How quitting her job and travelling the world led to a cookbook

Malaysian-born Jolene Loh left her corporate career in 2017 and embarked on a five-year journey across 34 countries. Initially planning to travel for 100 days, she was drawn to the culinary world after encountering various dishes during her travels. Loh, who had a corporate background with major companies like Microsoft and Disney, decided to quit her job due to burnout and unexplained health issues. She sold most of her belongings, packed an 18kg backpack, and set off on her travels.

Her culinary inspiration came from the many cooking classes she attended from Michelin-starred chefs to home cooks in countries such as Kenya, Nepal, Morocco, Italy, Spain, and Thailand. Her interest in veganism also began during her travels, influenced by a fellow traveller who followed a raw vegan diet for ethical reasons. Loh connected with people through the Couchsurfing community, often asking host families for their favourite meals and recreating them in a vegan style.

Upon her return to Belgium in 2020, Loh launched a plant-based supper club called SupperclubBE. The successful supper club inspired her to write a hybrid cookbook and travel memoir titled "Taste of Letting Go." The book features 34 vegan recipes inspired by her travels, including a special chapter on Malaysian banana leaf dishes.

Loh's Kickstarter campaign, launched in August 2026, has already raised RM10,479 from 49 backers, surpassing its funding goal of RM36,803. The book will be publicly released in early 2027, with Kickstarter backers receiving their copies first.