Afia, a refugee-focused Mediterranean food company, recently had its ready-to-heat Sweet Potato & Kale Falafel Bowls, which are based on flavor-packed, Eastern Mediterranean heritage recipes, introduced at Costco locations across five Western states. A warm, vibrant dish inspired by dried fruits and smokey rice popular around the Arabian Peninsula, the convenient, frozen meal is ready in five minutes or less.

The plant-based, fiber- and protein-packed entree is topped with Afia’s signature traditional falafel. Other comforting ingredients include smokey turmeric rice, chickpeas, sweet corn, kale, sweet potatoes, raisins, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and a lemon vinaigrette dressing. Designed for busy families, these meals are crafted from whole ingredients — no prep required. Sold in packs of four for $15.99, the meal joins Afia’s traditional falafel and kibbeh beef croquettes on Costco shelves across the retailer’s San Diego region, which includes stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

“We’re thrilled to build on Afia’s growing relationship with Costco and enter both a new market for the retailer and with a product new to Costco,” said Afia co-founder Farrah Moussallati Sibai. “San Diego is known for its vibrant food culture and appreciation for globally inspired, better-for-you options — making Afia the perfect fit.”

Moussallati Sibai started Afia after immigrating to Texas from Syria and has built the family-owned company around giving back to her community, with a personal goal of employing refugees, as she endured hardships bringing her mother-in-law to the U.S. during the Syrian civil war. Afia’s dishes are based on family recipes from a little black book her mother-in-law took with her as she fled Syria. Unlike most small food companies, Afia manufactures all its own products, with Moussallati Sibai’s mother-in-law continuing to taste every batch.

Afia’s full line of frozen falafel, kibbeh and meals, as well as an array of spices, are now available online and in more than 4,000 stores nationwide, with the company earning recognition through programs like the Chobani Incubator.

About Afia
Afia is a Mediterranean food company headquartered in Austin, Texas, driven by a mission to make food powerful. Founded by Moussallati Sibai, who had resettled in Texas after enduring personal tragedy and loss in Syria, Afia’s products infuse the meals of her past with modern flavors. Using her mother-in-law’s little black book of generations-old, Syrian family recipes, Moussallati Sibai began selling Afia’s signature frozen falafel and kibbeh at a farmers’ market in 2017. Afia now offers a full line of frozen falafel, kibbeh and meals, as well as a lineup of spices, online and at more than 4,000 stores nationwide.