What’s for starters?
It is important to know that people eat with their hands in Sri Lanka, more specifically using their thumb, index and middle fingers. You might find it very pleasant or annoying, but don’t panic - most places will usually bring travelers a knife and fork out of respect for their customs.

Sometimes influenced by our own traditions, some people may start their meal with some dips and crackers, which are made from seeds. Used just like bread, you will also enjoy papadams or appalams, which are thin bean flour pancakes. You will also find Idlis, which are smaller savory cakes made of rice and lentils, and Idiyappam, thin rice noodles. If you’re feeling adventurous, try some Pittu,  a unique dish made of steamed rice flour and grated coconut.

From starters to mains

Served either as a snack or a starter, you will often come across fried pasties filled with meat or vegetables called samosas, full of spicy goodness. Happas (or hoppers in English) are bowl-shaped rice pancakes that are left to ferment with palm wine before spreading coconut milk on them to remove acidity, and sometimes putting a soft-boiled egg inside the bowl. Other pancakes, dosais, are made with rice flour, chickpeas or lentils, and are served with a sauce very much reminiscent of English mint sauce (and called minchi sambol).

Traditionally, seaside communities tend to eat fish, while meat is mostly consumed inland. In Sri Lankan cuisine, people often use coconut oil, as well as plenty of spices, meaning you’ll be hard pressed to find a bland dish. Be wary of overly spicy dishes though - people might tell you that if you find it too spicy, you’re just being too soft – but that may not be justified. It’s true that local dishes often do pack a fair bit of heat, they shouldn’t be overly hot, as this is usually a sign that the cook was trying to hide some dull flavors. 

A must-try dish: rice and curry

Sri Lankan cuisine is definitely varied, but it involves a lot of rice, including fifteen different varieties. White or red, it always comes with sauces, as well as other ingredients that are prepared separately. The most popular one, and probably what could be called the national dish, is rice and curry, which is incredibly tasty and cheap. It only costs a few hundred rupees (around 5 euros), and you can sample it in many places, such as your hotel, the restaurant, on the beach, or on the street - or even in some takeaways.

The curry itself is made with a mix of different spices, which varies depending on the place or the restaurant, which is then fried in coconut oil and mixed with coconut milk. Curry and rice is always served with a bowl of pol sambol, a preparation made from coconut, chili, onions and dried fish. Another dish you will often find is dahl, a delicious red lentil soup with a dash of lemon, and of course okra, which are small, pointy vegetables with a courgette-like flavor.

You will find this rice served with everything from aubergines to cabbage and potatoes. Sri Lankan cuisine is the perfect market food with style. The meat is usually sautéed chicken from the countryside, which is organic and grain-fed, while on the coast, fish is more common. But don’t worry if you are vegetarian, it is also very common for curry to be a vegetarian dish.

Before the British occupation in the early 19th century, Sri Lankans used to serve their rice with black pepper curry since chili was unknown at the time. The British brought the South American spice to Sri Lanka, changing the recipe for the better. 

Charming desserts

Tamil cuisine is utterly unique, but takes a great deal of inspiration from South Indian cuisine. One street food classic are kottus - wheat pancakes cut into strips and mixed with a vegetable or chicken stew.

On the island, there is a big influence from India when it comes to desserts. A popular dish is the gulab jamun, a dumpling made from flour and powdered milk, which is then fried and served with cardamom or rose water (gulab) cream. An English influence can be seen in the use of curd, which is a lemon or mango flavored cream. You will also find Wattalapam, a Malay flan sprinkled with palm sugar, and the delicious konda kavum, a rice flour fritter, which is very traditional.