Seafood to Try in Sri Lanka – The Unique Seafood of Sri Lanka

Crabs are found in abundance in the waters off Sri Lanka and, thus, crabs are one of the most sought after types of seafood in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka crabs are generally prepared in a curry. This dish is often referred to as Sri Lankan Crab Curry and is known for its mouth-watering flavor. The dish typically contains crab which is boiled and then cooked in a spicy and flavorsome curry known for its spicy and zesty flavor. The crab is cooked in its shell, and the curry is absorbed into the crab meat, thus giving you delicious chunks of crab meat once you crack open the shell. Crab meat features in many other dishes of Sri Lanka cuisine so make sure you try it out. Restaurants such as The Fat Crab and the Ministry of Crab, located amongst several top 5 star hotels in Colombo, including the upcoming Shangri - La One Galle Face, are known for offering some of the best crab dishes in Colombo.

Cuttlefish is incredibly popular in Sri Lanka, and is widely regarded as being one of Sri Lanka's most favorite seafood dishes. Cuttlefish are also found in abundance in the waters of Sri Lanka, and this seafood features in many household dishes. Cuttlefish is prepared in a variety of ways, with cuttlefish curries being very popular side dishes with rice; Sri Lanka's staple meal. Another variant of this seafood, which is probably the most popular form of the cuttlefish dish, is Hot Butter Cuttlefish. Hot Butter Cuttlefish, is essentially chunks of cuttlefish dipped in a spicy batter and deep fried until the batter is crisp. Hot Butter Cuttlefish is extremely popular in Sri Lanka, and many reputed restaurants offer hot butter cuttlefish.

In addition to there being prawns in the waters of Sri Lanka, there are also numerous prawn farms in Sri Lanka. Thus, it is no surprise that prawn features as a popular seafood in Sri Lanka. Prawns are found in many Sri Lankan dishes; you will find it in mixed fried rice, you will find prawn skewers in many restaurants, you will see prawn curries featured as a side dish in a typical Sri Lankan meal of rice and curry, and you will find batter-fried prawns with dipping sauce offered at cocktails. To put it simply, prawns are a type of seafood that is easily found in Sri Lankan dishes and restaurants. Thus, if you love prawns your taste buds are in for a treat if you happen to visit Sri Lanka.

By now it has to be obvious that Sri Lanka has an abundance of seafood, and squid is no exception. Thus, squid, much like the rest of the seafood already mentioned, is common seafood found in many households in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lankan cuisine, squid is cooked with spices, herbs and other ingredients to give the squid meat a delicious flavor. The chewy and juicy squid meat is thus combined with a burst of flavor, resulting in the creation of a dish that will leave your mouth watering. In Sri Lankan cuisine squid is prepared in various ways – it is stuffed, it is fried, or it is served in a curry, but rest assured that no matter which way it is prepared, you will always be treated to a delicious seafood squid dish.

Although you can find a whole variety of fish dishes in Sri Lanka, you won't fully experience the seafood of Sri Lanka unless you have tried out a dry fish dish. Sri Lanka has a long tradition of preparing dishes with dried fish, resulting in the creation of many signature dry fish dishes. Thus, you simply must try out dishes such as the Dry Fish Curry, the Stir-Fried Dry Fish, Fried Dry Fish, Deviled Dry Fish and Tempered Dry Fish with brinjals.