The Islamic Museum of Australia

Exploring Flavours and Traditions: The Whole Pantry Project 2026

For the fourth year, the Islamic Museum of Australia, proudly supported by the City of Darebin, delivered The Whole Pantry Project 2026 - a community initiative celebrating cultural diversity, connection and the stories we share through food.

Building on the success of previous years, the 2026 program brought together participants from diverse cultural backgrounds to share recipes, cooking traditions and personal stories. Through hands-on cooking sessions, participants explored a wonderful array of dishes that reflect the rich and diverse food traditions found within Muslim communities in Australia and around the world.

This year’s collection takes us on a delicious journey from falafel and Orange and Date Salad, to Lebanese Lamb Shank Kabse, Gado-Gado and Potato Kofte Meatballs. The collection also celebrates the sweet side of the pantry, with Maamoul Biscuits, Peach Delight and Sweet Potato Ghee Brownies. Each recipe offers a glimpse into the traditions, flavours and memories that make food such an important part of culture and community.

The project is about more than what ends up on the plate. Cooking together creates opportunities for storytelling, cultural exchange and connection, providing a welcoming space for participants to share their experiences and learn from one another. It celebrates the diversity of our local community while highlighting the common ground that food so often creates.

The 2026 cookbook captures these shared recipes and makes them available for everyone to enjoy at home. Alongside the cookbook, cookery videos featuring Wafa Fahour are available across the Islamic Museum of Australia’s social media channels, where Wafa brings each recipe to life and guides viewers through the preparation process, making it easy to cook along at home.

The Whole Pantry Project continues to demonstrate the power of food to bring people together: to share knowledge, preserve traditions, discover new flavours and build connections across cultures.

The Islamic Museum of Australia extends its sincere thanks to the City of Darebin for its continued support of The Whole Pantry Project, and to all of the participants who generously contributed their recipes, knowledge, stories and time to this year’s collection.

Explore the recipes and cook along at home and download now:

The Whole Pantry 2026 Cookbook

Follow the Islamic Museum of Australia on social media to watch Wafa’s cookery videos and see each of the recipes prepared step-by-step.