Silk Road, Cedar Shores with Safa Jneidi & Iyad Alati
Through vivid recollections, Safa Jneidi & Iyad Alati share a 400-year family history woven into the fabric of Aleppo’s 2,300-year-old Al-Madina Souq—a labyrinth alive with the scent of cumin and saffron, the clang of copper trays, and the steady hum of daily trade. More than a marketplace, the souk was home, an inseparable thread in the tapestry of their lives. It was also a place where tradition was preserved and passed down—not just through commerce, but through food. As with most Aleppians, cooking for Iyad and Safa was both a skill and a language of connection spoken through slow-roasted lamb, fragrant cardamom, and freshly baked flatbreads, each dish a bridge to memory and tradition.
Then, in 2012, war came. Forced to leave, they fled to Turkey, where Iyad worked in restaurant kitchens to survive. Later, they resettled in the U.S., passing through Tukwila, WA, before finding an unexpected home on Vashon Island—a rural community in the Salish Sea, accessible only by ferry from Seattle and Tacoma. The bustling Al-Madina Souq, the world’s longest-covered market, now lay in ruins. In its place, misty forests and quiet shorelines became the backdrop to their new life.
Listen as Safa and Iyad share how, in exile, cooking became something more—a bridge between past and present. They recount the challenges of acquiring a small food cart, transforming it into Iyad’s Syrian Grill, and introducing their island neighbors to the flavors of Aleppo: smoky, spice-laden lamb skewers, fragrant hummus, and flaky, pistachio-studded baklava. Through these dishes, they stayed rooted in their heritage while building something new.
Just as Aleppo’s merchants dream of restoring the bustle of commerce to their city, Safa and Iyad share the trials and triumphs of building a new livelihood—one meal at a time. Their journey proves that building a new life is about holding onto a vision, nurturing it, and carrying it forward—wherever home may be.
Host: Edward Krigsman
Guests: Safa Jneidi & Iyad Alati
Sound Engineering: Daniel Gunther
Recording Studio: Jack Straw Cultural Center, Seattle
Photography: Travis Lawton
Administration: Mary Mansour
Series music: Theme by Tomo Nakayama as performed Grand Hallway; Additional music by Andrew Weathers and Fox Hunt
Episode Music: Sarah Christine; The Droge & Summers Blend
We record on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples. Many thanks to Julie Jaffe & Tom Bradrick.
“If you’re working very hard and if you’re working from your heart to improve something or to add something to this community, you will reach it.”
