One of the most communal activities that we have done since the beginning of time is eat together. Combining two cultures through matrimony can bring a numerous amount of traditions, understanding, and awareness to forefront. One of those traditions is unquestionably the sharing of food. Grammy Award-winner Ziggy Marley and his wife Orly have gone a step further to share their traditions with the world in their new cookbook, the Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook.
“Food really opened my mind about accepting and understanding different cultures,” comments the 48-year-old to PEOPLE Magazine in their latest issue. “It brings our family together. My wife is Middle Eastern—she’s from Israel; her parents are from Iran—so when we got married, the food got blended.”
Marley, eldest of eleven children in the famous home of legendary Reggae sensation Bob Marley, admits that he enjoys cooking and mealtime at his Los Angeles home with his wife and their four children—Judah (11), Gideon (9), Abraham (5), and Isaiah (7 months). The Jamaican-born Rastafarian tells the magazine that his diet today is primarily influenced by the island fare on which he was raised, but the confessed foodie also found it easy to enjoy his wife’s additions to mealtime as well.
“I introduced her to my favorites, like fish, porridges and different Caribbean seasonings,” comments Marley. “And her family introduced me to the falafels and rice. Sharing food brings the family together, and my kids get the importance of that.” Marley is also father to Daniel (27), Justice (24), and Zuri (21) from previous relationships.
The Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook is available now where books are sold.
