Pom (dish) used as an ingredient in preparing "pom". The main stem or corm is most frequently designated as "pomtajer" or "pongtaya" (lit. the tajer/taya for "pom"). The first published description of "pom" comes from the "Encyclopedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië" (1914–1917) which describes the dish as follows: ‘the big tajer, of which the stalk grows above the earth, is grated and treated with the juice of bitter oranges, afterwards with chicken or fish, made into a pie, which dish is known as "pom".’ The basic preparation method is sautéed chicken pieces between two layers of raw, grated "pomtajer", mixed with citrus juice
The Republic of Love to accentuate her existence with a mythic quality while Tom's charisma over the air waves and his impact on other people's lives is intended to give a magical dimension. In adapting the script for the screen, Mehta mused over possible techniques that would capture the elusive nature of love on film and compared it to cooking an exotic dish where love is the main ingredient. In the end she collaborated with Esta Spalding to produce the final script for the film version of the book. Carol Shields was unable to write for the film adaption because of her declining health.