Jayaflava launches in Colombo and Ahangama: celebration of food, flavour and recipes from Sri Lanka

Cook and author Tasha Marikkar with her Jayaflava book 

Jayaflava is the debut cookbook from cook and author Tasha Marikkar. Finally, a cookbook that highlights the real story of Sri Lankan food told by a born and bred Lankan local. Jayaflava is Tasha’s love letter to her country, focusing on everything from ethnic heritage writeups, playful island culture, and most importantly authentic Sri Lankan recipes. Tasha’s purpose is to represent Sri Lanka and its food in all its warm glory, its multi-culturalism, its diverse history and evolution, its traditions, its modernity, and its authentic approach to cooking.

In her first cookbook, published by HarperCollins India (named publisher of the year 2023), Tasha has tackled what she calls ‘Sri Lanka’s greatest hits’ and has formulated her easy recipes to ensure that even a novice cook will be able to access and successfully cook a Sri Lankan dish. To make navigation that much simpler, Tasha has set out a series of Sample menus to help the reader plan out how to put together a delectable Sri Lankan meal. There are over 80 recipes to explore and cook. 

Tasha is launching the cookbook in Sri Lanka in December 2023 as her first official launch across the world. “It was critical to me as a Sri Lankan to make sure my home was the first place that I unveiled the book in. So many people have been instrumental in bringing this book to life, friends, family and some iconic Sri Lankan brands,” states Tasha. 

“Rockland distilleries have been an incredible partner and support in making my launches come to life. They are committed to being an ambassador for the country and taking Sri Lankan flavours across the world. It’s been fantastic that brands like Rockland are so invested in creating a platform for Lankan creators like myself.”

Peppered through the book are anecdotes of Sri Lankan food culture, little known facts and hilarious Lankan slang to help the reader get better acquainted with what it means to be from the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Tasha herself has illustrated the book to bring a colourful, light-hearted and personal perspective to Jayaflava.

“The book is also an invitation for tourists to visit our nation and indulge in the captivating flavours of Sri Lanka, where each dish is a passport to the heart of our culture. They can discover the artistry behind our famed rice and curry, the tradition of our street food, and the glimpse into modern day Lankan desserts. Sri Lankan food is not just a meal; it’s an invitation to immerse yourself in the warmth of our hospitality and the richness of our heritage. Anyone who experiences our cuisine is bound to want to recreate it in the comfort of their own kitchens and Jayaflava is a little piece of Sri Lanka that they can take back with them.” 

What sets this book apart, is what possibly sets Tasha apart from other Sri Lankan recipe writers, namely that the focus of this book is to represent the diverse ethnic heritage of the country highlighting each community’s impact on the island’s food history and culture. Tasha herself is a big mix of everything; Ceylon Moor, Colombo Chetty and Sinhalese. The term “Jayaflava” is a hybrid of the words ‘Jayawewa’ and ‘Flava’, celebrating both her homes, born and adoptive, Colombo and London. Tasha moved to London when she was 18 to attend University at the London School of Economics and Political Science. It was there she said her love for Sri Lankan food was ignited, and even though she worked in advertising after graduating, in her spare time, she started to attend short courses at Cordon Bleu and Leiths in London to train and understand the discipline and principal of cooking on a commercial scale. This is where the passion for recipe writing began for her. This book has been written for everyone – the vegans, the wellness fanatics, the Lankan lovers, the curry curious and comfort eaters. It is communal and generous and hopes readers will come to love and understand the country in a multi-dimensional way and experience Sri Lankan home cooking like never before. 

The author is excited to announce, “The book is part of the global HarperCollins 360 program, meaning it will be made available in India and Sri Lanka across leading bookstores, and amazon in 2023. Brilliantly, it will hit shelves in the United Kingdom and USA early 2024.” 

The book launches in Colombo on 20 December and at Trax Ahangama on 21 December.