What the Tongue Remembers

Jealousy, longing, betrayal, and faith simmer in this tantalizing collection of eleven short stories about Malayalee women in Singapore. Each stands at a crossroads in life, stirring a pot of nostalgia and desire as they prepare comforting dishes for those they love.

In the kitchens of the meticulous Anusha Menon, the fearless Chellamma, and the gentle Aysha Rahman, the scent of Kerala’s rich culinary heritage lingers in recipes passed down through generations and in spices carrying whispers of home. In another corner of the city, Lilykutty Mathews holds the last hours of her marriage tenderly, learning that endings have their own kind of hunger.

Across these kitchens and lives, no dish, however lovingly prepared, can quiet their deepest hunger, the hunger to love and be loved.