I loved all the different curries, was delighted to find a Vegan Jamaican ginger cake recipe and the rum roasted potatoes were a wonder at Christmas. Some of the recipes are veganised versions of predominantly Jamaican classics; others are Caribbean-inflected reworkings of foods they love and have grown up eating. As with their first book, Original Flava, it draws on the generous tradition of Caribbean food, though its focus — or perhaps it would be more accurate to say its inspiration — is Ital cooking; the “ital” derives from “vital” and denotes the Rastafarian approach to eating, with its emphasis on fresh, unprocessed food and and its celebration of the earth’s bounty.

There's lots of interesting recipes for plantains, a squash wellington that I've never seen before, some porridge bowls, and more! Anyhow if you have been looking for a very accessible plant-based Caribbean cookbook to complement your Bryant Terry collection, this is fab and doesn't go over the same territory (this is more like a pure UK Caribbean with way less cajun influence etc). Determined to find more interesting Vegan recipes with actual ingredients rather than 'fake meat' this book wonderfully fit my requirements. Craig and Shaun McAnuff are all about maximum flava, and these are recipes that are filling and flava-ful, and just happen to be vegan too. I know a lot of people who love to cook, myself included, but I don't know a single person who owns a kitchen scale.

Presented with mouthwatering pictures and engaging text that makes you want to cook, the recipes are easy to follow and written in an engaging way that isn't gimmicky. This is an amazing introduction to plant- based Caribbean cooking and since I have never had authentic Caribbean food before - mainly because I have the chilli threshold of a toddler - I was SOOO excited to see this book. By the way, I used vegetable shortening (in the form of Trex, which is much the same as Crisco) rather than the vegan butter stipulated in the recipe, as I always have it in the fridge for pastry. Caribbean food makes for brilliant vegan dishes because it relies on fresh and vibrant fruit and veg, from plantain to pineapple. Beyond the fact I love the base recipe for dumplings and pea stew but also in 3 days I cooked 3 dinners in a row.

I can’t wait to try making some of the recipes and see for myself what my students were talking about.I normally like recipe books that include pictures for every recipe and while this book doesn't have pictures for them all, the pictures that are included look delicious. Natural Flava brings together Ital inspiration, punchy Caribbean flava and quick and easy recipes in this feel-good cookbook.

Now, in Natural Flava, they're spreading the love, offering Ital inspiration and punchy Caribbean flavors to the feel-good, plant-based diet taking the world by storm. All that having been said, if you can look past the new and surprising ingredients -the chapter in breakfast is especially stuffed with them- this is a great book. Rastafari is an expression of unity with all things, and the Ital diet reflects that through a sense of peace and togetherness with the natural world.This delicious, vibrant Caribbean-influenced cookbook from the bestselling duo behind Original Flava includes over 100 easy recipes. I was a little daunted by the book at the beginning when it kept asking for ingredients that I’ve either never heard of, or are very difficult to procure for the average Canadian. There really is much to love here, especially if this is a cuisine you want to try as the recipes look both delicious and accessible and cover a range of scenarios and influences that will make you drool.