JAYAFLAVA: A Celebration of Food, Flavour and Recipes from Sri Lanka

HarperCollins India is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of

JAYAFLAVA

A Celebration of Food, Flavour and Recipes from Sri Lanka

by  Tasha Marikkar

 

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sri Lanka is a vibrant multicultural universe — inhabited by a variety of people, from the Sinhalese, Tamils and Chetties to the Moors, Burghers, Veddas and Malays. The cuisine of this island nation is equally diverse.

Born and bred Sri Lankan, Tasha Marikkar has spent most of her life between Sri Lanka and the UK. Her family background is varied — her father is a Ceylon Moor and her mother is both Colombo Chetty and Sinhalese. She is often referred to as a real ‘achcharu’ — like the dish, a delicious mix of everything. Cooking since she was six, with an undying passion for food, Tasha spent the years 2020-2023 in the joyous labour of discovering, rediscovering and researching Sri Lankan recipes. This journey made her fall in love, again and again, with the glorious, intoxicating flavours of the region, coming from the vast variety of its indigenous yet very diverse origins.

Through this book, Tasha introduces the reader to this wonderful cuisine. A mouthwatering culinary tour of Sri Lanka, Jayaflava brings together the history and traditions, ingredients and spices, and their preparation and use. With clear step-by-step recipes, it guides the reader through the delightful process of creating a beautiful Sri Lankan meal.

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Talking about the book Tasha Marikkar says ‘This book is inspired by my country and everything it means to be Sri Lankan. I wanted to focus on the diversity of the island. It’s a subject I really wanted to explore and understand; our society, its culture and the heritage of our cuisine. It’s important to me that people understand how to cook our best dishes in a way that’s accessible to them and I hope it will inspire more foodies to try and learn more about Sri Lankan food!’

Amrita Mukerji, Managing Editor at HarperCollins India adds ‘One of the highlights of visiting Sri Lanka is sampling the delicious food! With Jayaflava, you can now reproduce those dishes and flavours in your own home. But this is not just a cookbook—it is an insight into Sri Lanka, its history, topography and its people. Tasha has beautifully captured the vibe of the island nation in this book.’

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tasha Marikkar is a writer, marketer, music festival curator, amateur illustrator, and an unofficial food tourism ambassador for Sri Lanka. A born and bred Sri Lankan, Tasha grew in Colombo during the height of the conflict. She describes herself as a real ‘achcharu’, simply meaning that her ethnic background is mixed – Colombo Chetty, Sinhalese, and Ceylon Moore. This has given her a unique perspective on her homeland. Her family was entrenched in the advertising business in Sri Lanka and this is where her passion for food brands began. She spent countless hours cooking and developing recipes at home; however, her education took her to London to pursue her degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science. This is where she has lived since 2004. In 2010, Tasha and her sister co-founded the Electric Peacock Festival in Sri Lanka bringing in Grammy Award winning artists like Roger Sanchez, Basement Jaxx and Mark Ronson to headline the music event. After working in London for over 10 years in advertising, Tasha took a break and moved into writing her first cookbook, Jayaflava. She now spends her time developing recipes, cooking pop ups across the world and has a greater vision to tackle and create solutions to fight hunger in Sri Lanka.

To know more, visit: www.jayaflava.com; www.tashamarikkar.com; Instagram – @jayaflava

 

268 pp | Rs 1499

Available wherever books are sold | Releasing 27 December 2023

 

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For review copies, interviews, excerpts or more information, please write to: sohela.singh@harpercollins.co.in