Rice & curry
A quintessential Sri Lankan favourite, rice and curry is very much a part of the national
cuisine. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to enjoy this staple diet for all three
meals; while you get white and red rice varieties, it is served with meat dishes and a
range of different veggies. To complement this culinary journey, a rice and curry dish
usually also comes with a choice of accompaniments be it pickle, dried fish or coconut
sambol.
Other main food items
They say “variety is the spice of life” and it is certainly true for Sri Lankan cuisine too!
Arouse your taste buds with the dazzling choice of dishes which you can enjoy at a city
hotel, holiday resort or even at bustling roadside eateries. You must try Sri Lankan
dishes such as hoppers, kottu, string hoppers, pittu or rotti, a type of flatbread that
ideally comes with some chilli sambol, veggies and a choice of meats based on your
preferences
Seafood
What better place to enjoy the most delectable seafood than by the coast! Sri Lankans
love their seafood and you can find an assortment of freshly prepared dishes from spicy
crab curries to succulent jumbo prawns; these spice-filled creations not only provide a
flavourful dining experience but also offer insights into the island’s rich food traditions.
Desserts
It’s not just spicy food that Sri Lanka is famous for and those with a sweet tooth will
encounter plenty to tempt their taste buds. From the local favourite of buffalo curd with
an ample topping of coconut treacle to the always popular vanilla ice cream served with
chocolate sauce, local desserts will have you craving for more. There is a large variety
of fresh fruits that you can sample after a meal as well, perfect on those hot days.
Traditional sweetmeats
The various annual religious and cultural festivals present the ideal time to savour
traditional dishes known as ‘sweetmeats’. Due to Sri Lanka’s multicultural nature, each
community has their own specialities that you can try. Kavum a kind of hot oil cake can
be enjoyed during the period of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year along with other
traditional treats like kokis and aluwa. When the Eid season comes along, watalappam
is a favoured dish and is a kind of sweet pudding made using jaggery and egg white.
Fruits

For those looking to eat healthily and have a delicious treat as well, Sri Lanka has lots of fresh fruits to enjoy. Be it bananas, pineapples, papayas or fresh strawberries grown
in the mountains of Nuwara Eliya, there is much to choose from. Sour or sweet mango
varieties are also favoured here and are sometimes eaten with chilli and salt in a
variation known as “achcharu”. Papaya juice is a popular drink to start to the day, while
exotic fruits such as mangosteen, pomegranate, rambutan and durian should definitely
be tried at least once