Of Flavours And Fun!

Writer TASHA MARRIKAR is proud of her Sri Lankan lineage and wants nothing more than for the world to experience the vibrant energy of the island nation, along with its delicacies. Her cookbook JayaFlava is inspired by her country and its people, she tells Shraddha Kamdar

- Shraddha Kamdar

Tasha Marrikar prides herself on being "born and bred Sri Lankan." For her, the island nation is a vibrant multicultural universe. The London-based writer, marketer, music festival curator, and amateur illustrator is also an "unofficial food tourism ambassador" for her home country. Upon finding that vibrancy missing in most cookbooks on bookshelves in stores, it became Tasha's mission to develop one that celebrated the country's different communities and their food legacy - the good and the not so good, but, most of all, its extraordinary and varied ethnic heritage.

Germinated from her experiences, JayaFlava (Harper Design) is a colourful, engaging and visual extravaganza - in the form of a hardcover cookbook. She tells us about how she came up with the title by joining two words to celebrate her two homes - Colombo and London. Within the book, Tasha brings to readers an array of recipes - from sambols to gravy pullers and short eats to desserts. "JayaFlava is a manifestation of an obsession with food that I have had for many years (she has been cooking since she was six!). My family background is mixed - my mum always calls me an 'achcharu' (a Lankan chilli pickle)!" she tells us. Her Sinhalese, Colombo Chetty, and Ceylon Moorish lineage has always coloured her view on how she perceives Sri Lanka; how she sees the beauty in its ethnic diversity. "Sambols evolve from the Malay community, hoppers and string hoppers from the Indian Tamil community, and kotthu rotti from the Ceylon Moors. The most celebrated dishes are, in part, due to the rich history of the country and the advent of different groups settling in Sri Lanka," she elaborates.

Of Ins And Outs...