https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/e79626fb-8a7a-49cd-ad68-e106405e1f1e When Malakeh Jazmati arrived in Berlin from Damascus in 2015, she brought with her a deep love of cooking. Together with her husband, she launched a small catering business that quickly flourished as Berliners flocked to sample unfamiliar flavours. Just two years later, she found herself serving her dishes to then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. Today, Malakeh is the proud owner of her own restaurant, where she serves traditional Syrian favourites such as hot yogurt-based stews and batata harra. “The German people are open to trying something new,” she smiles. Life in Germany, however, has been a balance of joy and challenges. Part of the wave of Syrians who sought refuge in 2015, Malakeh admits that “it’s not easy to live outside your homeland”. Learning German has been tough in a city where English is so widely spoken, but her two sons, both born in Berlin, switch easily between German and Arabic. “They consider themselves like German Syrians.” For Malakeh, integration goes beyond language. “I have German friends. I pay my taxes. I try to speak German. And I also try a lot of German food!” Still, Syria is never far from Malakeh’s thoughts. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December, she has felt the pull of home more strongly, returning to Damascus just three weeks later. “Inside me something said I need to come back.” For now, though, her future is rooted in Berlin. She hopes to apply for German citizenship once her language skills improve, but says she already feels at home. “Even if I don't have German citizenship, I am part of this country.” Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:49:27 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/e79626fb-8a7a-49cd-ad68-e106405e1f1e All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.