The best cookbooks offer more than recipes—they tell the stories of the people behind them, their heritage, and their struggles. That’s exactly what makes The Oldest Kitchen in the World by Matay de Mayee such a treasure.
Cookbook author Matay DeMayee is pictured with his mother Smuni. | Courtesy of Emma Peijnenburg, Claire Witteveen, and Daan Heijbroek/Courtesy of Emma Peijnenburg, Claire Witteveen, and Daan Heijbroek.
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"I first heard about this book from my daughter Jolie, who met de Mayee in Amsterdam when she and a friend rented an Airbnb in his home. Jolie is someone who lives for her next meal (like mother, like daughter!), so it’s no surprise that the topic of food came up when she first met de Mayee.
Having recently published his cookbook, he shared with Jolie the inspiration behind it: his mother, who he lovingly calls “the world’s best Assyrian chef.” When Jolie mentioned that her mother runs The Wine Chef (perhaps adding that I’m one of her greatest inspirations!), de Mayee’s publisher sent me a copy of this gorgeous tribute to Assyrian cooking."
On August 7, 2026, Assyrian communities around the world observed the Day of Remembrance for Assyrian Martyrs. On this day, the victims of persecution and mass killings are commemorated, particularly those who perished during the Simele massacre in Iraq in 1933.
In a collaboration between Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the University of Baghdad, an ancient Babylonian hymn dating back over two millennia has been rediscovered and fully deciphered.
The new AI tool “Palaeographicum” is revolutionizing research into the cultures of the Ancient Near East: It identifies individual variations of cuneiform signs—a huge step forward for academia.
Assyrians in Sydney marked Assyrian Martyrs Day with a series of commemorative events bringing together community leaders, scholars, clergy, young people, and representatives of the Armenian and Greek communities to remember the victims of the Assyrian Genocide and the 1933 Simele Massacre.
On August 7, 2026, Assyrian communities around the world observed the Day of Remembrance for Assyrian Martyrs. On this day, the victims of persecution and mass killings are commemorated, particularly those who perished during the Simele massacre in Iraq in 1933.
Assyrian Australian organizations are encouraging members of the community to take part in the 2026 Australian Census on August 11, urging Assyrians to ensure they are accurately counted and that their ancestry and language are properly recorded.
Lisa Denning
Ramsen Shamon
