A couple of generations ago, spaghetti was an exotic dish. So how long will it be before biryani and dolma become regulars for Sunday dinner?

If this group of women is anything to go by, it might be sooner than we think.

Every Wednesday, women from around the world meet in a small Italian restaurant in Coffs Harbour to cook for each other as part of a project that is changing the palate of the region.

The women are humanitarian migrants with limited English skills, and now many of them want to share their food with the community.

Skye Hawkins is the project manager of the Feeding Cultures Project and part-owner of Fiasco, the restaurant the women cook in.

She said the project was funded for 20 women, and there was a waiting list of another 20.

"I see this as a celebration of culture, these women have a lot to offer to our community," Ms Hawkins said.

"Food brings people together, people love to cook and share the food from their culture."

Living Culture project manager Skye Hawkins says the women have a lot to offer the whole community. ( ABC Coffs Coast: Meghna Bali )

Sharing food

The women have moved from Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq — all fleeing war and violence to live in this small regional city.

Each week, women from one country manage the kitchen and they share their recipes with the group.

Samira has only lived in Australia for five months and has been learning English for just four of those.

She has enjoyed tasting food from other countries in this course.

"I like everything," she said.

"American, Australian, Iraqi, Syrian. It's not different. I like it."

Women from around the world cook for each other in the program. ( ABC Coffs Coast: Meghna Bali )

Social isolation

The project was set up by Arianne Reis from Western Sydney University and the Sanctuary Foundation Coffs Harbour after a 2017 study found refugee women in Coffs Harbour were experiencing high levels of social isolation.

"They were doing the cooking at home and we thought it would be great for them to share something they could do well," Dr Reis said.

She said the project, which was funded by the Sidney Myer Foundation, had employed a local refugee as the project officer to gather interviews with women.

"It is being closely monitored and assessed for its success, both in terms of language learning, but also mental health and community integration," she said.

Elsabet arrived in Australia in 2014 after fleeing Eritrea with her husband, and she felt the Feeding Cultures Project had helped her.

Elsabet arrived from Eritrea four years ago. ( ABC Coffs Coast: Meghna Bali )

"I feel good, nice, because my English is improving, and I like the different cooking," she said.

Since being part of the project, she has started working as a kitchen hand at a restaurant in town.

Changing the palates

Ms Hawkins said many of the women had a desire to open a market stall or restaurant to share their food with the community, and she hoped the project would give them a gateway into that.

"Hopefully they can feel a little bit more empowered in this community if we can help them with their English skills," she said.

Stefano Mazzina is the head chef and co-owner of Fiasco restaurant.

He moved from Italy to Australia in 2003. Opening the restaurant two years later was one way for him to meet people in Coffs Harbour, and he thinks this project could be the same for these women.

"It's connecting them to the community and the community to them; I think that's the best thing," he said.

"These ladies they can really cook, and they could easily open up a small place and I'm sure it would be popular. There are always food trends going around."

Restaurant co-owner Stefano Mazzina moved to Australia from Italy 15 years ago. ( ABC Coffs Coast: Meghna Bali )

Ms Hawkins can imagine the diet of the town changing over the next 20 years as the women's recipes are integrated into the community.

"Australia is a multicultural country, our food is from so many countries, if I try to think of what an Australian dish is, I struggle."

Dr Reis said she could already see the food changing in the region as an Eritrean market stall and an Ethiopian restaurant have opened in Coffs Harbour.

"Bringing new flavours to our food is amazing," she said.

Biryani and dolma are on the menu in this feast. ( ABC Coffs Coast: Meghna Bali )

Dr Reis said the funding for the pilot runs out in October, and they would love to be able to continue because she can already see the positive impacts.

"It's the joy you can see, they are all so happy to be there," she said.

"Food is such an aggregative activity. It's a way of sharing culture and it's something they can be proud of."