Kalsom Taib holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and a Diploma in Education from the University of Malaya. She taught in secondary schools for five years before joining the private sector, in human resources, in Shell Malaysia, Malaysia Mining Corporation and Nestle Malaysia. After her retirement in December 1997, she became a writer and publisher, starting with three books about family members.
She then co-authored three Gourmand award-winning cookbooks:
- Johor Palate: Tanjung Puteri Recipes (2015), a compilation of hard-to-find Johor dishes,
- Malaysia’s Culinary Heritage: The Best of Authentic Traditional Recipes (2020), a compilation of 230 recipes that capture the unique flavours and textures of Malaysian food, including 213 foods that had been gazetted as traditional foods by the Department of National Heritage Malaysia under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645)
- Recipes Are For Sharing (2022), a compilation of 200 Malaysian Recipes that are simple and speedy to make.
Kalsom has been a columnist for The Star, since 2023. She has compiled her articles in My Malaysian Food Journey (2024), which marks the culmination of her rich and colourful career in heritage cookbooks. This book is on the list of nominees for the 30th Gourmand Awards in the Food Heritage category.
