For The Gastronomic Thrill Seeker
Rice and Curry, three times a day, every day is every Sri Lankan's staple diet. A lot of work goes into preparing each meal and the secret behind all our spicy, yet mouthwatering dishes is love, the most important spice of all. As cliché as it seems. Each curry is made with care to complement our staple starch, rice. The perfect combination for any rice and curry lover is Dhal Curry (lentil), Coconut Sambol (Pol Sambol) and Rice of course. This combination is the minimum requirement to qualify as a complete rice and curry dish. Every other variation branches off from this culinary combo.
Curry Sidekick
Like Robin completes Batman, the rice and curry experience isn't complete without the ideal side dish. Raw green chillies dipped in sea salt, freshly cut onions, dried and fried biling (a sour/juicy fruit that tastes a lot like star fruit), fried sprats, deep fried fish, lime pickle, malay pickle, the options are endless. Each side dish adds a contrasting burst of flavour that ultimately accents the dish.
A hand in the matter
Rice and Curry are best enjoyed eaten with your hand. But be civilized about it, we don't dig in like Cavemen, there's a technique to it that is harder than using your conventional cutlery. Practice makes perfect, it’s a simple four step procedure;
Select your curries using long strokes directed towards your mixing area.
Mix well two or three times.
Scoop with fingertips, remember to use the thumb only to secure contents till delivery.
Your rice is now ready to be delivered gently on to your tongue for enjoyment.
Keep practising the above technique to master perfect mixing and delivery. It helps to play “The Rocky Training Montage” on a loop to focus your efforts.
Desert is not the end
Desert is as important as the main course. Curd, buffalo yoghurt with trickle (honey made from palmirah or coconut). Fruit Salad - chopped up bananas, pineapple, mango and grapes with a little lime juice freshly squeezed and sprinkled generously with or without Ice Cream (most probably Vanilla). But desert isn't the end of a true Sri Lankan meal.
Sip before the Cheque.
You’re not permitted to excuse yourself from the table until you finish your hot beverage. The selection is limited in choice but not in variety. There's no double-double or de-cafe here. You get to choose either Tea or Coffee but it’s the variation that sets you apart from the less adventurous. Tea can be enjoyed in many forms, plain tea with added sugar or sugar in the hand, plain tea with juggery (solidified coconut, Palmirah or sugar trickle) and milk tea are the most requested among many other choices. Coffee can be enjoyed either black or with milk, nothing different there but remember to ask for locally grown and ground coffee to keep it tropical, instant coffee just takes away all the fun.
Quick fun tip about Teatime in Sri Lanka
Plain Tea, Biscuits and Bananas are the most preferred selection of hospitality for treating visitors in Sri Lanka.
Seasonal Goodies
Taste traditional sweets and dishes during the main festive seasons. Between April and May make sure to look for both Sinhala and Tamil New Year treats. Between May and June try to time your trip, so you cover “Vesak – The Festival of Lights” This festival commemorates the Lord Buddha's birth and passing on the same day. Look for 'Dansal' you'll find these little vending booths that give away food for free, all in the spirit of erasing Karma. Free food and fabulous festivities, what else can you ask for?
If you're a true Gastronomic Tourist then make sure to go looking for traditional meals, snacks and sweets. It's better to experience our food culture first hand. There many vender who serves traditional sweets and dishes year-round and they are located on the way to all the main tourist spots across the island. Check out our next post on the “White Man Tax” to help you with what to expect in terms of budgeting your travel costs.
