The Tamils of the north and east of Sri Lanka have a distinct cuisine which reflects their geography and their resourcefulness in the use of the products of their harsh lands. This compilation of recipes of the Jaffna Tamils is a tribute to that tradition. Rani Thangarajah collected these from her own family recipes and from Tamil women who maintain the spirit of Tamil cooking wherever they go. Grandmothers, mothers and aunts are always silently remembered in collections such as this one. The recipes were collected in Tamil. They have been translated and edited by Nesa Eliezer. Encouraged by a first hand knowledge of these recipes from her Tamil heritage in Malaysia, and a keen interest in the cultural traditions of the Indian sub-continent, especially of the Tamils, Nesa Eliezer has brought to this collection an understanding of the need to record and remember these precious recipes for the women of the Tamil diaspora.