10 dishes to try in the Maldives – Must-try local delicacies

This is also called a Banana Flower Salad and yes, the main ingredient of this scrumptious starter is banana flower. This ingredient is shredded up and thrown in with fresh coconut, curry leaves, cumin, turmeric and other spices. They are mixed with lime and Maldivian chilli giving the dish a taste that is much like the salsa salad.

Just like you get potato chips in the west, Maldives too has their version of fried yams which are cultivated on the island itself. These fried yams are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It makes for a perfect snack if you are visiting one of the inhabited islands.

Lobster obviously has to be cooked alive, but the dish is simply exquisite and luxurious once it hits the mouth. Therefore, you simply can't miss out on it! Lobster is served at some of the best restaurants in Maldives, so it isn't hard to come by if you are a willing to splurge a little.

Sabudana or sago is one of the most used ingredients in Maldivian cuisine and the best part is that it is vegetarian too. Saago Bondibai is a dish that is made with sago. The ingredient is boiled in coconut milk and condensed milk with a hint of cardamom and rose added to it. Bite in and your palate will be instantly refreshed.

It comes as no surprise that reef fish in the Maldives are abundant and this is a popular ingredient in local cuisine. Moreover, once it is prepared it becomes tandoor masala spiced reef fish cutlet which then makes it absolutely enticing for your taste buds.

This is a short eat in the Maldives and is a dumpling with a tuna filling in it. In one bite you will find that you taste the depth of onions, the beautifully cooked tuna and shredded coconut.

This is one of the local staples and is fish, normally tuna cooked with water and salt and served with lime and rice. Since it is a common dish among the locals its probably on every menu at Maldivian hotels. It is a simple but tasty dish to dig into.

Smoked tuna is shredded and mixed with coconut, onions and lemon and is one of the most popular and well-loved delicacies by foreigners and locals alike. It is served with a Maldivian flatbread or rice and you will find it available at hotels like Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives.

This is yet another local snack which is a flatbread much like chapati which is stuffed with a tuna filling made with spiced tuna and grated coconut.

This is a snack that is between a spring roll and samosa. The pastry is stuffed with hard-boiled egg or tuna with shredded cabbage and onions slightly sautéed,