Finding a new cultural experience in Ballarat can be as simple as stepping out the front door. The city provides a multitude of opportunities for people to become immersed in the food, dance, art or sport of almost any country in the world.
One such opportunity for intercultural immersion is Flying Chillies – a business that celebrates the food and traditions of its owner Lilly Wright.
Born in Malaysia and the youngest of nine children, Lilly grew up participating in large family gatherings where everyone had a role to play in preparing the feast.
“When I was a kid I needed to help in kitchen. It took all day to prepare the food because we did everything from scratch. We processed the animals and picked the vegetables from our garden. The women would be in the kitchen and the men outside by the charcoal oven.
“We only cooked what we needed and nothing went to waste. Vegetable scraps were fed to the animals we raised.
“Most importantly we had to be patient. It was usually a six-to-eight-hour process to prepare the meal, but that’s how you achieve the best flavours.”
These principles formed the foundation of Lilly’s cooking, yet at 18 years old, she discovered a part of her heritage that had been kept secret.
“My mother is Indonesian yet she never taught us how to cook her way. She moved to Malaysia to marry my father and she cooked food the way he liked it. So, when I travelled back to my grandfather’s hometown in Palembang, and visited more family in Bali and Lombok, I was blown away by the Indonesian flavours and cooking methods and I fell in love with food all over again.”
For Lilly, Flying Chillies is about creating a cultural fusion between the two sides of her heritage. She sells a range of sambal, chilli oils and spice pastes that people can use at home, and earlier this year, she commenced cooking classes that enable her to share her passion for food and pride in her heritage.
“Malaysian food uses slow cooking to create incredible depth in the flavours. You can see a Malaysian dish developing as it cooks because it gets darker in colour. You always know it’s going to be good because of the amount of time that goes into every dish. They have mastered slow cooking.
“Indonesian food is fresher because they use lots of herbs and spices to create the flavour explosion. One spice paste can have more than 20 ingredients - it’s a real discovery of flavour and that’s what makes it special.”
Yet flavour is not the only part of the lesson in Lilly’s classes.
“The way I learned to cook is almost spiritual. Although we have food processors and blenders in the class, I always encouraged my students to do everything by hand.
“Using your hands creates a connection to the food. You’re putting an energy into the cooking that is then returned to your body when you eat. It makes the food more nourishing, and we appreciate it more.
“My style of cooking is not about perfection. It’s about experimenting with your taste buds to find balance, letting your hands dance and having no fear.”
Members of the Ballarat community are embracing Lilly’s food and her classes, as well as her enthusiasm for sharing it with Australia. So much so that Lilly was recently appointed an Intercultural Ambassador for the City of Ballarat.
“It’s a good platform to spread the word of the various cultures that exist in Ballarat. We want to create events that bring all cultures together in harmony and allow us all to learn, appreciate and respect each other, from our food to our religion and everything in between.
“It’s about celebrating people.”
Due to its vast cultural diversity, Ballarat is the only city in the southern hemisphere to be named a member of the Council of Europe's Intercultural Cities Network. Lilly feels she and her business are well placed to be part of a broader conversation about understanding, acceptance and collaboration.
“One thing I have realised since moving to Ballarat and starting my business is that you can’t do it alone. You need to connect with people to build your confidence. I have had great support around me and now I hope I can do the same for others.”
Ambassador role aside, the next step in Flying Chillies’ plan is a food truck. Lilly wants to take her food into smaller communities around Ballarat and share the intercultural experience. There are also more cooking classes scheduled for the new year.
“With the food truck we will be able to reach so many more people and hopefully have them enjoy something different.
“I hope to go to markets, festivals and maybe be invited to cater at weddings – I’m not sure how far it will go. I love trying new things, especially anything that lets me be creative.”
Information about Flying Chillies’ products and cooking classes can be found on Facebook, Instagram or online. Lilly can also be found at the Ballarat Farmers’ Market on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
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