Southern Pride

A tribute to a woman who was heralded amongst her family as a great cook with recipes accumulated from her hometown of Matara, Zohara Vilcassim made it her life’s mission to complete the ‘Southern Pride’ cookery book which was first published in the year 2000.

Although she passed away about six years back after a battle with lung cancer, the book continues to grow in popularity, especially amongst the younger generations and people living abroad who are able to sample for themselves the rich delights of the traditional dishes detailed in the cookery book.

The popularity of such cuisine is evident as the book is now into fourth print run.

Hailing from Matara, Vilcassim then went onto marry into a family from Galle and this union apart from cementing other ties, went a long way in keeping alive the gastronomic art of Muslims from the South of the country.

The Muslims of Sri Lanka have always been a vibrant and integral part of the country since the first Arab traders landed on the shores of the island hundreds of years ago. The community’s unique food is part of the rich tapestry of Sri Lankan cuisine – whether is it is tasty biriyani or the succulent ‘wattalappam.’ This compilation of recipes is the first that marries the mainstream cooking traditions of Sri Lankan cuisine with more specialised Muslim dishes. Featuring traditional delights such as the Matara ‘ambul thiyal’ and jaggery pancakes, the book also includes recipes such as the ‘picnic rice,’ consisting of 12 curries, a veritable feast which in the past was prepared by Muslims on special occasions.

The proceeds from the book all go to various different charities in remembrance of Zohara Vilcassim. For instance, the proceeds from the first print run, at the request of Vilcassim herself, went to young girls from the Southern parts of Sri Lanka in need of money at the time of their marriages. Since then, the proceeds from sales of the book have been used for similar charitable projects.

The book can be purchased from Dwellings on Green Path, the Skymark Travels offices located on Stamboul Place, Colombo 3 or 11, De Fonseka Place, Colombo 4.