Joanna James
Although Maldivian cuisine remains criminally underrated, those who are fortunate enough to vacation in the archipelago can savour the taste of its finest dishes. From healthy salads to hearty soups, here are ten local foods all tourists must sample during a getaway in the islands.
Considered an essential part of a local breakfast meal, Mas Huni is a tuna fish-infused coconut salad that blends together shaved coconuts, chilli pieces, onions, and salt. Usually eaten with flatbread or steamed rice, this wholesome and fresh salad is a spicy and flavourful way to start your day in the Maldives.
Snacks all across the Maldives are referred to as short eats, inferring the short time it takes to consume these delectable treats. Some of the best short eats in the Maldives include spicy fish cakes or Kulhi Boakibaa, which are sold by roadside vendors while Gulha and Fihunu Mas are other must-try snacks for seafood lovers. Sweet-flavoured short eats, on the other hand, include banana fritters and rice pudding.
Considered a comfort food by many, this clear broth consists of slow-cooked tuna cubes, curry leaves, onions, and spices. Typically consumed with steamed rice or on its own, Garudhiya is aromatic and delicious.
Known for its cooling properties, boiled sago seeds are infused in a mixture that contains coconut milk, condensed milk, and rose water to create this delicious dessert.
Regularly featured in the menus of Saii Lagoon Maldives and some of the best restaurants in Maldives, grilled fish is a Maldivian delicacy due to the abundance of fresh seafood available all year round. Yellowfin tuna, frigate tuna, and skipjack tuna are the most common fish varieties that are grilled in local eateries.
Vegetables and seafood curries are some of the most irresistible food items available in the Maldives thanks to the use of coconut milk and an array of herbs and spices. Creamy and colourful, Maldivian curry hits include eggplant curry, pumpkin curry, and ash plantain curry.
Shredded banana flowers are tossed into a mixture of onions, coconut shavings, and local spices to create this vegetarian salad that can be eaten as a meal or as a healthy appetiser.
Street food in the Maldives is not limited to Indian-influenced dishes such as samosas and Bajiya but also local inventions such as Theluli Mas and Kavaabu. Sold via small carts and even from the back of motorbikes, street food is only accessible to those who explore Malé.
Although it is considered an acquired taste, locals adore the flavour of areca palm tree seeds that are chewed after a meal. Known to release adrenalin, the flavour of the seed is quite intoxicating and addictive.
When it comes to local alcoholic beverages, Raa reigns supreme among Maldivians as it is made from the sap of palm trees.
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