Cooks can enjoy a unique taste of Blackbird Leys after a special recipe book was released to help mark the 50th anniversary of the Oxford estate.

Blackbird Leys Golden Recipes contains the favourite recipes of estate residents.

From the hot and saucy flavours of the Caribbean to traditional English desserts, every recipe provides a reminder of the multicultural makeup of the are a.

The selection chosen for publication was whittled down from dozens of suggestions. A thousand copies of the book have been printed and will be handed out to the estate's residents.

Organiser Kate Dunsdon, food development officer for Oxford City Council, said: "The idea of it was to produce a memento of the anniversary year.

"It's capturing everyone's experiences around food. We have got dishes from all sorts of different cultures and different ages.

"It's a real mixture, to celebrate the diversity of the estate and the people that live and work here."

Recipes in the book include banana flapjacks, Welsh Never Fail Cake, vegetable samosas and goat curry.

Nutrition graduate Tish Hunt, 29, from North Way, who helped to compile the final list of dishes, said: "It has been good fun and a great experience.

"I think it's important to celebrate the different ethnic groups on Blackbird Leys.

"Getting them to share their recipes is good, because food defines people's cultures."

Ms Hunt said a particular dish to note was Whirley Gigs - a shortcrust pastry recipe which has been handed down three generations.

She added: "It has been a nice end to the year of celebrations on Blackbird Leys, and we hope the book is something for people to take away at the end of the 50th anniversary year."

Copies of Leys Eats will be available free of charge from Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, in Pegasus Road, in the new year.