While growing up, Ruwanmali learned about her grandmother's way of
cooking, which was typical to her hometown of Kandy, Sri Lanka,
from her mother, who exposed her to many ingredients and
techniques. Her passion for cooking is inspired by her family's
history in farming and gardening. Ruwan's maternal grandfather and
uncles worked as agricultural and botanical curators on estates and
parks in Sri Lanka's highlands (in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya) and her
paternal grandfather owned many fruit, rice, and coconut estates
throughout Kandy. Her knowledge of South Asian foods and
ingredients has been enhanced by her travels to various parts of
Asia and numerous trips to Sri Lanka. She shares her love of her
heritage, food, and travel with her husband and daughter.
'As a child, I observed her cooking from a distance, but, as the
years passed, I found myself increasingly by her side, absorbing
everything I could. I dedicated a notebook solely to scribbling
down recipes that had been passed down from my grandmother.
Watching my mother use traditional techniques, I learned the
secrets to a recipe's success; among them, how to use key
ingredients-including pandan and curry leaves, cinnamon bark,
turmeric root and coconut-in ways that make our food distinct.'
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