Joanna James
Culture, history, and natural beauty draw people to Sri Lanka. To explore all that and more, one destination you must visit is Galle, and one thing you must explore there is its cuisine.
Crispy and shaped like a bowl, egg hoppers are loved by Sri Lankans, and you’re sure to love them too! They’re like pancakes, but Sri Lankan egg hoppers are savoury and typically eaten at breakfast. You can have them any time you like; however, some people even enjoy egg-based breakfast for dinner. Egg hoppers are cooked in small, high-sided pans and made from a fermented batter of coconut milk, rice flour, coconut water, and sugar. Often, an egg is cracked into the middle as it cooks. They’re usually served with sambal on the side, but if you’re not a fan of spicy food, egg hoppers are just as delicious on their own.
A classic Sri Lankan dish, vegetable curry is a blend of veggies, spices, and coconut milk. The aromatic flavours emanating from Sri Lankan vegetable curry will make you want to dig in without delay. Some curries are made with familiar vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and pumpkin, while others feature more tropical and distinctive ingredients such as jackfruit, drumsticks, okra, and bitter gourd. It’s always served with rice – brown, white, or red. These meals are traditionally eaten by hand, but you can use cutlery if you prefer. To enjoy vegetable curry and other Sri Lankan dishes, stay at a place like Heenatigala Walawwa, which is known for dining in Galle.
Part soup, part herbal porridge, Gotu Kola Kanda is a traditional Sri Lankan brew – a time-honoured alternative to sugary energy drinks. It’s made from medicinal gotu kola, hathawariya, and rice, and offers many health benefits. Gotu Kola Kanda is known to aid digestion, lower cholesterol, and strengthen the immune system and is a staple of natural wellness in Sri Lankan cuisine.
Rice and curry are almost always served with a spicy mixture known as sambol. It’s meant to be mixed in with the rice and curry to give it an added punch of flavour. Sambol comes in many varieties, and the most common is pol sambol, or coconut sambol. It’s a mix of grated coconut, chilli powder, chopped onions, salt, and Maldives fish. It’s utterly delicious but a bit too fiery, so take it in moderation. You will also encounter lunu miris, which is a milder blend of chilli flakes, onions, lime juice, and salt. Seeni sambol is another variety, made with chopped onions, chilli, Maldives fish, a bit of lime juice, and sugar, all caramelised together.
Being an island country surrounded by the ocean, seafood is the cornerstone of Sri Lankan cuisine. The country’s lagoon crabs are known worldwide for their sweet, tender meat. Crabs are cooked and served in a variety of ways – from fiery chilli crab to rich curries and versions thoroughly peppered. The daily catch of delectable crab comes in all sizes, from a modest half kilo to the two-kilo Crabzilla. Just the sound of it makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?
Your Sri Lankan food journey will remain incomplete until you try Kottu – the king of the Sri Lankan street food scene. You can hear the sound of Kottu being made before you see it. The clang of metal on metal is a characteristic sound of the Sri Lankan street food scene, and it tells you dinner is ready! It’s flatbread chopped up into tiny pieces and then mixed with veggies, meat, and spices. Kottu can be quite hot, but you can ask the vendor to serve you a milder version.
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.
