Karachi, 20 April: Oxford University Press launched its latest Food Prints: An Epicurean Voyage through Pakistan Overview of Pakistani Cuisine written by Shanaz Ramzi. Pakistan is home to many diverse communities, each boasting a cuisine that has been influenced by the country's rich history and varied topography. The book documents the influence of geography, history, culture, and religion on the culinary habits of Pakistan. Apart from giving a general idea about the forms of the staple diet of the country, it also highlights the various communities that inhabit different parts of the country and the cuisines they enjoy in particular. The author also traces the origins of many of the popular dishes, the enchanting legends behind some of them, and the occasions they are most associated with. An attractive, well-designed book, it encompasses recipes from across the country, and also includes some of the author's favourites from her personal repertoire.
Shanaz Ramzi has been working as a freelance journalist since 1994. She has written on a variety of subjects for various publications, both local and international. A regular contributor to the magazine section of the English daily Dawn and the monthly magazine Newsline, Ramzi has been twice nominated for the Gender in Journalism Award by UNESCO. She is currently serving at HUM Network Ltd as General Manager, Publications and Public Relations, and Editor of Masala TV Food Mag, Pakistan's widely circulated food magazine.
The launch ceremony held at the Frere Hall was a well-attended event with food stalls displaying and offering samples of some of the varied dishes featured in the book. During her presentation on Food Prints, Shanaz Ramzi highlighted through visuals the plethora of dishes patronized by the different communities of Pakistan. She described how the seeds for writing this book were sown and how it took her a journey of seven years to research and collect material for it. In her welcome address, Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan, said that one realizes on reading this book what a range and assortment of cuisines Pakistan has to offer. "Ramzi grippingly shows how eternal interest in food and historical globalization of human cultures have collaborated in giving us our choicest dishes", she further added. Sohail Ahmed of Icon Stylized Heritage and Pervez Iqbal, Managing Director, BBCL, also spoke on the occasion.
Close