Last year, President Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama celebrated Norouz at the White House by bringing together various organizations and individuals. This year, they hosted the celebration once again, and NooshTube™ was invited to join. As an Iranian-American who has always believed in sharing our culture and traditions with others, I naturally got very excited to see the increased visibility for the Iranian community and other cultures alike. I mean, come on… the White House! This is serious (and amazing) business.
I am also a personal friend of one of the founders of Nooshtube™, Sherean Azarmi, and am lucky enough to be able to interview her and learn about their experience. Here is their story!
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1. What is Nooshtube and when was it founded? By who?
NooshTube™ hosts an interactive portal where connoisseurs of Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean foods can share and find recipes, post restaurant recommendations, source vendors, and learn the history and cultural context of the cuisine.
It’s also a virtual network that allows users to communicate and connect.
It was founded in 2013 by Pooya Rezai of Washington DC and Sherean Azarmi of Boston, MA.
NooshTube’s goal is to provide a positive platform for cultural exchange through sharing of recipes, heritage, traditions, and related stories.
Our team was invited by the White House to the Nowruz luncheon hosted by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. President Obama started the initiative in 2014, inviting organizations and individuals who foster better understanding between the United States and the Iranian and Central Asian Diaspora. It was such a privilege to be able to share in the days excitement of celebrating a cherished holiday amongst such accomplished individuals from various backgrounds and heritage. Of particular interest was the White House’s beautiful haft-seen display, which truly captured the essence of Nowruz. Along with delicious dishes some of which were actually made using family recipes from the White House staff members.
NooshTube™ symbolizes community: a place where individuals from all cultures, all regions, find common ground through their passion for food and the exchange of their traditions. Being at the luncheon amongst individuals from various background and heritage reminded us of this. Currently, the team is working on fundraising to finish developing the beta version of the website and application. Our future goals include developing the platform to where socially-minded foodiepreneurs can collaborate on projects to feed the hungry, raise funds for meals that bring children to school, and to promote healthy dietary habits which ties into The First Lady’s initiatives on raising a healthier generation of children through food and fitness.
Thank you Sherean for this story and we are excited to see where the NooshTube™ journey goes!
And here is a wonderful collage of the event capturing the moments.
