Joanna James
Sri Lankan cuisine is much like the culture on the island, the food is intoxicating but never overbearing. Sri Lankan food is often delicious but it's the personality you'll fall in love with, that might seem an odd statement, but it'll make sense when you try your first kottu here.
As a traveller in Sri Lanka, if you ask any local a dish you should try; 9 out of 10 will say kottu. It is the quintessential Sri Lankan street food and a dish that embodies 'Sri Lankan-ness' in and out.
In your travels across the island, you're quite likely to come across kottu in all shapes and sizes with a variety of names, but at its essence – it's chopped-up flatbread mixed with anything at hand; vegetables, eggs, meat, gravy and spices. If you're walking through a village or a town in Sri Lanka and hear an ethno-beat made from metal clashing against metal – you're hearing a kottu being made, in other words, it's dinner time.
Hoppers are a delight for the taste buds and a feast for the eyes – these uniquely shaped pancakes are soft, mildly flavoured and best served with a simple side of chilli sambol. This is a Sri Lankan dish that has transcended its modest beginnings and has found its way to being the centrepiece of a breakfast spread at any high-end Sri Lankan restaurant or hotel. Blogs such as The Dine and Wine list hoppers as a dish to die for!
Lamprais is quite an oddity. It is actually cooked twice. First, the yellow rice and the entrees (traditionally a boiled egg, seeni sambol, ash plantain, fish cutlet and lampara curry) are cooked separately, then assorted together, wrapped in a banana leaf, and baked till delicious. The dish is influenced by the dutch-burger community and has become a mainstay in the destination dining experience Sri Lanka offers.
You'd think string hoppers and hoppers would have some similarity, but you'd be wrong. The similarities end with each having a unique experience and tasting great. String hoppers are made with rice flour and at best can be described as thin vermicelli noodles laid out in a circular shape. String hoppers are usually served with gravy and a coconut sambol; insider tip – get some lentil curry as well.
Kiribath literally translates to milk rice – you can probably picture it, and you wouldn't be too far off the mark. It's simply rice cooked in coconut milk, and it is delicious. It's traditionally served with a simple coconut sambol and is guaranteed at any Sri Lankan celebration. Kiribath embodies many of the values that Sri Lankans value and are raised with, such as humility, simplicity, and kindness – it's a simple dish that is hearty and filling. So, make sure to try it at least once during your stay.
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.
