My Malaysian Food Journey had its genesis in a fortnightly column on ‘Culinary Inspirations’ that appeared in The Star newspaper during 2023 and into 2024. The author, having previously co-authored and published three cookbooks, each the recipient of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, decided it was time to pay tribute to her personal food heritage-to her hometown Muar, where she was brought up by both her maternal and paternal grandparents among a wider family interested in the best of traditional Malay cooking, especially Johorean cuisine, and well-known for its exceptionally talented cooks.