Must-eat dishes in Sri Lanka

Being a coastal country alot of Sri Lankan dishes are made from fish or seafood. Sour fish curry is made from a local fruit called goraka which gives it a distinct taste. The dish is cooked and simmered until you get a dry curry that is nothing short of a punch of flavors. It’s served with rice and a few side dishes and is a popular household item.

Hoppers or appam as referred to in India is a type of savory street food. The batter is similar to pancakes and is made by ladling it into a wok and swirling it around. It’s often eaten plain or can be made with an egg in the middle and is accompanied by a spicy condiment called katta sambol.

Sri Lankans love their curry, and one of their favorites happen to be jackfruit, commonly found in gardens. Jackfruit is cooked with spices until tender, giving it a unique taste and soft potato like texture. It is eaten regularly especially due to it’s filling nature and availability.

One does not simply visit Sri Lanka and not try kottu! Kottu is basically shredded roti, fried with meat and vegetables that are served in different variations. This is one of our most popular street foods. The latest invention, cheese kottu, combines cheese to the usual mix of kottu.

Pol rotti (coconut rotti) is a snack served with katta sambol and is the best way to keep your hunger in check. When baked and served fresh with condiments, the rotti is absolutely delicious.

As stated before, Sri Lankans are huge fans of curries. Chicken curry is one of the most widely eaten dishes made from local spices and extremely spicy in nature. It is generally served with warm rice or pol rotti and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

With so many dishes to try and to a palette unfamiliar with Sri Lankan cuisine, it may be difficult to make the best of our local dishes. But there are always experienced tour guides such as SoulTrek who offer culinary tours designed to give you the best foodie’s experience while on the island.