Channa Dassanayaka - Sri Lankan Flavours

Sri Lankan Flavours

A journey through the islands food and culture

Sri Lankan Flavours

A journey through the islands food and culture

Channa Dassanayaka

With Natalee Ward
Photography by Craig Wood

First published in 2003 by
Hardie Grant Books
85 High Street
Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia
www.hardiegrant.com.au

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Copyright text Channa Dassanayaka 2003
Copyright photography Craig Wood 2003

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:

Dassanayaka, Channa.
Sri Lankan Flavours : a journey through the islands food and culture.

ISBN 174066 066 8

1. Cookery, Sri Lankan. 2. Sri lanka Description and travel. I. Title.

641.595493

Photography by Craig Wood
Cover design by Pfisterer + Freeman
Internal design and layout by Natalee Wood
Printed and bound in China by SNP Leefung

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

To my father, mother and grandmother for giving me
the confidence to be me.

Thanks

This book has been as much a journey as the trip to Sri Lanka itself, and there are many people who have helped us rise to the occasion.

In Sri Lanka, we couldnt have done without the help of Ajith and Nishantha, my aunt and uncle, Premasingha and Jayanthi and all my family members. Thanks also to Gerard Menids and Rohan Fernandopulle at Colombo Hilton, and the staff at Kandalama Hotel, in particular Amal Nanayakara and Senaka Perera.

I owe all I have learnt to the principle of the Ceylon Hotel School, Sarath Senavirathna, and to my lecturers in cookery, front office, restaurant, housekeeping and other faculty members.

From Melbourne, a huge thanks to Indika Galhenage at Sigiri in Northcote and Rothitha Ekanayaka, Loku Amma (Prema), Ajantha Ellepola, Maxwell Kegall, and Craig and Rickie Langley. Thanks also to my brothers Sampath and Prassanna Dassanayaka. Thanks to Dur- Dara for her enduring support and John Mackay, Enza Casiso and Helen Saniga.

Special thanks to Craig for his vision through the lense in what was once a foreign country to him and for his sense of humour on the road. And thanks also to Natalee for her wonderful way with words and layouts.

Eternal thanks to my grandmother. Although she didnt live to see the final product, I know she would have enjoyed this book.

From Craig: Thanks to Manique DeSilva and her parents Ray and Dashnee Parnavitana for the use of their house in Colombo and to Vasantha for her fabulous cooking during our stay. Thanks to Ajith Indrasiri for transporting us around Sri Lanka safely and for being a cool guy. Thanks to Channa's family, in particular his grandmother, uncle and aunt for their amazingly warm hospitality, Shamini Jayamanna for the use of their house in the village, and Asitha Abeywickrama for driving me around the village on his motorbike, spending his time interpreting for me and helping me take great shots. I would also like to thank all the villagers for their assistance.

In Melbourne, thanks to Andrew Tauber for lending me his medium format camera. Good on you, Taubs! Thanks to Supply and Demand, Matchbox and Country Road for their assistance with products and thanks to Andrew Roach, David Cohen and Pauli Aborti for her styling.

Thanks to Nat for taking the project and driving it. Her enthusiasm and energy has been amazing not to mention her considerable talents. And thanks to Channa for a wonderful journey that started over a bowl of tom yum.

From Natalee: Thanks to Channa for taking the time to explain the intricacies of gambodge when it would have been easier to give up, and for his prevailing sense of humour. Thanks also to Craig for his steady supply of stunning images and his constant encouragement. When it came to putting the vision and the words together we couldnt have done without Tracy OShaughnessy for her direction and Clare Coney for her attention to detail. Thanks to Hardie Grant for believing in us.

Thanks to Paul Sellars, Brock Lever at Rojay, Pauli Aborti and Murray Johnson for his courier services, advice and general abilities as a tower of strength.

Foreword

Rather than write a foreword to this book I see it as more appropriate to write a blessing, to speak on behalf of the book simply because I feel good about it.

This book is a personal offering, a collaboration of three people about one persons life and culinary traditions. I am a great believer in peoples personal stories and this unique documentation of a life through food, especially if the person is a cook.

Channa Dassanayaka found himself orphaned and in Australia on a work permit without his family, friends or cultural connections. In order to work in Australia, Channa is required to have a guardian. By a chance encounter I became his sponsor, and it has been a pleasure to work with him on his projects and working life.

Today, the Australian palette is so diverse most Australians are well acquainted with Thai, Malaysian, Indian and Chinese food. There is room for acquiring a taste for Sri Lankan food. For this we must acknowledge the work of Charmaine Solomon she first introduced Sri Lankan food to Australia and remains the leader in the appreciation of this cuisine.

This book is not a definitive guide to Sri Lankan food, but a story of one individual culinary life. As a cookbook it is evocative and enticing to the eater, and it encourages you to explore the cuisine. It will allow you to be more discerning in a Sri Lankan restaurant, and inspire you to cook, to understand the basics of the dish, and to adjust the flavours to suit your palette or culinary desire.

This venture is a shining example of the positive relationships that result from a young cook like Channa coming to Australia. In what is a disturbing time for immigrants in Australia, this is a positive venture, a fine example of how valuable this experience has been for Channa and his new Australian friends.

This document is also a beautiful way in which Channa can make sense of his own story. It is a means by which he can pay tribute to his history, to his mother and grandmother and the family heritage he carries with him. It is also his offering to his life in Australia.

My only contribution to the book has been my encouragement and belief in the project. I wish to congratulate Channa and his co-producers, Craig and Nat, not just in demonstrating a coming together of skills, but for a collaboration that exhibits a shared commitment of talents and friendship and a celebration of diversity.

As Channas official guardian, I had no real picture of his life or his rich cultural heritage. This book has changed all that and it has been a joy to watch it come to fruition. Channa has also connected me with the home country of my maternal grandparents and my mother and I look forward to returning there one day.

I wish Channa and his collaborators the privilege of having this book received in the way that they have intended.

And most of all bravo,

With my admiration, love and encouragement