7 Tempting Dishes and Drinks to Try in the Maldives - Delectable Local Foods and Beverages to Sample during a Holiday

This popular salad is commonly served for breakfast in households throughout the archipelago and is a great choice for seafood lovers. The smoked tuna is shredded and mixed with onions and grated coconut before being topped with lemon juice to create a spicy and tangy side dish. It's often paired with chapatti or a local flatbread known as Roshi. Enjoying this dish is an excellent way to start the day. 

Garudhiya is a comforting food for Maldivians that they crave when they travel or move to another country. This clear soup is made with fresh tuna cubes and has a simplistic flavour. It is often eaten with steamed rice or flatbread, and locals consider it the "taste of home." The essential ingredients to make Garudhiya include onions, lime, chilli, and salt, while the fragrant aroma comes from the slow cooking process of the tuna

Often listed as a dessert when grabbing lunch or dinner at VARU by Atmosphere or any other Maldives dining hub, this sweet sago pudding is a uniquely local dish. Sago seeds, which are known to have a cooling effect on the body, are boiled and infused into a rich mixture that includes coconut milk, condensed milk and rose water when preparing this soft pudding. Cardamom is another essential ingredient for this aromatic dessert that's also one of the country's top after-meal treats.

It's common to find Kulhi Boakibaa listed as "Fish Cakes" on restaurant menus. This dish is often served during special celebrations throughout the Maldives. It is made using grated coconut and smoked tuna fish, and its unique texture comes from the ground rice and onions that are added during the cooking process.

Sai is a type of tea that originates from the Maldives. It is typically served in dedicated tea houses and tea rooms, as well as roadside kiosks. As the "national beverage" of the Maldives, Sai comes in both black tea and milk tea variations. It is usually accompanied by an array of cakes or savoury snacks.

Although alcoholic beverages are not available everywhere in the Maldives, those ordering a cocktail at a local bar must taste this local drink. Made with white rum and apricot brandy, this refreshing drink, aptly called the Maldivian Lady, also features a fruit juice infusion.

While the price tag for this particular cocktail is high, a trip to the Maldives would not be complete without savouring the taste of this exclusive alcoholic beverage that packs in a punch. Inspired by the prohibition era of American history, the robust flavour and strong aroma of the beverage means it's definitely not for first-time drinkers.