Other People's Podcasts: Q&A with Ranji Thangiah.
'start to understand Sri Lankan food and the people around it.'
Tea with Tooting Mama Podcast.
Q - Hello, Ranji. Can you please tell us about yourself and your podcast?
A - My podcast Tea with Tooting Mama is where I talk to people from within the Sri Lankan diaspora about their memories, heritage and stories about food. I have interviewed an award winning hotelier, female food founders, cookbook author and a former refugee now wellness entrepreneur and more!
Q - What inspired you to start your Podcast?
A - I wanted to dig deeper and record the narrative of Sri Lankan diaspora community. We all have a shared heritage, a love of our food, yet we feel neither from here or there as we navigate a life that straddle two cultures.
Q - How did you choose your podcast’s niche or theme
A - It’s an extension of what I do, and what I write about I feel it chose me. I had an inkling that there were some stories waiting to be told, as I started researching I found incredible people doing incredible things within the diaspora. I want to build a platform to share these with a wider community to give our people a voice.
Q - How do you plan and structure your episodes?
A - My podcast is an intimate interview based podcast I want the listener to feel they are part of a shared conversation. I research my guests and send across ten questions, and we take it from there.
Q - How do you choose your guests, if you have any?
A - I research them on social media and magazines and try to find out as much as possible, build a story arc, and pitch my podcast to them.
Q - What distinguishes your podcast from others?
A - I think because it’s about Sri Lankan food and the community around it, but it’s the stories about the people I interview which make it truly unique.
Q - What has been your memorable or impactful episode so far?
A - I loved interviewing Vibushan Thirukumar from Oru Space. His story was gripping - from arriving in the U.K. as a refugee, growing up in a council flat, dropping out of university, forging a corporate career, trying to create an eco hotel in Sri Lanka then launching a co-working / wellness space in London - this episode has it all!
Q - Are there any dream guests or topics you would love to feature?
A - I’d love to interview Cynthia Shanmugalingam, from Rambutan. Her story is brilliant and how she uses her restaurant to showcase Sri Lankan food.
Also, Dom Fernando from Paradise Soho and Larry Jayasekera from Cochine who has an incredible story - rags to riches so to speak of.
Additional note from :
I want people to start to understand Sri Lankan food and the people around it. We’re not an extension of Indian cuisine, ours has a different, complex, layered history and heritage, and it’s our people who can share this story. And if that encourages people to explore Sri Lankan food, or make a trip to Sri Lanka even better!
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thanks for the introduction, Ranji!
This is too good. Thank you 🙏😋🙏