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Sri Lankan cuisine is known for its particular combinations of herbs, spices, fish, vegetables,rices, and fruits. The cuisine is highly centered around many varieties of rice, as well ascoconut which is a ubiquitous plant throughout the country. Seafood also plays a significant role in the cuisine, be it fresh fish or preserved fish. As a country that was a hub in the historicoceanic silk road, contact with foreign traders brought new food items and cultural influences in addition to the local traditions of the country's ethnic groups, all of which have helped shape Sri Lankan cuisine. Influences fromIndian (particularlySouth Indian),Indonesian andDutch cuisines are most evident with Sri Lankan cuisine sharing close ties to other neighbouringSouth andSoutheast Asian cuisines.[1]
Sri Lanka is historically famous for its cinnamon. The 'true cinnamon' tree, orCinnamomum verum, used to be botanically namedCinnamomum zeylanicum to reflect its Sri Lankan origins. This is a widely utilized spice in Sri Lanka, and has a more delicate, sweet taste in comparison toCinnamomum cassia, which is more common in some other Southeast Asian cuisines. Contrasting the local cuisine with those of neighbouring regions, Sri Lankan cuisine is characterized by unique spice blends with heavy use of Sri Lankan cinnamon and black pepper, as well as by the use of ingredients such asMaldives fish,goraka (Garcinia cambogia),pandan leaf,lemongrass, andjaggery made from kithul palm syrup. Sri Lanka is also a consumer of many varieties of red rice, some of which are considered heirloom rices in the country. Tea is also an important beverage throughout the country, and Sri Lanka is known for producing some of the world's finest tea.
In areas located on the island's coasts, seafood is a standard feature of the local dishes.Tamil cuisine, especially inJaffna, shares many similarities withSouth Indian cuisine.KandyanSinhalese cooking is based on local ingredients, including hill vegetables and fruits.[2]
Herbs:pandan leaf(rampe),curry leaf(karapincha),shallot,goraka,lemongrass,tamarind,garlic,ginger,lime,cayenne pepper,tabasco pepper
Fish:Maldives fish,dried fish,mackerel,tuna,shark,sprats, fermented preserved fish
Fruits:bananas,mangoes,pineapple,soursop,guava,avocado,orange
Grains:white rice (some common varieties are Samba, Kekulu, and Suwandel),red rice (some common varieties are Kekulu, Pachchaperumal, Kaluheenati, and Madathawalu),finger millet,hog millet,olu haal (water lily seed)[3]
Meats:chicken,beef,pork,mutton
Oils:coconut oil,sesame oil, cowghee, buffalo ghee,mustard oil
Spices:cinnamon,black pepper,fennel,cardamom,cloves,fenugreek,nutmeg,mace,cumin,coriander,turmeric
Sweeteners: kithuljaggery, coconut jaggery,palmyrah jaggery
Vegetables and greens:gotukola,green papaya,snake beans,bitter melon,snake gourd,luffa,pumpkin,winged bean,moringa
Yams, roots and tubers:lotus root,purple yam,tapioca,kohila (Lasia spinosa),Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Other: Coconut milk and grated coconut are ubiquitous in the cuisine, and are freshly prepared almost every day in most households. Maldives fish is heavily used in vegetable dishes to add anumami flavour.
The central feature of Sri Lankan cuisine is boiled or steamed rice, served with acurry offish ormeat, along with other curries made withvegetables,lentils, orfruits.
Dishes are accompanied by pickled fruits or vegetables,chutneys, andsambols.Coconut sambol is especially common, a paste of groundcoconut mixed withchili peppers, driedMaldives fish, andlime juice.
Kiribath orpaal soru (lit. 'milk rice') is rice cooked in salted coconut milk until the grains turn soft and porridge-like. Generally eaten for breakfast,kiribath is also prepared on special occasions such as birthdays, New Years' and religious festivals. It is usually served withlunu miris, a relish made with red onions and chillies. There is also a method of cookingkiribath withmung beans. DuringAluth Avurudu/Puthandu, the Sinhalese/Tamil New Year,kiribath is served with sweets such askavum,kokis,mung kavum,od iba, and others.
Kottu is a spicy stir-fry of shreddedroti bread with vegetables. Optional ingredients includeeggs,meat, orcheese. It was invented in Colombo and literally means 'chopped roti'.
Hoppers (appa in Sinhala) are based on afermented batter, usually made ofrice flour and coconutmilk withspices. The dish is pan-fried or steamed. The fermenting agent ispalm toddy or yeast. Hopper variants can either be spicy (such as egg hoppers, milk hoppers, and string hoppers), or sweet (such asvandu appa andpani appa).[4] Spicy hoppers are often accompanied bylunu miris, a mix of red onions and spices.
String hoppers (idiyappa in Sinhala) are made from a hot-water dough of rice meal orwheat flour. The dough is pressed out in circlets from a string mold onto small wicker mats, and then steamed. This dish is typically not eaten plain and is often paired with a curry, such asKiri hodi.
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ADutch Burgher-influenced dish, lamprais is rice boiled in stock accompanied byfrikkadels (frikadeller meatballs), a mixed-meat curry, blachan, aubergine curry, andseeni sambol. All of this is then wrapped in abanana leaf and baked in an oven. Lamprais is ideal for special occasions with large gatherings considering its richness and the time it takes to prepare. Lamprais is cooked twice; first the rice and the entrees are cooked separately and later what is already cooked is wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in an oven.
Kool is a seafood broth fromJaffna containingcrab,fish,cuttlefish,prawns, andcrayfish. It also contains longbeans,jak seeds,manioc,spinach, andtamarind. The dish is thickened withpalmyra root flour.
Pittu[5] are cylinders of steamed or roasted rice flour mixed with gratedcoconut.[6]
Godambaroti is a simpler Sri Lankanflatbread usually made fromwheat flour.
Most popular roti is Pol roti, where shredded coconut is mixed into the dough, It doesn’t need yeast or any kind of a leavening agent.[7] Another variant is spicy roti, in which chopped onions and green chilies are used when making the dough.
Sambals (Sambol in Sinhala) are enjoyed with many dishes including curry dishes and string hoppers.[8]Seeni sambol,Pol sambol,Lunumiris, Gotukola sambal andVaalai kai sambal are commonsambols found in the country.
Mallung is a condiment or side dish, comprising chopped greens which are lightly cooked and mixed with grated coconut and red onions.
Malayachcharu, also known as Sri Lankan Malay pickle or simply asachcharu is a dish that originated from thelocal Malay community and is now widely popular among all ethnic groups in the country.[9][10] It is a selection of vegetables in a pickled sauce and blends sweet, sour and spicy flavours.[11]
Chinese restaurants have been staple dining-out options for many Sri Lankans, especially in Colombo, since the 1940s. Over time, the cuisine was adapted to suit the local palate, and Sri Lankan Chinese food was born. Several dishes and condiments - such asHot butter cuttlefish and Chinese Chili paste - have become firm local favorites and are commonly found in most restaurants and supermarkets.[12]
Babath oroffal consists of the stomach of cattle or goats. It is cooked as a curry or deep fried and eaten with rice or more famously with Pittu. Its origins are associated with the Sri Lankan Malay community but it is very common among theMoors community as well. The preparation of babath also consists of Kodal or theintestines of the animal.[13]
Sate is of Indonesian origin and has become a staple of the Sri Lankan diet.[14] They are served with peanut and chili sauce.[15]
Ekor sop,oxtail soup, is a delicacy of the Sri Lankan Malay community.[16][17]
Nasi goreng (Sinhala:නාසි ගොරේන්) andmee goreng are popularstreet food dishes in the country, a result of cultural influences from Indonesia and the country's local Malay community.[18][19][20]
A common dessert in Sri Lanka iskevum, anoil cake made with rice flour andtreacle and deep-fried to a golden brown. There are many variations of kevum.Moong Kevum is a variant in whichmung bean flour is made into a paste and shaped like diamonds before frying. Other types of kevum include athiraha, konda kevum, athirasa, and handi kevum.
Many sweets are served withkiribath milk rice during theSinhalese andTamil New Years.Other sweets include:
Cakes and pastries:
Treacle-flavored sweets:
Puddings and toffees:
Other sweets:
"Short eats" are a variety of snacks that are bought by the dozen from "short eat" shops and restaurants. These are eaten on the go, mainly for breakfast or during the evening.
Short eats includepastries, Chinese rolls andpatties. Other short eats include:
Short eats are served at parties or to guests when they visit a home. Western food such as hot dogs and hamburgers have arrived in Sri Lanka, with theglobalization of fast-food chains such asMcDonald's,KFC andPizza Hut. However, foods from these establishments are not usually considered short eats. Additionally, hot dogs and hamburgers are also modified to fit local tastes.
Beverages commonly served in Sri Lanka include:
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