Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 25, 2016 and was updated in December 2018. Please consult this article: Do You Still Need to Worry About the Zika Virus for 2019? for the latest info.
21.07.2023 - 08:34 / roughguides.com
The tear-shaped Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka is a true culinary treat. Through years of colonisation and trade, many cultures have influenced its cuisine. Sir Lankan food has influences from Dutch, Portuguese, English, Malay, Indian and indigenous flavours to tantalise the taste buds. Here is our list of the best Sri Lankan foods you need to try on your trip to this beguiling isle.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka , your essential guide for visiting Sri Lanka .
There’s certainly no shortage of fish, seafood, vegetables and spices to turn into tempting curries. Coconut plays a key role in dishes, as well as arrack, the potent homegrown spirit distilled from the sap of coconut flowers. There’s always thambili, or sweet king coconut water, for the morning after.
Traditionally eaten at breakfast, the savoury, bowl-shaped Sri Lankan take on pancakes are delicious any time. You'll find them everywhere, from street food stalls to restaurant menus. cooked in a small, high-sided pan, they are made from a batter of fermented rice flour, coconut milk, coconut water and a sprinkling of sugar. An egg is broken into the dish while it cooks. Typically it’s enjoyed with a spicy sambol.
Egg hopper, bittara-aappa, Sri Lanka © bonchan/Shutterstock
The archetypal Sri Lankan meal consists of a mini-banquet of fragrant seasonal curries, each one bursting with flavour. Some curries feature potatoes, carrots and pumpkin. Other more rare varieties include meaty-textured young jackfruit, long okra-like drumsticks and bitter gourd, which resemble lumpy cucumbers.
Always served with rice – white, brown or red – Sri Lankans prefer to eat it with their fingers.
Sri Lankan vegetable curry © Shutterstock
Part soup, part herbal porridge, this traditional nutritious green concoction is Sri Lanka’s age-old natural answer to a sugar-filled energy drink. It is made from wild leafy greens – including medicinal herb gotu kola and hathawariya, part of the asparagus family – and rice. It’s believed to have many health-giving properties, including aiding digestion, reducing cholesterol and boosting the immune system.
«Kola kanda» is a traditional Sri Lankan food made up of green leaves © Shutterstock
Rice and curry are usually served with a helping of sambol, designed to be mixed into your food to give it a bit of extra kick. Sambols come in various forms, the most common being pol sambol (coconut sambol), an often eye-watering lethal combination of chilli powder, chopped onions, salt, grated coconut and Maldive fish. Treat it with caution.
You might also come across the slightly less overpowering lunu miris, consisting of chilli powder, onions, Maldive fish and salt; and the more gentle,
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 25, 2016 and was updated in December 2018. Please consult this article: Do You Still Need to Worry About the Zika Virus for 2019? for the latest info.
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