Joanna James
Colombo is a lively and bustling city. And one of the best things about Colombo is the variety of food that you can try. Ranging from street food to authentic Sri Lankan meals, there is a smorgasbord of dishes offered to those who visit this city.
Rice is the staple diet in Sri Lanka and there are so many different curries you can pair it up with. From vegetables made with coconut milk, fried with oil, or diced and grated to be mixed with different spices and other ingredients, the range of dishes you can enjoy with a plate of rice is quite diverse.
Hoppers are a delightful street food that is mostly eaten for dinner. It is generally paired with a curry that has gravy such as chicken curry or fish curry.
Kottu is undisputedly the most common street food in Sri Lanka and a must-have if you are on the island. Watching how Kottu is made and having it sitting by the side of the road is an experience in itself.
String Hoppers are made with rice flour and are generally paired with coconut sambol, potato or dhal curry, with a lot of gravy made with coconut milk.
Vegetable roti is also a very popular street food. These are godamba roti filled with a vegetable mixture wrapped in a shape of a big and chunky triangle.
Coconut Sambol is a side dish that is made with scraped coconut and diced onions and then mixed with a variety of spices with the right amount of lime juice. It is paired with a variety of dishes in Sri Lankan cuisine so you will come across coconut sambol at some point during your stay.
Some of the best restaurants in Colombo serve this dish in their buffets and it is a delightful dish that is commonly had in Sri Lankan houses for breakfast or dinner. It is made with wheat flour, scraped coconut and salt mixed into a ball and then separated and made into small flat circles and then cooked on a hot pan on the stove.
This is a Sri Lankan speciality that you will come across during your stay in the country. The dishes range from devilled chicken and devilled fish to devilled beef and a variety of other combinations and can be enjoyed with fried rice.
When you are visiting Colombo, this is a dish that you should try as it is made with fresh seafood and paired with some exquisite BBQ sauces made fresh with Sri Lankan spices. Properties such as Mandarina Colombo are great places to treat your taste buds to barbequed seafood.
This sweet delight can be enjoyed throughout the day but is commonly eaten for mid-morning tea or afternoon tea with a hot cup of plain tea. The delicious pancake combined with the sweet coconut mixture is a dreamy sweet treat.
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.
