Grocery guide shows newcomers where to get a taste of home

For newcomers to Winnipeg, findingfoods that taste like home can pose a challenge.

A new guide will make getting the ingredients to make a delicious Somali canjeero or Syrian manoushi bread a lot easier.

The guide, distributed by Food Matters Manitoba, shows newcomers where to buy traditional foods in Winnipeg.

"It's really important because a lot of their traditional diets are very healthy," said Amy Henderson, the newcomer program co-ordinator.

"It's also really important to maintain their cultural traditions when they are here in Winnipeg and pass it on to their children. So a lot of times people really miss their foods from home."

• 'I'm in Winnipeg and I like it': Newcomer youth meet to talk job skills, challenges
• Winnipeg grocer wants fresh food to combat hate for newcomers

The guide includes success stories of Winnipeggers who opened stores in the community and some recipes. It also has a map showing the location ofthe stores with a detailed legend.

"We divided up the stores by region of the world where most of their foods were from and we used pictures to describe what types of foods were available at those stores," Henderson said.

Food Matters Manitoba has been working with newcomers for a long time and often hears that buying food is one of the first problems people run into when they arrive, Henderson said.

The map took about six months to develop and includes about 70 different stores. It's been handed out to agencies that work with newcomers and is available at the Food Matters Manitoba office and on their Facebook page.

Henderson said it has received really positive feedback.

"Food is just something that brings people together, it brings back memories," she said.

"It just makes people happy when they can taste something familiar and delicious."