by Dheena & Dheeya Rizmie (she/her)

Our grandmother was Thai. Because of our Punjabi side, we call her, nani (grandmother).

Nani was born during World War 2 in Perlis, Malaysia in the paddy fields.

During the war, life was tough for her. She and her family were always on the run from Japanese soldiers. They would hide in the trees and wear potato sacks as clothes. During those times, they would eat boiled tapioca. It was a good source of energy and it filled them up, which was needed during those times.

Nani kept making tapioca even after our mum was born, but by then, she would add coconut shavings and white sugar. She made it for the same reasons as during the war—it was filling and it gave them energy. They weren’t the richest family and there were many of them so it was also something they could afford.

This sweet and substantial breakfast is something our mum still makes today—and so do we. It takes her back to a more simple time. For us, it makes us feel connected to our roots.

Dheena and Dheeya also recorded a conversation they had remembering their grandmother, who passed away one year ago. You can listen to their conversation below: