Joanna James
The south of Sri Lanka is utterly popular for one thing — spectacular beaches. But did you know the vibrant south's also home to a clutch of delectable authentic dishes that's just as incredible? One mouthful of a local southern dish and you'll have one more thing to enjoy beside the sandy shores.
Jaadi is a salted fish dish that has entered the local Sri Lankan cuisine as a highly effective method of preserving fish. Lucky for the locals of the Indian Ocean island nation, it is not only the preserving that Jaadi does; it also treats you to a unique taste like no other fish dish in the world. A wide variety of fish species could be used for the making of Jaadi, such as Thora (Spanish mackerel), Balaya (Skipjack Tuna), Hurulla (Trenched Sardinella), Kumbala (Indian Mackerel), and Alagoduwa (Frigate Tuna). Impressively enough, a bottle of Jaadi could be kept for a good month or two. Furthermore, those interested in kicking things up a notch could whip up a jaadi hodda — a gravy version of jaadi — using jaadi as the main ingredient and a few locally-sourced ingredients.
Just as with the aforementioned jaadi, the southerners came up with ambul thiyal as a means of preserving fish, but today, it is the distinctive piquancy that makes the dish come to life in southern household kitchens. Ambul is Sinhalese for sour — a word that describes the dish perfectly well, as its sour relish is the first thing you'd notice as the food touches your tongue. A few different varieties of fish, such as Balaya (Skipjack Tuna), and Kelawalla (Yellowfin Tuna), could be used for the sour fish curry, which is then mixed with a few other authentic spices, such as goraka (Malabar Tamarind), black pepper, ginger, and garlic.
The Ruhunu Achcharu is a kind of chutney found in southern Sri Lanka that is very much similar to the chutney of Indian cuisine, but with some authentic Sri Lankan touches. It is a popular accompaniment to rice — the No. 1 staple of the Indian Ocean island nation. Sri Lanka's southern chutney is a 100% vegetarian dish and uses a combination of only a few simple ingredients — red onions, papaya, red chillies, mustard, and sprats.
Unlike most parts of the world, the locals of southern Sri Lanka not only enjoy papaya as a fruit but also as a cooked curry, which is a quite popular complement to rice. It is something that many tourists to the South Asian nation immediately perceive, that Sri Lankan food is quite heaty, or rather spicy, but this unique papaya dish is one that counteracts those majorities of the local cuisine.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that fish dominates most southern Sri Lankan dishes as this part of the country is bordered by nothing but wide-open seas. This delectable fish dish can be found being served at many restaurants in Bentota as well as at eateries in other cities of the zone, including the likes offered by Villa 700.
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.
