Recalling Forgotten Tastes : Of Illustrated Edible Plants, Food and Memories

by Syarifah Nadhirah

Recalling Forgotten Tastes : Of Illustrated Edible Plants, Food and Memories is an illustrated collection of edible plants, centred on environmental knowledge and traditional culinary practices by the Orang Asli communities in Peninsular Malaysia, primarily from the Semai and Temuan subgroups. The foreground of the book is to archive the disappearing knowledge of wild foraging and implementation into their diet.Dive into the unfamiliar world of indigenous plants and trees that are often times overlooked and allow yourself to be cradled into a tasteful journey of forest edibles, through spreads of colourful illustrations and conversations.In this book, the reader will come across spreads of illustrated foraged plants gathered from places such as Gombak, Kuala Langat and Jelebu. Guided by extraordinary teachers, mothers and headmen of different communities, each generously shared their know-hows of edible and non-edible plants from their backyard to the majestic forests.The birth of this collection stems from a deep interest in getting in touch with our immediate surroundings through plants and food, reigniting our primal senses in untraditional settings. Find yourself in a whirl of unusual tastes and sights in their outdoor kitchens and under rambutan trees, uphill and down in the valleys of forest reserves.The mediums used for the illustrations include watercolour paintings and pen sketches.

Genres: History, Nature, Indigenous, Food, Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2020

Reviews

[Nadirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Recalling Forgotten Tastes" is Syarifah Nadhirah's attempt to document her observations of the expeditions she'd embarked on in search of indigenous lifestyles and the herbs and plants associated with such lifestyles.

Long before we have become accustomed to getting our food delivered to us through either the mass market chain of supermarkets or the myriad of restaurants and their offerings, human beings have had to subsist on much less by foraging for sustenance. Today, this way of life is diminishing as modern 'civilization' encroaches into lands that were once abundant with trees and plants. The impact of this encroachment falls more heavily on the indigenous people who are still living with the 'kais pagi, makan pagi' adage, a saying that roughly means someone who only partakes in what they need and nothing more. In the face of modernization, however, the natural resources that they need are deteriorating at an unprecedented rate.

Thus the author's intention when setting out on the journey was to record the plants and herbs that are often used by indigenous people. She interviewed men and women from several Orang Asli communities across Malaysia to explore the uses of the plants and herbs, which were beautifully illustrated in watercolors and pencil sketches within the pages of this slim book. While this book is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the flora species found in Malaysia's climate, it gives readers a glimpse into something that we may never consider before. Foraging knowledge (so crucial for survival) is not given the same importance as the subjects offered in school, and without the effort of such documentation, likely, future generations would not know of such things. I applaud the author's efforts in producing this work; you can tell how much love was put into this slim volume.

This is a highly recommended read for those who are interested in the disappearing art of foraging and how the indigenous people of Malaysia used to incorporate these edible plants and herbs into their diet. I'm thankful to have come across this book as part of the Aesop Women's Library (Malaysia) initiative, and I hope people will consider picking this one up if they'd like to expand their reading list.

[aqilahreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

recalling forgotten tastes is a recollection of traditional ecological knowledge on plants through visual arts, more specifically surrounding the livelihood of orang asli in malaysia; gathering stories of foraged eats from our depleting forests.

can i just say...how much i love this lil masterpiece??!?!? THOSE ILLUSTRATIONS THO omg such a smart way to grab the book as its visually appealing to look & read too. unexpectedly enjoyed this one a lot, sort of reminds me of going to a learning journey as syarifah takes readers on her nature guides where she shares her findings/observations - particularly on edible plants.

i really love how she also includes meeting the people herself and raising awareness that there are still people out there that rely on forests for their daily food. she also takes this opportunity to share their worries - that sooner or later, newer generations will not care about food diversity and retained their ancestral knowledge.

syarifah leaves us with questions to ponder; "with this, i hope it shall be an inspiration to gather more curious minds to revalue these nature trees and nutritious edible plants, before they are lost forever".

as for myself, reading this definitely sparks more conversations with my parents as they take me through their kampung days, sharing how much they used to rely on plantations/forest for cooking/to get their daily food. not forgetting my mum with her plant telepathy, knowing & exclaiming all the plants/trees immediately as she looks out from her window during car rides mostly whenever we travel to malaysia or indonesia.

there is just so much to learn and sometimes we just tend to forget how important they really are and to think about how they can be stories/knowledge passing from generation to generation. definitely a must read, highly recommend if youre looking for a meaningful super short read too.

[taie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a thoughtful look into the indigenous people who have looked after malaysia's nature. truly an eye opener to the different things that nature, especially malaysia's, has to offer and how this knowledge has been slowly been disappearing from modern society but ultimately preserved by the indigenous communities in malaysia, in this book, its prominently the temuan people. thank you so much for this, absolutely necessary read in my eyes

[Aiman Haris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iffa gifted me this book. She really knows what I love.

The author really took a unique topic and subject to write about. The illustrations were the main focal point of the book, which are complemented with her personal anecdotes along her trails. I personally love how the book emphasizes on the voices of the orang asli as people who rely on forests in their daily life, which are barely listened in a larger scale.

My dad really loved the book too, it reminded him of the time when he was a boy scout some 50 years ago. He mentioned about encountering some during his camping and trekking in forests of Johor, and even wonders if they still exist there.

Also, I do hope the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve will continue to be preserved as we are losing more and more forests due to human greed.

It was a short, but astounding and comprehensive read. Will re-read this from time to time.

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully painted (by water colour). I love how indigenous cooking method and flavour are described in this book. It is like a travelogue. I wish she will write further stories on other indigenous/tribe lifestyle too such as the Indigenous in Northern Perak, Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah. I adore their food culture, how to forage and to sustain food supply.

[serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

an amazing initiative with a whole lot of heart. beautiful illustrations by the author herself capture intricate details; it’s clear that this book was born out of love and respect.

my only complaint would be that the writing would have benefitted largely from having an editor. but this was self-published and ultimately not a book you stay with for the writing, so i’d still recommend it as a piece of text that strives to shed light on the important topics (indigenous communities, forests, biodiversity, culture, displacement).

[Fadillah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Orang Asli are the Indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, which comprises of 19 ethnic sub-groups under Negrito, Senoi and Proto Malay. Throughout the years, the Orang Asli communities are no stranger to being subjects of resettlement and subsequently incorporated into commercial agriculture. Nevertheless, their assimilation of ecological information continues to thrive even with the present-day situation that often reflects the integration with external cultures. The forests and the soil represent specific ecological niche and are inextricably linked to the Orang Asli identity where both generate their traditions and worldview, all depending on their rapport to a particular land. Being their own holders and guardians of traditional knowledge, they depend on the renewability of natural resources to provide food, water, shelter - to uphold their philosophy. Their values remain at not taking more than they should, as to ensure lasting sustainability of resources. By taking less, one is promised more. Almost every plant or tree has a specific importance to them, either edible, medicinal or even architectural. This precious knowledge is an evolution, accumulating experiences from a line of wisdom of generations upon generations. They are inherent memories, knowledge and wisdom, encoded within those plants and trees. They are a way in which this memory and all of these teachings have been ciphered since time immemorial.
- Recalling forgotten tastes : of illustrated plants, food and memories by Syarifah Nadhirah
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I came for the gorgeous illustrations, i stayed for the knowledge imparted by these indigenous people (Orang Asli) that were interviewed for the book. Who would’ve expected 70 pages of book managed to impress me about plants that i have never heard of (Granted that i am not much of a cook and my camping day is long gone since high school) - people might wonder why would i need to know about these herbs and plants. Throughout these pages, i recognized some of the plants (Pucuk Paku, Ubi Kayu, Jantung Pisang, Kantan, Daun Sirih, Pinang) but it is safe to say, 90% of it was beyond my recognition. I may not remember it all, but what an enjoyable read. My only criticism for this book is i wish the author put the real picture of the plants besides the illustrations. Even if it was small like a thumbnail, at least readers can see what it looks like in real life.

[Hadi Muss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short, illustrated 'travelogue' is special to me; it reminded me of my maternal grandmother, who plant a lot of herbs and edible plants for her makjun making and cooking.

Focused on the narrative of traditional culinary practice of Orang Asli communities from the subgroup of Temuan and Semai, this book raised questions that are worth pondered by our so-called modern lifestyle and development. Plants and foods shared in this book rather new to me and what makes this book special is the personal stories plus the beautiful watercolour illustration that decorated all of the pages.

My only wish is that the book could be more in pages, or perhaps there'll be another sequel which I'll definitely buy.

[Jie Hui · Rating 4 out of 5]

This self-published book contains beautiful illustration and short descriptions of adventures into Orang Asli kampung. This book serves as reminders for how precious and important our forests are to those who live in balance with the nature. Some of the herbs and plants are familiar names in culinary scenes, but I must say most of them are strangers to me, and this book introduced them to me. Would be more interesting if the author could find greater financial supports to further expand the contents to include more stories behind the Orang Asli traditional food in a future book (hopefully).

[Aran Chandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nadirah draws our attention to the dissipating knowledge of forest foraging by the Temuan and Semai tribes of peninsular Malaysia. She illustrates how the conveniences of modern lives usually come at the expense of severe loss of cultures and traditions, and in most extreme cases to loss of relationship with the very nature that nurture us.

The slim journal is generously adorned by her artwork rather than photos, almost imitating the fluid nature of oral traditions of the very knowledge she’s trying to set down into paper before it evaporates forever. It makes one want to venture outside of the city, suburbs and even villages to the wilds of the world.

[Selina⚔️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully documented!!

[li 莉 · Rating 5 out of 5]

short and sweet read but packed full of research, oral history, and love for indigenous knowledge and preservation of local ecology. a gorgeous book that i’m glad i came across at the forest learning center in kl botanical gardens.

[Plainqoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important and lovely book. Recalling forgotten tastes is an illustrated of edible plants, centred on environmental knowledge and traditional culinary practices by the "Orang Asli" in Malaysia. Primarily by the Temuan and Semai subgroup.

The recollection of stories and illustrated plants was told by the author based on her own hands on experienced in our forest with the helped of local "orang asli".

The chronological order of the story is very systematic. From the introduction of the place and the local people, with the map of the forest and roughly illustrated plants, to the detailing of each plants and the benefit of it.

In "Orang Asli" culture, it is a common practice to take only what you need and leave the rest, in order for them to regrow. Knowing some of this people still depends on natural water resources in the forest, on where to find clean water resources, to find edible plants to fullfill their hunger and how some of the plants can act as a remedy for some illness like stomach ache.

I think by reading this book, we can revalue and cherish these native trees and nutritious plants, before they are lost forever. Perhaps a small steps to sustain our forest from the uncontrollable deforestation.

[Li Yen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like this are much needed to introduce and preserve Malaysia's local edible plants, done tastefully. Loved that this book tapped into a underrated space, but writing could be a lot more polished; there was a little too much flowery language, I would have liked more consistent details about the plants introduced instead (taste, use, etc.) and possible modern applications.

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty illustrations and great premise - illustrating native plants and herbs consumed by indigenous communities in Malaysia. Important to record this sort of information. Unfortunately the writing verges on purple prose and needs better editing.

[Bidasari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini bukan sahaja menarik sebab ada pelbagai maklumat yang den tidak pernah tahu seperti:

1. kewujudan spesies flora atau tumbuh-tumbuhan di dalam hutan;

2. makanan tradisi Orang Asli suku Temuan dan Semai;

3. spesies tumbuhan yang boleh dimakan mentah, dimakan setelah dimasak dan tidak boleh dimakan;

3. aktiviti forest foraging, etc.

Tetapi buku ini juga membawa kita berfikir tentang kerisauan hati Orang Asli tentang hutan yang semakin mengecil kerana tuntutan pembangunan, pertanian kontan, etc sebagaimana yang disuarakan oleh En Samsul Senin.

Beliau risau tentang masa depan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat seluas 958 hektar.
Kalau kita baca berita pada tahun 2021, ada ura-ura cadangan penyahwartaan HSK Kuala Langat yang menjadi isu yang agak hangat diperdebatkan.

Hutan terutamanya bagi Orang Asli adalah sumber food security mereka.
Kita juga patut sedar perkara ini lagi-lagi apabila telah melalui fasa PKP semasa Covid19.
Kita perlukan alam semulajadi terutamanya tumbuh-tumbuhan sebagai sumber makanan untuk kekal mandiri.

Water security dan food security adalah perkara paling penting untuk mandiri hidup.

[Atiqah Ghazali AlKashif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recalling Forgotten Tastes
Of Illustrated Edible Plants, Food and Memories
by Syarifah Nadhirah
Illustrated by Syarifah Nadhirah
Published by self-published
Goodread's Rating: 4.43/5
My Rating: 5/5

"What if we shift our worldview of indigenous plants and food knowledge as something not so distant to our backyard? Are we able to rethink the possibilities of food diversity by looking at food differently and learn more from the Orang Asli communities in our area?"

Such a thin book yet packed with information and enough to pique the curiosity and interest in many readers. Hopefully it would be something to be remembered.

"The unabating pursuit to encroach Orang Asli ancestral lands is nothing new in Malaysia, even the Coronavirus pandemic did not stop these attempts from happening."

📸: @atiqahnikghazali
#MalaysiaMembaca

[Najwa (POLF) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderfully written and wonderfully illustrated. It is not a heavy read, you can finish this book in a matter of hours - but it is a book you would want to keep on your shelf and re-read from time to time. I love how the taste of the leaves and fruits were described, and I love how the author imparts important advice on sustainability and nature conservation. The current state of affairs is depressing, with rampant destruction and abuse of power. Nature bears the biggest brunt. I really hope things will get better, and that the rights of the Orang Asli and their land will better protected in the near future.

[Amanda Yow · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeous illustrations of both plants and people - so much heart radiates off its pages. through a series of essays, the author (and illustrator, TALENT) takes the reader on a vivid journey through the lush forests of peninsular Malaysia, accompanied by members of the Orang Asli communities (from the Semai and Temuan subgroups) to learn about the abundance of natural food resources that lie within. this is a crucial piece of text that seeks to document, preserve and celebrate the knowledge of wild foraging, the Orang Asli and their role as the protectors of our natural fauna, as well as the sanctity of our forests, with a subtle call to action for environmental conservation.

[Jasmin Mohd-zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small book is really lovely, with beautiful watercolor illustrations (done by the author herself) of the edible plants and food cooked using them. Stories accompany these pictures of how the Semai and Temuan sub group of indigenous tribe of Peninsular Malaysia use them for such a long time before there was agriculture activity.

It is ripe to be the manual for a real workshop of picking and cooking these plants.....just in case one day we face a food crisis in Malaysia. The medicinal properties of these plants also need to be practiced and recorded again before it gets lost in time.

[CL with her books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicate-made and appreciated book. Suitable for local and foreign (malay quote from orang asli community translated in English as well) to have a glance of how orang asli diet was found and prepared and the transition of such an ancient food cultures are extincting. A sad and underrated record.

[yipeng · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to Malaysian plants through the lens of Indigenous knowledge and culture. The illustrations accompanied by the descriptions of plants were truly a delight. Will be returning to this throughout my lifetime.

[Cin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a beautiful book. It attempted to document an increasingly rare tradition but fell short. The drawings, while some are great for identification, but some are not. Now I wish a professional would publish a book like this

[Rasydan Fitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well illustrated but I wish it contains more stories and anecdotes as those are what makes this experience/book special.

[Dee Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book ! Indigenous knowledge is so important to food, environment and culture. My only gripe is that I wish there were also photos or more detailed illustrations.

[Shafiqahsamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adoi. Kecur air liur 🤤🤤🤤

[Zahirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little book with charming illustrations and big potential. Reading about the dishes makes me salivate and I'm not really the ulam type. Just a couple minor critique - the monochrome illustrations detracts the 'charmingness(?)' of the book, and adding some scale to the illustrations would be appreciated. The book was published a year after receiving a grant which makes me wonder if the grant imposed a time constraint. I think this book can definitely be expanded to include other tribes within the Peninsular alone if including East Malaysia would be too much of a massive project. Bottom line - great publication which I hope we'll get to see an expanded edition.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

i need more of this

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection

[Husna Rohmat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad I picked up this book. I may not need some of the information I learned from this book in the near future but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Very informative with beautiful illustrations.