National Geographic India is set to premiere Jayaflava: Celebrating Sri Lanka, a new travel-and-food series that journeys across Sri Lanka through its most iconic dishes, unforgettable landscapes, and the people who shape the island’s culture today.
This series, hosted by Sri Lankan author and food storyteller Tasha Marikkar, is built around her debut cookbook Jayaflava; a celebration of food, flavor and recipes from Sri Lanka published by HarperCollins India. From street-side kottu stalls in Colombo to mud crab in Jaffna, surf-town feasts in Hiriketiya to coconut country in Puttalam, the show is an invitation to travel Sri Lanka the best way possible: by following the flavor.
Talking about the series, Marikkar says, “I travel Sri Lanka guided by my stomach, and it has led me to some excellent places. This show has definitely made me push my comfort zones (wait for Ella!) but at the same time let me see my island through fresh eyes! What an absolute beauty of a country I get to call home!”
The series premiered on Friday 20 February at 8.00 PM (Prime Time) on National Geographic India, with a prime-time repeat every Sunday at 1.00 PM.
Sri Lanka is a vibrant multicultural universe — inhabited by a variety of people, from the Sinhalese, Tamils and Chetties to the Moors, Burghers, Veddas and Malays. The cuisine of this island nation is equally diverse.
Born and bred Sri Lankan, Tasha Marikkar has spent most of her life between Sri Lanka and the UK. Her family background is varied — her father is a Ceylon Moor and her mother is both Colombo Chetty and Sinhalese. She is often referred to as a real ‘achcharu’ — like the dish, a delicious mix of everything. Cooking since she was six, with an undying passion for food, Tasha spent the years 2020-2023 in the joyous labor of discovering, rediscovering and researching Sri Lankan recipes. This journey made her fall in love, again and again, with the glorious, intoxicating flavors of the region, coming from the vast variety of its indigenous yet very diverse origins.
Through this book, Tasha introduces the reader to this wonderful cuisine. A culinary tour of Sri Lanka, Jayaflava brings together the history and traditions, ingredients and spices, and their preparation and use. With clear step-by-step recipes, it guides the reader through the delightful process of creating a beautiful Sri Lankan meal.
JayaFlava, the series – A Fresh, Modern View of Sri Lanka — Told From the Inside
At the heart of the series is Tasha Marikkar, a HarperCollins-published author and on-screen storyteller who lives between London and Colombo. Known for her sharp humor, deep cultural knowledge, and unapologetically real voice, Tasha brings viewers into Sri Lanka as it truly is — chaotic, beautiful, diverse, and delicious.
Rather than simply “reviewing food,” each episode uses one signature dish as the gateway to a region, its people, and its stories — creating a show that is as much about travel, culture, and identity as it is about what’s on the plate.
Star Guests, Iconic Dishes & Unmissable Journeys
Across six episodes, JayaFlava travels through Sri Lanka’s most compelling regions and communities, featuring some of the island’s most exciting cultural voices:
- Episode 1: Kotthu — Colombo
A deep dive into the beating heart of the island, its street food culture and urban energy, featuring broadcaster and writer Nihal Arthanayake.
- Episode 2: Crab Curry — Jaffna
A journey into Sri Lanka’s northern coastal cuisine, featuring acclaimed chef Dharshan Munidasa.
- Episode 3: Good Times — Hiriketiya
A surf-town episode packed with food, drinks and modern coastal culture, featuring Booker Prize-winning author Shehan Karunatilaka and the Owners of the 67th Best Bar in the World, Smoke & Bitters – Lahiru and Don.
- Episode 4: Hoppers — South Coast
The dish that propelled Sri Lankan food onto the global stage, featuring chef Karan Gokani (Hoppers, UK).
- Episode 5: Coconut — Puttalam
The ingredient at the centre of Sri Lankan cooking, featuring the brothers behind Gini- Shanil, Nadiskha and Nelaka.
- Episode 6: Lamprais — Galle
A historic culinary journey through one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic coastal cities, featuring chef and author O Tama Carey and Sri Lankan food influencer Kamal Uncle.
