Journal
Why We Source From Fraser Valley Farms
Before it was ever a restaurant, food in our family was something you knew the origin of. Back home, our vegetables came from soil we could point to. There were no pesticides. The animals were free to roam. You ate with the seasons because there was no other way to eat.
When we settled in British Columbia, one of the first things that felt like home was the farmland. Drive through Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley and you’re surrounded by it: fields, roadside stands, farmers who know exactly what they grew and when they picked it. For us, that wasn’t just scenery. It was the way we already believed food should be.
So we made a decision early on: we buy local.
Which ingredients come from Fraser Valley farms?
The produce, wherever we can buy it locally. Our produce comes from Fraser Valley farms. That includes:
- The parsley and fresh herbs in our tabouli
- The vegetables in our salads
- The red peppers roasted down for our muhammara
We’d rather drive to a farm down the road than pull something off a truck that crossed a continent. It tastes different. Honestly, it tastes like home.
There’s a second reason, and it matters just as much. When we buy from a local farmer, that money stays here, in the same community that welcomed us and gave us a place to start again. Feeding people and supporting the people who grow the food are, to us, the same act of care.
We’re not perfect and we’re always learning what’s in season and who grows it best. But the principle doesn’t change: real ingredients, from people we can shake hands with, cooked the way we’d cook for our own family.
That’s the food we want to put on your table. If you want to see what the seasons actually change, we wrote about Fraser Valley summer produce, and the same local ingredients go into every spread on our catering tables. Have a look at the menu.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Salma's Kitchen get its ingredients?
Our produce comes from Abbotsford and Fraser Valley farms whenever we can buy it locally: the herbs in our tabouli, the vegetables in our salads, the peppers roasted down for our muhammara. We would rather drive to a farm down the road than pull something off a truck that crossed a continent.
Why does buying from local farms matter?
Two reasons. Fresh, local produce simply tastes better, closer to the food our family grew up on. And the money stays in the same Fraser Valley community that welcomed us and gave us a place to start again. Feeding people and supporting the people who grow the food are, to us, the same act of care.
Is everything at Salma's Kitchen locally sourced?
Honestly, no, and we will not pretend otherwise. We buy from Fraser Valley farms whenever we can, and we are always learning what is in season and who grows it best. If you want to know where a specific ingredient comes from, call us and ask, and we will tell you plainly.
Does local produce actually taste different?
To us, yes. Produce picked close to home spends less time travelling and more time ripening where it grew, and you can taste that in a bowl of tabouli or a roasted pepper dip. It tastes like home, which is the highest compliment our family gives food.
Salma’s Kitchen cooks Armenian and Middle Eastern food in Abbotsford, BC. See the menu, our catering service areas, or how to order. Phone only: (819) 743-5953.