with a camel. Camel was for special occasions. It’s called the food of the kings. Jamal experimented with every recipe he could think of. As a result, he got the idea. He put bread crumbs in it to hold it together. And soon it just became like a tasty camel on a stick.
Nomads
Nomads are people who don’t live in one place for long. They move from one place to another. They are hardy people accustomed to battling the elements.
A few years ago, I loved to change a living place so often. I used to live in one place for one or two years. Currently I am changing my mind. I stay in one place longer now, and I am ready to settle down permanently.
OLEKSANDRA
Nomads
In the show Jamal mentioned that his family, being Somali, comes from a long line of nomads.
One condition of their survival was migration in follow of rain as a main point for their existence in unstable climatic zone.
So Jamal believes that his ability to manage high stress situations is in his blood, and linked to the history of his family and people.
As for myself, I don’t believe I carry the nomad gene in any way, since I still have not adapted to my unexpected immigration.
Jamal’s challenges
During preparations for the State Fair, Jamal faced a lot of challenges us accepting him, first of all.
Then he had to search for camel meat for his main dish – a large quantity – in time! And finally, preparing everything on the last night – in a borrowed kitchen.
Despite everything, and with the support of his family, friends, workers, business competitors, Jamal continued to believe in his dream.
He did all in his power and believed in success!
YESENIA
Camel is to Somalia as queso de cabeza de cerdo is to Columbia
This is a Pork head cheese is a traditional Colombian cold cut or terrine that does not contain milk. Instead, it is made by setting the meat and collagen from the pig’s head.
It is made by boiling the pig’s head until tender, removing and chopping the meat, then mixing it with the natural collagen and broth. It is seasoned, molded, and chilled until it sets.
I ate this once a month, but I don’t eat it in New York City. I miss this and also all my food from my country.
NAIARA
Nomads
A nomad is a person who moves from one place to another. Jamal says his ancestors were nomads. When there was a drought, they moved to another place to survive. They had to move and adapt to life.
I can relate to this because I moved from the Northeast of Brazil to Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast of Brazil. After that, I moved to the United States.
I had to adapt to different places, a new country, a new language, and a new culture. I think I am a little bit like a nomad because I moved many times and had to start a new life.
What type of person are you?
I think I am a determined and persistent person. When I have a goal, I try not to give up easily, even when things are difficult. Sometimes I feel tired or discouraged, but I try to continue.
I think I am also a strong person because I have been through difficult situations in my life and I learned how to keep going.
I may not always know what to do, but I try to find a way. I believe that being persistent is one of my strengths!
MADELAINE
Jamal’s challenges
Jamal had a lot of pressure because he wanted to introduce camel meat at the State Fair. He also had problems getting the meat on time, and not everyone liked his idea.
He stayed calm, kept working, and found ways to solve the problems. In the end, people liked his camel on a stick, and the idea worked.
Nomads
A nomad is a person who moves from one place to another. When Jamal talks about his family being nomads, he means that his family has moved from place to place for many years.
I can relate to this because I moved to a different country. I had to leave my old life behind and get used to a new place, new people, and a new culture.
OLEG
Camel is to Somalia as Morkovcha is to Koryo-saram culture.
Koryo-saram are ethnic Koreans from the former Soviet Union. Koreans who lived in the Soviet Union did not have Napa cabbage to cook kimchi.
One person created a new dish and replaced Napa cabbage with carrots. We make it with grated carrots, garlic, oil, vinegar, and spices. In my homeland we ate morkovcha very often.
I tried it several times in New York City, but it is not the original recipe. It is also very difficult to find the original recipe even in Russia.
What type of person are you?
I think I am a determined and persistent person.
When something is hard, I try not to give up quickly.
I keep working even when I feel tired.
Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I usually continue.
I want to reach my goals, so I push myself.
I try to be strong like Jamal!
OLGA
Jamal’s challenges
After Jamal was accepted into State Fair, he faced several challenges. First, he had to find a way to get enough camel meat because it was difficult. Then, just before the fair opened, the sprinkler system went off in the kitchen and flooded the area. He also broke his ribs while preparing the meat and was in a lot of pain. But Jamal didn’t give up. He worked through the night, organized his staff and continued preparing the food. He overcame the challenges and successfully sold out of camel meat at the fair.
Nomads
A Nomad is a person who does not live permanently in one place and moves from place to place, often because of work, lifestyle, or tradition. When Jamal says he comes from a long line of nomads, he means that his family has a history of moving from place to place.
I can relate to being a nomad because sometimes people move to different cities or countries to find new opportunities and build a better life. I am also Nomad because I have lived in different places and adapted to new environments.
3 Useful Links:
The first 2 were used in class and provide more info about Jama Hashi
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X5rLZ7O5aU0
https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/relish/episodes/relish-jamal-hashis-gedo-masala-36130
And this one is to the SAFARI RESTAURANT, where Somali food is featured:
http://www.safarirestaurantnewyork.net
(NYC’s First #SomaliRestaurant; it’s located at 219 W. 116th St. in Manhattan.
It’s open Tuesday-Sunday, but closed on Mondays.)