
Pary Baban: Nandên
From Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith by Gilly Smith
February 26, 2026 · 32 min · Season 25 · Episode 25
About this episode
This episode features Pary Baban discussing her Kurdish heritage and the recipes from her book 'Nandên'.
This week we’re exploring the food and culture of Kurdistan with author of Nandên: Recipes from My Kurdish Kitchen , Pary Baban Born in Southern Kurdistan, in Qaladze, a place known for its resistance and community, Pary fled Kurdistan with her family to escape what became known as the Anfal Genocide, and this is a hard listen. But it’s her passion for using the food of her land in her restaurant Nandine in South London and now the book, Nandên meaning kitchen to keep her Kurdish culture alive after generations of hardship and displacement, that makes this an essential listen. Pop over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites of Pary, including a recipe for Yapraxi bahara, the stuffed vine leaves in her food moments. You can buy the book from the CTB Bookshop at Bookshop.org by clicking here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Guest: Pary Baban
Topics covered
- Kurdistan
- food
- culture
- genocide
- cooking
Keywords
- Nandên
- Kurdish Kitchen
- Yapraxi bahara
- Nandine
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Nandên: Recipes from My Kurdish Kitchen
Books & works: Nandên: Recipes from My Kurdish Kitchen, Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites of Pary
Places: Kurdistan, Qaladze, South London
More episodes of Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith
- Ella Risbridger: The Kitchen Book · June 11, 2026 · 33 min
- The World Food Photography Awards · June 4, 2026 · 24 min
- Chetna Makan: 5 Ingredient Indian · May 28, 2026 · 28 min
- Felicity Cloake at Cooking the Books Live · May 21, 2026 · 40 min
- Jago Rackham: To Entertain · May 14, 2026 · 35 min
- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: High Fibre Heroes · May 7, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith podcast page.