About Flaevor
Hello, I am Justina, a professionally trained Chef, recipe developer, food writer and owner of flaevor.com
My interest in food started when I was a child growing up in multicultural Australia. With German, Polish and Irish roots and a history of cooks in the family, I was lucky to have a varied choice of cuisine to eat.
From traditional home-cooked European dishes to Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Spanish, Mexican, Italian, Lebanese, Turkish, Balkan, classic Australian BBQs, and mostly everything else in between.
At 21 I started my first professional hospitality job at a Spanish tapas restaurant which lasted only one year before relocating to Berlin where I found a home working for an American burger restaurant and rock bar. Through this establishment – in what might be the beginning of the modern mobile-food-truck-craze (without the designer wagon – refer to the image below) – many long days and nights were spent in the kitchen and at festivals and events, cooking, cleaning, and collapsing after work.
To further my career I decided to leave Berlin and move to London where my interest in food and culture exploded. The endless options on offer and the buzz of multicultural Londoners who work together tirelessly to be creative and innovative ignited a fire in me. I visited every international supermarket, weekend food market, and as many restaurants as possible to taste new exciting international fusion combinations, of which in London there seems to be no end.
The huge influence of Indian culture and food in England started my obsession with spice and flavour. A work trip to Israel cemented my love for Middle Eastern flavours and it was in Turkey that I visited a market selling a rainbow of spices along with dried fruits and herbs that really changed my thoughts on cooking. All this put me on the path to study and research every ingredient – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami – as much as time allows me.
I completed my professional Chef training in London learning classic French and new British techniques. Working in various restaurants in London and Switzerland led to freelance work as a private Chef and recipe writer for commercial companies. During this time I desperately missed the kick of spice, chilli and umami I’d grown to love.
Developing new recipes with classic and international fusion flavours became an obsession that I can now share on this blog. Here I can focus on the use of spices, sauces, marinades and multiple-use recipes for home cooking.
Traveling is how I continue to learn. I am always searching for cooking classes in new countries to learn from the locals. Upon arrival, visiting local supermarkets is an absolute must to search for new and interesting ingredients. I love collecting new and old cookbooks, and of course, eating out in restaurants is the best way to discover new cuisines.
Even without travel, it is possible to create flavours from a country that has never been visited. With access to so many international ingredients, it’s possible to educate yourself through reading, in-depth research, and using your own unlimited imagination to evolve cooking skills, tastes, food and cultural knowledge. There is no end to what can be created with food. Food and flavours are to be shared by everyone.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or work collaborations here
You can also contact me on Instagram @flaevor_
