KUALA LUMPUR – Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah officiated the book launch of 'They Came from Jaffna' – an original book tracing the culinary heritage of Jaffna Tamils in Malaysia.
The event was organised by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of University Malaya through support from the Sri Lankan Endowment Fund. The 520-page book written by Indra Rani Lavan Iswaran, who is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, closely examines her lineage and culture through family narrative.
“Here is a tribute to the Jaffna Tamil countrymen and women of Malaysia, a community that punched high and achieved tenfold but never stretched out her hand to ask for more,” the author said.
Sultan Nazrin, in his opening address said “to write any book is not an easy task. But to produce a beautifully-illustrated one of over 500 pages in length, and with over 300 recipes, can be considered an outstanding achievement.
"I found the personal accounts that are related throughout the book to be particularly engaging. These are intimate tales of marriage, migration, family and friends, based loosely on the memories of the author’s own relatives," he added.
"Although they are imaginary reconstructions, they vividly convey some of the most important events and trends in our history, from migration during colonial times, to the Second World War and Japanese occupation."
The book examines a wide range of original recipes that have been fused with Malaysian flavour and setting. Sultan Nazrin remarked, “as Malaysians, we pride ourselves on our rich and varied culinary landscape.
"We equally enjoy sampling this choice array whenever possible. To say we love food is an understatement. This shared love of food is one of the things that brings us together as Malaysians. It is a special part of our national identity.”
Beyond just a simple recipe book, it tells the story of Indra’s ancestral family and the Jaffna Tamil community’s migration from Sri Lanka to Malaya in the 1890s.
Through vivid memories and personal recollections, she specifically spotlights her pioneer immigrant grandmother and her journey, infusing the book with a deeply intimate setting.
“The author draws on a diverse range of sources for inspiration and information. These include what she calls ‘oral narratives’; as well as ‘researching from history, archaeology and anthropology and not to forget the all-important ‘recipes that have been passed down through generations.’
"She weaves these various strands together most effectively. Insightful tales of personal and national history are brought to life in the many evocative photographs and drawings. And all through the book can be found the detailed instructions on how to recreate the delicious-looking food that is pictured.
"These elements all combine to produce a truly unique and very special volume,” Sultan Nazrin said.
"This unique book manages to engage all the senses – from the intellectual reward of the historical details it contains; to the aesthetic pleasure gained from the beautiful illustrations and photos; to the remembered and imagined smells and tastes that are conjured up by all the detailed recipes," he added.
"For me as a historian, this interweaving of images, voices, and tastes from the past provides a very special window into those long-ago times. At the same time, I am very much looking forward to trying out the recipes for some of my own favourite dishes that are found in the book," said Sultan Nazrin.
Eddin Khoo, the founder of Pusaka, introduced the book remarking that “it is difficult to say quite what this book is. A collection of recipes – but in the great yalpanam tradition, these are deeply kept secrets and bequeathed only to chosen ones.
"It is also an invocation of lineage, commemorating the blessed ghosts of the past, in particular here the author’s grandmother.”
The cookbook won Indra Singapore’s Braveheart Award last year.
Indra is a published writer, poet, and playwright by profession, and the author of 'Celebrating 100 Years – The Singapore Ceylon Tamils' Association'. She was the founder, designer and first editor of Palmyra, the Singapore Ceylon Tamil Association (SCTA) newsletter and Sanghu, the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple (SSVT) newsletter.
Indra served as the only female president of SCTA, which is one of the oldest registered associations in Singapore.
The book launch, held at Dewan Tunku Canselor University Malaya, was attended by large numbers of dignitaries among which includes UM’s Pro Chancellors Toh Puan Datuk Seri Dr Aishah Ong and Tan Sri Datuk Seri DiRaja Ramli Ngah Talib, board chairman Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar, vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya, Professor Datuk Ir Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor, fund representative Dr Selva Ratnam and the author herself Mrs. Indra Rani Iswaran. – The Vibes, August 25, 2022
