Joanna James
With an authentic blend of flavours, Maldivian food is sure to leave even the most discerning foodie craving for more. Here are some top dishes to try during your holiday in this tropical island nation.
A very popular dish among the old and young alike, fried yams makes for a delicious and crunchy snack, which can be enjoyed with various sauces and drinks. Fried yams are sweeter and starchier compared to their counterparts; French fries are packed with vitamins while being high in fibre. Visitors can order fried yams in almost all cafes and restaurants in Male. The snack is generally priced anywhere from MVR 10 to MVR 35.
No visit to the Maldives is complete without sampling an authentic fish curry. Hands down one of the most famous dishes in the Maldives thanks to the abundance of seafood, fish curry is a staple in the local's meal plans. Maldivians have a wide variety of fish to choose from for this recipe including mahi-mahi, skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye scad, little tuna and frigate tuna. The main ingredients of an authentic fish curry include generous helpings of coconut and starch. This dish can be enjoyed with roshi and papadhu, rice and Maldivian poppadoms.
One of the top things to do in Maldives is to enjoy fresh lobster cooked right in front of you and served piping hot. Remember, the fresher the lobster, the softer and more delicious the flesh is. One can enjoy lobster prepared by world-class chefs at many restaurants and hotels such as SAii Lagoon Maldives Why not make an experience of it, and enjoy your live lobster in a candlelit setting under the star-strewn Maldivian sky out on the beach? Live lobster will set you back anywhere from MVR 250 to 400.
A banana flower salad, Boshi Mashuni is as healthy and tasty as it sounds. Falling somewhere between a salsa and salad, this delicious dish is prepared by mixing freshly chopped banana flowers and generous helpings of chillies, lime, curry leaves and fresh coconut. Aromatic spices such as cumin and turmeric add to the palate of the dish.
A beloved favourite for breakfast in the Maldives, Mas Huni is a mixture of shredded smoked tuna mixed with grated coconut, chillies and onions – and is eaten usually with a Maldivian flatbread known as Roshi. Variations include preparing the dish with moringa pods. To do so, the pods are boiled and are deseeded. Other popular variations include pumpkin and butternut squash. Mas Huni is definitely a must-try dish while in the Maldives and features a fusion of flavours which are a departure from the usual westernized dishes.
No list is complete without the inclusion of a local dessert dish. The Saagu Bondibai is basically a delicious pudding prepared using boiled saagu seeds and coconut milk, additionally laced with sweet condensed milk, rose flavouring and cardamoms for added taste.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
