The answer to that is really complicated, which is part of the reason why I’ve written this book. I know there’s a massive diaspora of Sri Lankans around who know their food really well, but [in the] mainstream there’s not a lot of restaurants in Australia that do Sri Lankan food. It’s a curry-based cuisine, but I think there are a lot of [similar] characteristics with Thai food, with that hot sour balance. A lot of it is really spicy, and then there’s sweetness from jaggery, which is similar to Thai palm sugar. And they use bitter greens as well, so there’s that. In terms of ingredients, the main thing you can’t really cook Sri Lankan food without are curry leaves, Maldive fish and fresh coconut.
The view towards Ella Rock from Little Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka's Hill Country Clockwise from right: Hoppers served with curries; fishing boats at Mirissa Beach in southern Sri Lanka, pan rolls with beef and spiced potato fillings
Sri Lanka has a long history of being colonised and has a lot of different cultural influences. How is that reflected in the food?
This story is from the Spring 2022 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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This story is from the Spring 2022 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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