Semira Solomon Hayle

Semira was born and grew up in Ethiopia. After the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia erupted in the late 1990s, she and her family were deported to Eritrea because of their Eritrean roots. A decade later the conflict reignited, and Semira was among many families who were again forced to leave their homes and became refugees across the border in Ethiopia. In 2019 Semira, her husband and their two young children were resettled in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Semira loves to cook; her mum taught her how and after finishing High School she took a cooking and catering course. When she arrived in New Zealand she trained in hospitality.

For Semira cooking allows her to be creative and to express who she is, without having to explain anything. She gets a lot of joy out of seeing people happy while eating food she has cooked.

While she has no real favourites in the kitchen, and likes learning different dishes, she does love to cook the traditional Eritrean chicken dish Doro Wat. This dish has a strong tasty sauce of butter, onion, garlic, ginger, berbere (a traditional Eritrean spice mix with red chili), tomatoes and chicken. It is served with a large sourdough pancake called injera which is used to soak up the Doro Wat sauce.

“It is such a great opportunity being part of the Share Kai Cooks Collective. I can share what my culture looks and tastes like, and I can learn from others too. I’ve developed the ability to meet and talk with new people, which was not the case before I joined Share Kai.”