Concordia Journal Home > Archives > March 5, 2009 issue >

Pudding people together  

On Feb. 17, the Multi-faith Chaplaincy hosted Montreal-based non-profit peace organization the Dialog Foundation to celebrate the annual Turkish tradition of Ashure, or Noah's pudding. The sweet dessert of wheat, beans, fruit and nuts is cooked in remembrance of Noah's survival of the great floods. It is said that once the flood receded, Noah gathered people together and mixed whatever food was left into a delicious meal. The custom is to make a batch of Ashure to deliver to 40 houses to the east, west, north and south.

As a modern-day take on this tradition, the Dialog Foundation has been travelling to schools, community organizations and churches cooking and sharing Ashure. This year, the Dialog Foundation delivered over 5 000 helpings to friends, new and old, around Montreal.

"This peace-making dessert is a really good way to reach out to people," said Dialog Foundation executive director Fehmi Kala.

"Today is our last day, so I am a bit sad, but I'm looking forward to having another event next year," said Kala.