Mother Tongue: Flavours of a Second Generation

Enriching the conversation arising between authors born to immigrant parents and raised at the intersection of cultures, British author Gurdeep Loyal presents an imaginative and personal collection of recipes which reflects an abundance of influences.

“My food inheritance has been an ever-evolving musical score of flavour,” Loyal writes, connecting his family’s roots in Punjab, its connection to Kenya, and its time in Britain to his own world-encircling adventures. 

Some authors write with fondness of dishes their parents made to bridge differences in ingredients from continent to continent, balancing tradition against the pleas of children who saw classmates eating unfamiliar but popular lunches at school.

But Loyal seems to be the innovator here, and his headnote for one recipe signals much of his approach: “It’s the antithesis of culinary melting pot: a jumble of individualism where the collective whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The crispy okra and honey-masla corn I’ve added here give extra notes of flavour to simplify the overall effect. More really is more.”

For example:

• Chickpea, togarashi, and preserved lemon tikkis
• Masala brisket pie
• Fennel confit with lime leaf and cumin
• Salted cardamom peaches, burrata, and saffron

Very unlike anything else.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.