Introduction to foods in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan food is really interesting. It is a combination of spices and things that people brought from countries and the good things that grow in Sri Lanka. People in Sri Lanka eat rice and curry every day. Rice and curry are special because they have a lot of textures and flavors and temperatures. Sri Lankan food is different from food in South Asian countries because it uses a lot of local ingredients like Ceylon curry powder and dried fish and coconut milk to make the food less spicy. Sri Lankan food is special because of these ingredients.
The Art of Rice and Curry
When people in Sri Lanka eat rice and curry it is not one dish. It is a lot of dishes all together on one table. There is a plate of rice in the middle and around it are many small plates of different curries. One of the curries is dhal curry is made with lentils and coconut milk and special leaves. There are also curries like jackfruit and okra and eggplant. People in Sri Lanka always have some kind of meat like pork curry or chicken curry with their rice and curry. Rice and curry is a part of Sri Lankan food.
Street Food Staples and Nightly Traditions
At night people in Sri Lanka like to eat street food. One popular street food is kottu roti which is made with flatbread and vegetables and eggs and meat. People make kottu roti by cutting the bread into pieces and cooking it in a pan. Another popular street food is hopper which’s a special kind of pancake made with rice flour and coconut milk. People cook hopper in a pan. Often put an egg in the middle. Street food is a part of nightly traditions in Sri Lanka.
Condiments, Sambols and Flavor Enhancers
Sri Lankan food is also special because of the things that people add to their meals to make them taste better. These things are called sambols. One of the sambols is pol sambol which is made with coconut and chilies and onions and lime juice. People in Sri Lanka also like to eat lunu miris which’s a mix of shallots and chili flakes. Gotu kola mallum is another dish which is a salad made with special leaves and coconut. Sambols and condiments make Sri Lankan food very tasty.
Coastal Seafood and Southern Specialities
The seafood in Sri Lanka is really good because Sri Lanka has a coastline. People in the part of Sri Lanka like to eat a special kind of fish curry called ambul thiyal. Ambul thiyal is made with tuna and goraka fruit and spices. People in Sri Lanka also like to eat crab curries which are made with mud crabs and prawns and special leaves. Seafood is a part of Sri Lankan cuisine.
Traditional Sweets and Refreshing Beverages
After eating food people in Sri Lanka like to have something. They have a dessert called watalappan which’s a kind of custard made with eggs and coconut milk and spices. People in Sri Lanka also like to drink the water of a coconut which is called king coconut. They also like to have a cup of ginger tea. These sweets and beverages are a part of Sri Lankan traditions.
Would you like to go to the street food markets in Colombo to try all these Sri Lankan foods or do you want to learn how to make them yourself at a cooking school, in Sri Lanka?
