The name of the country located on the island of the same name translates as “blessed land”. This was confirmed at various times by Rabindranath Tagore, who called the island the pearl of the Indian Ocean, and A. P. Chekhov, who was sure that he was in a paradise.
A tropical island with an eternal summer and a riot of colors, it attracts hundreds of kilometers of beaches, a unique underwater world and many historical sights. And also an interesting history and rich traditions. After all, Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was called until 1972, is one of the most ancient countries in the world. Remains of the ancient independent kingdom, ancient cities, temples and other historical values can be seen today. Sri Lanka is deservedly considered the world center of Buddhism, the island is known for its large-scale sculptural composition: three huge statues of Buddha are carved into the rocks.
The main asset of the island is its fabulous nature, four national parks and a wealth of fauna. And, of course, the famous Ceylon tea, which is grown in picturesque green valleys. But what, besides tea, can you try in Sri Lanka?
Food in Sri Lanka
The cuisine resembles the cuisine of neighboring India, but is much richer in flavor palette and variety of ingredients. All the peoples who left their mark on the history of the island also influenced Sri Lankan cuisine. It was formed under the influence of Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese and Malay culinary traditions. Moreover, the Sri Lankans very creatively reworked and expanded the recipes of other cuisine, creating their own, exotic and unique cuisine of Sri Lanka.
Its main features are associated with climate or religion. The latter considers the cow to be a sacred animal, so there are practically no beef dishes on the island. And since part of the population is Muslim, pork is also rare. This is offset by the abundance of fish and seafood, especially in the coastal areas. An abundance of spicy dishes is associated with the climate, as in all hot countries - spicy spices have antimicrobial properties and contribute to the safety of food. The main product, as in all Asian countries, is rice.
Restaurants at seaside resorts are oriented towards tourists, and their national dishes are adapted for European consumers. Therefore, you can safely try them.
Top 10 Sri Lankan dishes
Curry
Curry
Here, any dish with spices can be called so. The variations are almost endless, with the most popular ingredients: curry bush leaves, chili and black pepper, turmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and coriander, cumin, mustard seeds. Combinations of various curries with rice form the basis of the cuisine.
Sri Lanka's cuisine is almost vegetarian, so vegetable curry is considered the main curry here. This is followed by fish curry, also with rice. The only meat consumed by the local population is chicken. Therefore, it is worth trying the chicken curry. There is squid curry, shrimp curry.
Appa
Traditional pancakes of Sri Lankan cuisine are unusual for Europeans. First, the shape - in the form of a hemisphere, a sort of edible container. Secondly, the taste: rice dough in coconut milk ferments for at least six hours, so the pancakes are sour. Thirdly, from the outside, the pancake is crispy, and the tenderness traditional for us retains only from the inside. A filler is placed in this gentle inner recess - an egg, yogurt, jam. Appu is usually eaten for breakfast on the island. If they dine on pancakes, the filling will be an indispensable curry.
Buffalo kurd
Buffalo kurd
A striking representative of a large family of dairy products. They are abundant here, but the Kurd is the most popular. This is sour milk from buffalo milk, or yogurt - whatever. It is sold in rough clay bowls. And this is not a marketing ploy. In such heavy, thick-walled containers, the Kurd is cooked. During the technological process, the porous clay surface picks up excess moisture from the milk. The yogurt turns out to be incredibly thick. But that's not all. Thick walls do not allow the finished product to deteriorate for quite a long time without a refrigerator. But the most important thing is the taste, it is excellent. Having tasted Kurdish, it's hard to go back to regular yoghurts.
Sambol
Often the name sounds like the floor of sambol. Chili sauce with various spices. The recipe came from Indonesia and was further developed on local soil. There is a sauce where grated coconut flakes, onions, garlic, peppers and some kind of curry are mixed. Sambol is very tasty, where chili is combined with coconut pulp, lime juice and red onions. The skill of Sri Lankan chefs is that they accurately determine the amount of different components needed for a particular type of sauce. And they cook it like curry in a cast iron pot (chatti). You should definitely try shrimp sambol - both for those who love seafood and those who are looking for new tastes. The pungency of chili is combined with the aroma of shrimp, a very memorable dish is obtained, it disappears from the table first.
Kiribat
Kiribat
This is white rice stewed in coconut milk. It may not please everyone, but you should try it - as an obligatory dish of festive Sri Lankan cuisine. In the historical chronicles of the country, this dish is mentioned; the kings treated it to Buddhist priests. Kiribat is still a cultural value today. It is served at weddings, New Year's feasts, during all important ceremonies, family and state. It can be enjoyed in any restaurant, usually for breakfast. The dish is represented by white rhombuses. The taste is delicate, but not for everybody.
There are options. Kiribat with palm nectar and coconut is a dessert, with katta sambola sauce is an appetizer, with vegetables and meat is the main course.
Tortillas
Paratha is considered a traditional flat bread in Indian cuisine. In Sri Lankan, it was transformed into fatty delicious cakes with fillings - from potatoes, cabbage, greens, any finely chopped vegetables. The tortillas melt in your mouth, and the paratha with curry is generally delicious.
Roti is cooked from grated coconut pulp with flour and water. They are thicker than paratha, but not as oily. Roti is often folded in triangles with different fillings - vegetable, meat or fish. Soy roti is worth trying. The filling in it is just soy protein, but it is prepared in such a way that it tastes no different from pork and egg.
There is also samosa, also baked goods, often in the form of triangular pies, with a very peppery filling. They are heavily fried, until they crunch. Even a well-fed person will not pass by this.
Cottu
Cottu
Translated from Sinhalese as "chopped". To be on the island and not try the cat is unrealistic. The dish is served in every restaurant and sold in every street stand. Kottu is based on finely chopped national bread paratha, yesterday's. This is a local version of waste-free food production. Shredded stale bread is mixed either with vegetables or with meat - at your choice, thoroughly fried and all kinds of spices are added. Instead of paratha, roti cakes are used, this is called kottu roti. Eggs, cheese are also additives - everything that the chef's imagination suggests. The dish is so popular that you can't get around it. You will still have to try, but you will not regret it.
Exotic drinks
You should definitely try the royal coconut, or rather, the juice from it. This yellow-orange fruit is considered drinkable. Not to be confused with green coconut, it is used for butter, milk and nuts. Royal coconut liquid (not milk!) Is sweet and nutritious. Street vendors chop off the top, insert a tube and immediately offer it for use. But it is difficult to appreciate it when warm. It tastes good when drunk chilled.
Fruit juices are always freshly squeezed here. Most tourists prefer passionfruit fresh. Not everyone runs the risk of trying the juice of a divula (wooden apple) or durian - the smell scares off. If you try not to smell, the taste will atone for these efforts. Extremely tasty and healthy.
A seasonal fruit smoothie with ice and milk is also popular. But it's more interesting to try lassi, another borrowing from Indian cuisine. This is yoghurt with sugar, local fruits and ice. In addition to being tasty, it also quenches your thirst.
Exotic fruits
As in all tropical countries, Sri Lanka has an abundance of fruits all year round. In addition to the well-known mangoes, bananas, watermelons, limes, pineapples and papaya, there are fruits that can only be tasted here.
Sapodilla is a perishable fruit and is not exported. It is necessary to evaluate its unusual taste in two forms. Chilled it is ice cream, drizzled with caramel, in warm - coffee with chocolate and a slight aftertaste of persimmon. At the same time, the fruit is outwardly unsightly, reminiscent of a potato.
Rambutan grows on trees in beautiful red bunches. It is about the size of a medium peach, but is covered with a much thicker cover of green hairs. Delicious, sweet and healthy. Lychee is less sweet, but the taste is exquisite. It is also red in color and also grows in bunches. Only hairless and smaller.
There are so many fruits that it is easier to say which are not on the island. Even ordinary ones here have unique taste qualities: it is well known that Sri Lankan pineapple is the most delicious.
Sweets
The choice is large, always based on coconut milk, coconut flakes, nuts and palm nectar.
Be sure to enjoy Sri Lankan pitta cakes. They are crumbly, in the form of tubes, sprinkled with coconut flakes. The composition is classic for local cuisine: rice flour and coconut pulp. In the traditional recipe, pitta is steamed in bamboo. Now the bamboo has been replaced with round metal tubes, which did not affect the taste. Pittu is good with sweetened coconut milk.
There is also kyavum - a kind of donuts, only made from rice dough. The same dough is used to fry the cocoa, openwork brushwood similar to our biscuits.
Many people enjoy eating local ice cream, halva, and jam.
