A taste of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan food is one of those things that stays with you long after the trip is over. You might remember a particular beach, a train journey or the warmth of the people, but chances are you will remember the food too.

It is colourful, fragrant, sometimes very spicy and often far more varied than you expect. Rice and curry may be the dish everyone knows, but that is only the beginning. From crispy hoppers and chopped kottu to fresh seafood, coconut pancakes and fruit picked close to where it is served, eating in Sri Lanka can be an experience in itself.

More than rice and curry

Rice and curry is at the heart of Sri Lankan cuisine, but do not expect one bowl of rice with one curry on top.

A typical meal can come with several different dishes surrounding a generous portion of rice. There might be dhal, coconut sambol, a spicy vegetable curry, green beans, beetroot, jackfruit or something you have never tried before. Fish and chicken curries are common too, especially depending on where you are staying.

The best part is that every plate can be a little different. The flavours change from one restaurant to another and from one family kitchen to the next. Coconut, chilli, curry leaves and fragrant spices appear again and again, creating food that feels rich and comforting even when the ingredients themselves are simple.

And yes, it can be spicy. Sometimes very spicy. If you are not used to a lot of heat, it is worth asking before you order.

Hoppers are worth
waking up for

One of the foods you really should try in Sri Lanka is hoppers.

These thin, bowl shaped pancakes are made from a fermented rice flour batter and cooked in a small rounded pan. The edges become crisp while the centre stays soft, making them perfect for dipping into curries and sambols.

An egg hopper is exactly what it sounds like, with an egg cooked in the middle. It is simple, delicious and a popular choice for breakfast or dinner.

Then there are string hoppers, which look completely different. Made from fine strands of rice flour dough, they are usually served with curry, dhal and coconut sambol. They might not look like much at first, but together with the right accompaniments, they become one of those meals where you suddenly understand why people keep going back for more.

Kottu is impossible to ignore

If you hear the rhythmic sound of metal blades hitting a hot griddle in the evening, there is a good chance someone
is making kottu.

Kottu roti is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous street food dishes. Flatbread is chopped into small pieces and cooked with vegetables, egg or meat, spices and sometimes cheese. Everything is mixed and chopped together on a large hot plate, creating the unmistakable sound that often announces dinner before you can even see it.

It is messy, filling and full of flavour.

Every place seems to have its own version, which is part of the fun. You can keep it simple or try one packed with chicken, seafood or vegetables. It may not be the prettiest dish on the table, but it is definitely one of the most memorable.

Fresh fish and seafood
by the coast

On an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, it is no surprise that fish and seafood play an important role in the local food.

Along the coast, fresh fish is everywhere. You might see it displayed outside a small restaurant, brought in by local fishermen or simply appear on your plate as part of the daily catch.

Fish curry is a classic, often rich with spices and coconut, while grilled fish can be wonderfully simple. Prawns and other seafood are also easy to find in coastal areas, especially in places where you can sit near the ocean and eat what was caught not far from where you are sitting.

For me, that is part of what makes eating in Sri Lanka so special. The food often feels connected to where you are. On the coast, there is seafood. In the highlands, you may find different vegetables and flavours. Everywhere you go, there is something that belongs to that particular place.

Coconut is everywhere

It would be difficult to talk about Sri Lankan food without talking about coconut.

Coconut milk is used in curries, grated coconut appears in sambols and sweets, and fresh coconut is part of everyday life. You will see king coconuts sold along the roadside, ready to drink straight from the shell.

One of the things I loved were the coconut pancakes. Soft, slightly sweet and filled with a delicious coconut mixture, they are the kind of thing that can disappear from the plate far too quickly.

Coconut gives Sri Lankan food a flavour that is difficult to miss but rarely feels overwhelming. It appears in so many different forms that you start noticing just how much of the island’s cooking would be completely different without it.

The fruit is
a different experience

Sri Lanka is also a wonderful place for fruit.

Mango, papaya, pineapple, passion fruit and so much more are easy to find, often tasting far better than the versions we are used to buying after they have travelled halfway around the world.

One thing I noticed almost immediately was the difference in drinks.

In the refrigerators of cafs and small restaurants, there were not endless rows of industrial soft drinks and bottled juices. There were some, of course, but there was also a surprising amount of fresh fruit. Order a mango juice, a papaya juice or another fruit drink and there is a good chance you will get exactly that: real fruit, freshly prepared.

It sounds like a small thing, but it changes the whole experience. Instead of choosing between different brands and brightly coloured bottles, you can choose the fruit you actually
feel like having.

Sometimes the simplest things become the most memorable.

Food is part of the journey

You do not need to plan every meal in advance when travelling around Sri Lanka. In fact, some of the best food experiences happen when you simply stop somewhere because you are hungry, curious or tempted by a smell coming from the kitchen.

Try the small local places. Order something you do not recognise. Ask what other people are eating. Be open to a meal that looks completely different from
what you expected.

Sri Lankan food can be spicy, unfamiliar and sometimes difficult to describe, but that is part
of its charm.

From a plate of rice surrounded by colourful curries to a late night kottu, from fresh prawns by the coast to crispy hoppers for breakfast, food becomes another way of getting to know the island.

And sometimes, all it takes is a glass of freshly made mango juice to remind you that travelling is not only about the places you see.

It is also about everything you taste along the way.