Joanna James
Sri Lankan meals are hailed the world over for their fiery flavours, creamy curries, and tasteful textures. The delectable dishes of the cuisine of this country provide its visitors with exotic culinary experiences. Here are some of the top five street foods that you can try out in Sri Lanka.
String Hoppers is one of the staple meals in the country. You can even enjoy this breakfast/dinner dish while holidaying at your Mirissa spa hotel; for instance, at a property such as Sri Sharavi Beach Villas & Spa. These are prepared by piling rice noodles in spirals into pan-cake sized bites, after which they are steamed. Traditionally served with a side of coconut sambol or dhal curry, these taste spectacular with creamy potato or chicken gravy too. While consuming a spicy curry might be something new for you, especially early in the morning, there's hardly a better way to start your day. Couple this meal with a cup of black tea with ginger, and you'll be treating your taste buds to a feast.
If you're ever in Pettah, make sure that you take a stroll around the central station of Pettah. Here, you will come across various vendors that sell short eats and other food items that waft delicious aromas as you pass by. Samosas are one such food item that tastes as delicious as they smell. These are particularly popular in this area and are prepared by mixing vegetables and spices, after which they are wrapped using flatbread. Then, these are fried to bring out the crispy triangular bites that make for a wonderful eatable that you can enjoy while you're on the run.
An all-time favourite dish in Sri Lanka, Kottu Roti seems to balance several flavours that can drive your taste buds wild. It is a dish that is prepared with artfully torn godhamba roti, which is made flavoursome with a choice of meat, vegetables, egg, and even cheese at times. The array of ingredients brings delicious flavours out of the godhamba roti and the creamy textures make this dish simply hard to resist! The coolest feature that relates to this dish is its preparation; this includes pounding all the ingredients together by using iron blades. The rhythm of these blades (and the delicious aromas that surround the area) are telltale signs that kottu is being prepared around the corner.
A trip to Sri Lanka isn't complete without treating your taste buds to the unrivalled flavours of the popular egg hopper in the country. This delectable street food in this country, which is loved by many despite their age, looks like a pancake mixture during its initial preparation stages. Some add palm wine to the batter, but the most frequent ones include an egg in the middle as the mixture is cooking. This half-a-bowl like food is soft in the middle and is crispy around its edges. Traditionally served with lunu miris, it tastes great with any choice of gravy too.
With its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is hailed as a haven for all kinds of seafood lovers. Hungry tourists can look forward to trying out seafood delicacies at many restaurants and even from vendors by the beach while exploring Sri Lanka. If you're ever at popular beaches like Browns Beach and Galle Face Green, you can try out eating isso wadei, which is made using flour, incorporating red or yellow lentils that's combined and fried to perfection. The best part about this food is the several whole shrimps that just lounge atop this savoury doughnut.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
