MiMi Aye’s cookbook MANDALAY: Recipes and Tales from a Burmese Kitchen, which was published by Bloomsbury Absolute last year, has been made a finalist for the International or Regional Cookbook Award by The Guild of Food Writers.
MANDALAY, which was one of The Financial Times’ Best Books of 2019, pulls the curtain back on Burmese cuisine making it accessible to new audiences. The rich cookbook details traditional Burmese ingredients and techniques, whilst recipes are brought to life by stories from Aye’s experiences in Burma and her personal family history.
One of the judges praised MANDALAY for offering ‘an evocative snapshot of Burmese culture and cuisine,’ whilst another commented that it is ‘a great read, her recipes all sound and looked delicious’. The book was also described as ‘a cracking cookbook that I’ll be using for years to come.’
The winners of the awards will be announced on 16th June, on The Guild of Food Writers’ Instagram feed: @thegfw
Praise for MANDALAY:
'MiMi Aye's new book is a readable, personal collection... Enlivened with family snaps and beautiful photography, it's a brilliant introduction to Myanmar's food culture.' — Delicious Magazine, Hot New Cookbooks
‘There is so much to love in MiMi Aye’s wonderful MANDALAY: RECIPES & TALES FROM A BURMESE KITCHEN but, even before I got on to the recipes, I felt that a book that told me that in Burma people greet each other by asking whether they’ve eaten yet, belonged in my life… I am so grateful to Mimi Aye for a really loving and hungry-making introduction to a fascinating cuisine.’ — Nigella Lawson
‘It’s rare to come across a book that opens up a largely unknown cuisine, but MANDALAY does exactly that. Burmese recipes that combine the deliverable with the authentic, written with calm authority leavened with personal touches from an engaging personality.’ — Tim Hayward, Financial Times, Best Books of
2019
‘Aye is a gifted recipe writer and opinionated champion of the food of her family (see, for instance, the short section on “Why MSG is A-OK”). This is a book to read as well as cook from, packed with evocative imagery.’ — The Observer, The 20 best food book of 2019
‘The book that opened my mind, and belly, to Burmese food, a cuisine I knew little about. Aye is the most beguiling of guides, weaving in tales of Burmese family and childhood travels, alongside recipes for mohinga
and pickled tea-leaf salad.’ — Tom Parker Bowles, Daily Mail, Books of the Year 2019
‘Wonderful… The perfect introduction to a cuisine that draws from its neighbours in Thailand, India and China while making dishes that are quite unique. MiMi gives detailed descriptions of ingredients, techniques
and recipes - giving the home cook all the tools, tips and - most of all - inspiration to make these dishes themselves.’ — Hot Dinners, The best cookbooks for Christmas presents in 2019
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
British-born to Burmese parents, MiMi Aye has spent herwhole life soaking up Burmese food, language, and culture through endless trips to see family and friends in Burma, as well as back at home. A passionate
advocate for Burmese cuisine, she is the writer of www.meemalee.com, founder of supper club and community, Burmese Food and Beyond, and author of NOODLE! 100 Great Recipes (Absolute Press). Her second book, MANDALAY: Recipes and Tales from a Burmese Kitchen, was published by Bloomsbury Absolute in June 2019.