PRIDE & SOY

MALAY-SCOTTISH CHEF JULIE LIN CHATS ABOUT HER FOOD HERITAGE AND THE MISTAKES WE MAKE WITH SOY SAUCE. BY LAUREN TAYLOR

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FOOD is such a huge part of Malaysian identity.

"I would say food is the culture," says chef and author Julie Lin, "it's such a starting point when it comes to everything."

Growing up in Glasgow, with a Scottish father and Malaysian (Malay-Chinese) mother who moved to the UK in the 1970s as a nurse Julie says her mum “couldn’t speak the language so would communicate through food she'd always use food as a means to express friendship with people.”

Embracing her mixed heritage has been a journey for Julie, who competed on BBC's MasterChef in 2014.

"I've learned to nourish my soul with food and use cooking as a comforting bridge that connects me to my roots,” she writes in her debut cookbook, Sama Sama which translates to “same same”.

She wanted the book to be based on being Malaysian-Scottish, “and finding authenticity within that sometimes we have very narrow views on what we think of authentic cuisine”.

Julie hopes it really “resonates with people who are mixed”.

"In my own journey as a mixed-race person, I've found that the meals I create and cherish are much like my identity: a blend of flavours, traditions and stories that refuse to be boxed into a single category but respectfully they honour culture,” the 33-year-old writes.

So, if you're new to Malaysian food - what do you need to know?

It's made up of many parts

"Because Malaysia is made up of so many different races and religions, there are different types of cuisines,” explains Julie.

From Malay-Indian and Chinese-Malay to a Portuguese influence, “it all amalgamates to being Malaysian,” she adds. “It’s had so much colonisation in the past, and there's been so much movement that Malaysia is like food in its very essence.”

The key ingredients