BAKING BRIDGES W/ SUMER SABOOH
Written by Christina Marie Fazio , Edited by Anna Carlson
Photography by Samantha Barrera, Makeup by Hannah Chu, Prop Styling by Sumer Sabooh, Assistance by Daniel Barrera & Ashvini Navaratnam
After a childhood spent in the diners where her mom worked, Sumer has forged her own path in food by drawing inspiration from the culture and flavors of her Persian roots and fostering meaningful connections with her community though her sweet & savory delights.
Diners and restaurants had always been a point of comfort and familiarity for Sumer Sabooh as a child. Growing up in Northern California, Sumer’s mom worked as a server in diners and restaurants, and as a result, Sumer found a connection to food at a young age. Whether she found herself in front of the TV watching Martha Stewart on the Food Network, or in the kitchen with her mom making traditional Persian dishes, the passion she had for the industry fueled her career.
Currently, Sumer works as a pastry chef at Rita & Maria, a local cafe and hidden gem of Brooklyn, New York located in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Even though she has made a career as a baker, Sumer had initially set out on a different career path earlier in adulthood.
During her undergraduate education, Sumer studied agriculture and environmental sciences and embarked on working for mostly non-profits that sourced local food into communities. She appreciated the work being done, but constantly turned to baking as a source of joy. Soon after, she realized that baking was something she wanted to pursue full-time, rather than solely as a hobby.
During our conversation, it was apparent that Sumer viewed food not only as a way to find that individual connection but as rootedness in her Persian culture.
Sumer had not only been exposed to restaurant culture through her mother’s occupation but also had a different perspective as her mom was an immigrant. She elaborates that for many immigrants, restaurants were a gateway that allowed many individuals, her mother included, to build a new life.
As a child of an immigrant, this idea of preserving and celebrating Persian culture through food was intrinsic to Sumer’s upbringing.
“Our culture has always been something that has been important to us and important to preserve. That’s true for a lot of Persians who left Iran, wanting to hold on to a tradition. And we do that through food.
As I've grown up, it's become even more important to me to preserve my culture. How I've done that is through food,” said Sumer.
Sumer’s baking style incorporates different flavors and ingredients authentic to her Persian culture. It is her hope that she can introduce people to varying flavors through her passion for food and culture.
As there isn’t much Persian influence and representation, Sumer gets excited by the idea of sharing that world with customers who may not be fully familiar with Persian dishes. Something that was really surprising to hear was the way in which Sumer made connections to other Persian people in the city through her pastries.
“Sometimes we will get Persian people who come to the cafe, and it’s really nice to share that experience with other Persians. It’s this way we can connect through food which means a lot to us because we oftentimes don’t have much access to that,” said Sumer.
The influence of social media also has impacted the way in which chefs are able to connect with each other. Unlike in the 90s when Sumer was growing up, the only culinary chefs that were mainstream were those featured on the Food Network.
Ultimately, the way social media has blown up in the last decade, has allowed many chefs, Sumer included, to share their experiences in the industry. Through a chef’s platform, people are able to understand who they are apart from their food and how that passion shines through in their careers.
A current culinary inspiration of Sumer’s is Persian chef, Samin Nosrat, author of the best-selling cookbook, Salt Fat Acid Heat and host of the Netflix docu-series with the same name.
“Her platform [is amazing]. She’s made Persian food accessible to so many people, and she's just the cutest and nicest person. I've never met her, but I assume so. She inspires me a lot. Both who she is as a person and her cooking is [really inspiring],” said Sumer.
Reflecting back on her career in this industry, Sumer shared that the biggest piece of advice she would give to her younger self is to be patient.
“When you're younger, you want to just be like immediately the best at everything. [But] I think there is a lot of beauty in working hard and earning something from that work,” said Sumer.
As a pastry chef, Sumer expressed that there is so much to learn and that she would advise others to take that opportunity to grow from their mentors because there is so much to explore.
“I think to just remember that you’re not going to be a perfect professional in the beginning, and [that] things take time and to be willing to [be bad] at something, and be willing to learn from that.
Sometimes it can be hard to be bad at something, and to receive critiques, but to be open to that because it’s going to make you better,” said Sumer.
Sumer found purpose and beauty through feeding others. Chatting with her was the most enlightening experience to see how much love she has for providing an authentic, memorable experience to her consumers. Simply from a video chat, I was able to understand the way she uses her compassion and tender heart as a way to show up for others.
“I hope people feel the love and passion that I put into the food I make. I think it’s pretty clear that I care a lot about what I make,” said Sumer.
Even with some of her regulars at the cafe, she is so honored to be a part of that daily experience as it builds not only a physical connection but an emotional one as well. She shares that sometimes her customers will express that her pastries remind them of their childhood, and that emotional bond is a point of inspiration and motivation.
As for what the future holds, Sumer expresses that her dreams were very similar to her mom’s.
“I’ve always had a dream of having a place of my own. That was my mom’s dream [too] and it never really happened. I’ve always wanted to open a bakery-style cafe and that’s the ultimate plan. [But for me] a successful career is being able to provide for my family and being able to continue to feed people in whatever capacity that looks like,” said Sumer.
My time, however short, with Sumer, allowed me to see the ways in which food and consumption is a lot more than simply a survival necessity. It provides a history, a home, and a heart to be shared with those around us. There is nothing more honest and pure than that, and I will be forever grateful to experience the world alongside artists like Sumer.