My Malaysian Food Journey

My Malaysian Food Journey had its genesis in a fortnightly column on ‘Culinary Inspirations’ that appeared in The Star newspaper during 2023 and into 2024. The author, having previously co-authored and published three cookbooks, each the recipient of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, decided it was time to pay tribute to her personal food heritage-to her hometown Muar, where she was brought up by both her maternal and paternal grandparents among a wider family interested in the best of traditional Malay cooking, especially Johorean cuisine, and well-known for its exceptionally talented cooks.

Although an avowed ‘armchair cook', the author pays special tribute to Mak Li, her family’s exemplary long-time cook, who first inspired her food journey as she watched Mak Li make dishes when she was a teenager and jotted down what she saw. This led to a lifelong interest in collecting cookbooks and recipes not only of her forebears but also from friends.

The chapters in this collection range from individual specialities perfected by family members to personal favourites, and from culinary inspirations drawn from Malaysia’s multiethnic heritage to reminiscences and stories of family gatherings, all centred around food. Many of the original articles in The Star have been expanded, with more information, recipes and photographs, while others have been added.