Of sweetness and spice
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The beauty of a cinnamon roll is in its soft, flaky dough, the fine cinnamon powder incorporated into its depths and the sticky sweet glazing on top. Who knew that Sri Lanka’s legendary spice export would become immensely popular in the form of a Western classic that took its own time making it to the commercial end? It finally has, and cinnamon rolls are now a fairly common sighting at coffee shops, bakeries and markets. Mango & Co is a strong new contender in the business and we spoke to owner Shivani Perera about their offerings.
Mango & Co was launched just a few months ago at the February Colombo Design Market. Their specialty cinnamon rolls with caramel, chocolate and cream cheese toppings were on offer and disappeared soon enough. “The initial response was mind-blowing!” she says. “I was sold out a couple hours before the fair ended and I had customers coming for seconds and thirds! It was very humbling to see such a response and many requested my number and contact details to make orders.”
Shivani was born and brought up in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and qualified as a molecular medical scientist specialising in cancer research. “Although I am in love with science I do have a passion for cooking,” she tells us. “It has been therapeutic and a fun way to blow off some steam and de-stress. I’ve always experimented in the kitchen even as a kid. I love to try out new dishes and even try out bold, unorthodox ingredients.”
With her husband Mimraz, sister and cousins along with other family members volunteering as guinea pigs Shivani has been testing and perfecting her recipes for some time. The opportunity to showcase at the Colombo Design Market “fell into my lap” she says “and I just took it. It was challenging as I had just about 3 days to get everything sorted for the stall but I faced it head on and it was a raging success. I want to provide food that is both intense in flavour, using only the best ingredients and generous in size. I don’t want to skimp on quality. I believe that what I serve should be the best according to my standards.”
Mango & Co currently offers cinnamon rolls, soft pretzels with a honey mustard glaze and yogurt cake in strawberry and passion fruit, pineapple, rhubarb, chocolate and vanilla flavours. Shivani’s cinnamon rolls (with a minimum order for six rolls) remain the most popular item, and she says it’s thanks to a “culmination and manipulation” of recipes she has painstakingly researched and tested. “We use only the best ingredients,” she explains. “I use fair-trade and organic ingredients. The chocolate I use is organic and from Germany. When the ingredients are of high quality, you are sure to get the best flavours and that is always what I aim for.” The rolls are priced from Rs. 250 upwards, Rs. 150 for a piece of yogurt cake and Rs. 250 for a soft pretzel. Soon, Mango & Co. will launch a special range of Arabic food, pies and a variety of finger foods.
Shivani thanks her husband, parents and sister alongside family and friends for her success and their support. “Many people ask me why I’ve got into food when I’ve qualified in Cancer research,” she adds. “I’d like to tell everyone who has faced the same barrage of questions-I have always done what makes me happy and when you are blessed with talents it’s a crime not to let them shine. It’s been challenging and so satisfying and I look forward to adding a lot more to the Mango & Company menu in the near future.”
Find them on Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/MangoandCo