Joanna James
The Maldives is loved for its resorts, beaches, and islands. There’s one more thing that keeps travellers coming back: food! These are the must-try dishes and drinks for foodies.
Simple but absolutely delicious, Garudhiya is a fish soup. It’s healthy and full of flavour. It’s made by boiling tuna with water and salt. Locals sometimes add a few pieces of chilli and curry leaves. The soup is clear and light but very tasty. Maldivians usually eat it with steaming white rice and a squeeze of lemon that enhances the flavour. Garudhiya is Maldivian comfort food, loved by locals and commonly eaten. You’re sure to fall in love with its simple flavours too.
One of the most popular breakfast dishes in the Maldives, Mas Huni is another simple Maldivian dish loved by locals. What does it contain? Tuna cut into tiny pieces, grated coconut, chopped onions, and green chilli. Sometimes, locals add a bit of lime juice to make it a bit zesty. It’s usually eaten with roti and a cup of tea. The taste is fresh and light, with the creamy flavour of coconut. It’s a light dish, but when paired with roti, it becomes a filling breakfast. Locals love to start their day with a plate of mas huni and roti. When you’re in the Maldives, you can do it too. But what if you wanted to try something different? You could. Stay in a place like Bandos Maldives Resort and enjoy familiar flavours at an onsite Maldives restaurant.
A delicious Maldivian dish, Masroshi is perfect for breakfast and even teatime. It’s flatbread with a stuffing of smoked tuna, grated coconut, onions, and chilli. The filling is packed with flavour – a bit spicy, savoury, with a hint of creamy coconut. Once stuffed, the flatbread is folded and cooked in a wok until it turns crispy and golden. For the best flavour, enjoy it warm with a cup of hot black tea.
The Maldivian equivalent of a spring roll, Bis Keemiya is a pastry with a mixture of tuna, onions, and boiled eggs. Some like to add cabbage and other vegetables to the filling as well. It’s lightly spicy and absolutely flavourful. The pastry is stuffed with the mixture and fried in hot oil until it turns a delectable golden colour on the outside. It’s often eaten for teatime, but you can grab one or two whenever you feel like a snack.
A refreshing and delicious Boshi Mashuni is a Maldivian salad made with banana flowers. To make it, slice up banana blossoms and mix them with grated coconut, onions, lime juice, and chillies. Some like to add bits of smoked tuna for extra flavour. It’s light and a little crunchy, and the crunch from the banana blossoms makes it delectable. You can eat it with roti, but some like to pair it with rice. Boshi Mashuni is healthy and delicious, and a great addition to your Maldivian food journey.
Another yummy Maldivian snack, fried yams are the Maldivian version of potato chips. Yams are peeled, sliced into thin pieces, and deep-fried until golden brown. They have a slightly sweet and earthy flavour. You can sprinkle a bit of salt over them, but some like to dip them in chilli sauce. It’s tasty either way.
One of the most flavourful and healthy drinks in the Maldives, Kurumba is a young green coconut. You drink the fresh coconut water directly from the nut. It’s cool, sweet, and incredibly refreshing – the perfect tonic for Maldivian heat. Hydrating and full of nutrients, Kurumba is a favourite in the Maldives.
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.
