South Asian Heritage Month (SAMH) is our opportunity to celebrate the history and contributions made to our society by those with a South Asian background. About 1 in every 20 people in the UK have South Asian heritage, so it’s important as a great and inclusive employer we recognise and embrace what our British South Asian communities bring to our collective culture.
South Asia consists of these eight countries: Afghanistan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; The Maldives; Nepal; Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
This year, the SAMH theme is “Free to Be Me,” where we can celebrate simply being yourself.
Learn more about South Asian Heritage Month on their website here!
See below some of the ways we can celebrate this year!
SAHM Cafe Specials
We had an excellent week celebrating South Asian Heritage month with a specially curated menu, chosen by the Trust Cultural Diversity Network and all brought to life by all of the catering staff serving the wonderful lunches! It was a brilliant way to celebrate, as we know food is a huge part of bringing different cultures together and sharing our experiences.
Here are a few SAHM foodie facts we shared on Facebook when sharing the specials:
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One country celebrated as part of SAHM is the Kingdom of Bhutan! This is a small country in the Himalaya Mountains with a Buddhist state religion. Bhutanese people use lots of chilli and cheese in their food. Ema datshi is the national dish of Bhutan, which is a spicy stew with green chilli peppers and cheese!
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Sri Lanka is known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean and was the first country in the world to elect a female prime minister in 1960! They are also big tea drinkers, and Sri Lanka is known for producing some of the world’s finest tea. Sri Lanka is very famous for its cinnamon, and it’s ‘True Cinnamon’ tree!
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One of the countries we’re celebrating as part of SAHM is Pakistan! Because Pakistan is an Islamic country, most only eat halal foods and don’t eat pork. Pakistani’s make a lot of spicy and aromatic dishes, using a mix of spices commonly referred to as “karri”. The world famous pink Himalayan salt is also mined in Pakistan!
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India produces more than 70% of the spices used around the world. They also produce the most varieties of the spice turmeric, a rich yellow spice which is thought to have great anti-inflammatory health benefits. Although India is well known for their meat curries, it is also the country with the highest population of vegetarians!
- Dal’s are a very common dish served in South Asian countries, like in Nepal which lies between China and India. Lentils are an important component of many Nepalese dishes, providing protein and flavour. In Nepal people often eat their meals with their hands- though it’s considered impolite to use your left hand while eating!
SAHM Book Club
We love a little book club here at Solutions, and there are absolutely tons of South Asian authors that have great books out! Here are a few book recs if you’re looking for some new reading this month:
The God of Small Things | Arundhati Roy A book about love, family and the caste system of India, this is a deeply thought- provoking and interesting novel. It won the Booker Prize in 1997!
The Reluctant Fundamentalist | Mohsin Hamid This novel looks at the aftermath of 9/11 for a Pakistani man living in America, who then shares his story with a stranger in Lahore.
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida | Shehan Karunatilaka Looking for some magical realism? The titular character of this book, Maali, begins this book dead! He has seven days to find a way to share his truth about what he has photographed in life and spread the word about corruption and violence.
Home Fire | Kamila Shamsie This is the story of a British Pakistani family and their struggle to live in their adoptive country in the shadow of the terrorist threat. This is a reimagining of the Greek tragedy Antigone.
