Do you love delicious food while traveling and are curious about the cuisine in Sri Lanka? Then you’re in the right place! Sri Lanka is not only a stunning country but also a paradise for traveling foodies. You can fully enjoy delicious street food at one of the stalls along the road or in local restaurants. These can be recognized by the glass display cases (with food) and often uninviting interiors. Think plastic chairs and fluorescent lighting. Not only do you find the best food in Sri Lanka here, but it’s also very cheap! So if you’re heading to this beautiful country soon, here are 10 dishes in Sri Lanka that you absolutely must try!
Rice & Curry
Rice and curry is the national dish of Sri Lanka. When you order curry, you always get different curries with rice. So, it’s not like you can choose one curry from the menu. You always get a sort of tasting menu of curries. The dahl curry is part of this. Red lentils are cooked in coconut milk and various spices are added to the mix. This creates a delicious, flavorful curry. But the other curries are often very tasty too. A number of vegetarian curries are always served, along with a meat and/or fish curry. You also often get papadums with it, which are a kind of spicy, crispy crackers.
Kottu Roti
Kottu Roti is a Sri Lankan dish that is available at many street food stalls. It is originally a ‘leftover’ meal made from pieces of roti (bread). And you can hear it from afar… the roti is chopped into pieces and fried on a griddle. This is mixed with various vegetables. You can often choose an option with egg, meat, or cheese. Don’t sit too close to the cook because chopping the roti makes a lot of noise. But it’s very fun to watch. A dish you definitely must try in Sri Lanka!
Wood Apple (juice)
As you walk through the market, you’ll likely notice them, the wood apples. A round fruit with a hard shell and brown paste inside. Delicious fresh apple juice is made from these wood apples. But you can also eat it as is!
Pol Sambol (Coconut Sambol)
Many Sri Lankan dishes use fresh coconut. Pol sambol (or coconut sambol) is made with fresh grated coconut, chili, and onions, and sometimes the ingredients are roasted. In Sri Lanka, they eat sambol with almost everything! But be careful, sometimes it can be quite spicy!
Hoppers
A hopper is a pancake cooked in a bowl shape. They are available on almost every street corner and come in many different varieties to eat in Sri Lanka. The hopper with egg or vegetables is almost always available, even in hotel breakfast buffets. If you prefer something sweet, look for the version with curd and honey, which is also delicious for breakfast.
Stringhoppers
Stringhoppers resemble noodle bird’s nests. They are made from rice flour and then steamed. This Sri Lankan dish is often eaten for breakfast with curry. They are very filling, so you are guaranteed to be full until lunch.
Curd & treacle and various types of fruit in Sri Lanka
At markets or along the roadside, you’ll find many stalls selling different types of fruit. Try everything that is hard to find in your home country, such as dragon fruit, cherimoya, cashew apples, papaya, and passion fruit. This way, you can get your vitamins while traveling through Sri Lanka. In most cafes and restaurants, you can also order various types of fruit juices. So be sure to try different varieties! When you order fruit as a dessert in a restaurant, it usually comes with something extra, namely curd and treacle. This is delicious buffalo yogurt with sugar syrup, a very tasty and refreshing dessert!
Fresh fish on the Sri Lankan coast
Sri Lanka has many markets and stalls, especially by the sea, where you can eat delicious fresh fish. The fish is displayed so you can choose one yourself. Then, this fish is grilled for you. You can’t get fresher fish than this! During your stay on the coast, you must eat fresh fish in Sri Lanka.
Coconut pancakes
These delicious sweet pancakes are often eaten for breakfast. The thin pancakes are rolled up with palm sugar and grated coconut as filling. A delightful treat at the breakfast table and a good start for an active day.
Tea in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is known for its tea plantations. So, drink tea at one of the tea plantations around Ella. They can also show you everything about the process and the different tea leaves! And you can drink the best tea here, of course.
Tip for coffee lovers: bring your own coffee!
Sri Lanka is known for its tea plantations, but good coffee is hard to find. The coffee often served in accommodations is not drinkable in our opinion. If you are lucky, you can find Nescafé instant coffee in the supermarket, but that is the best available, except for a few hip coffee shops in tourist areas. Therefore, next time, we will bring this handy mini espresso machine and our own coffee on our trip. This way, we can still enjoy good coffee during our vacation! Not much space? This lightweight coffee filter is also ideal for making coffee.
Learning to cook Sri Lankan food
Have you always wanted to learn how to cook Sri Lankan dishes? Or have you tasted such a delicious dish that you want to make it yourself? Book a fun cooking class in Matale or Colombo. Learn to prepare your favorite Sri Lankan dishes under the watchful eye of a professional chef. Sometimes you also visit a market to buy your ingredients or cook at someone’s home. This way, a cooking class is not only a culinary but also a local experience!
