Syriana Tropicana a sweet new start for migrants
WHEN Lina Hejazi-Kilani fled Syria’s civil war with her husband and children little did she know their lives were about to become a whole lot sweeter.
The Express
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WHEN Lina Hejazi-Kilani fled Syria’s civil war with her husband and children little did she know their lives were about to become a whole lot sweeter.
Lina, 43, and husband Yahia Asale, 45, arrived in Bankstown three years ago to find their law qualifications weren’t recognised in Australia.
Instead of struggling to feed their four children, aged six to 12, while studying the Bankstown couple made a bold decision — to open a sweet shop. Syriana Tropicana at Bankstown Central was born. “Many people like to eat the sweets in Australia, because it freshes their minds of Middle Eastern countries. They eat a lot of sweets there,” Lina said.
The couple make traditional Syrian dishes like kanafa, maamoul and bazare, along with their own free-squeezed juices.
Yahia said many of the mouth-watering recipes came from his family.
“I got many recipes for sweets and fruits, so I started to make it in Australia,” he said.
He said while Syrian sweets were similar to those made in neighbouring Turkey, the liberal use of homegrown pistachios made all the difference. One of Syriana’s specialities is pistachio ice cream.
The couple said their business had taken off and are now hoping to expand.
“I love Australia, it’s a very peaceful country and my kids love it too much and they want to stay here forever,” Lina said.
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