Taste the island
What to order, where it comes from, and how spicy to expect it. A traveller's introduction to Sri Lankan food.
Generous, fiery and endlessly varied
Coconut, curry leaf, cinnamon and chilli run through almost everything, but every region, and every home, cooks a little differently. These are the dishes worth seeking out first.
Rice & curryThe everyday feast
The everyday meal across the island: a mound of rice served with several small curries (vegetable, lentil/dhal, and often fish or chicken), plus sambol and papadam on the side. No two versions are quite the same.
HoppersAppa
Bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes, crisp at the edges and soft in the centre, often served with an egg cracked into the middle for breakfast.
Kottu rotiStreet food icon
Chopped roti stir-fried with vegetables, egg and your choice of meat or seafood, best known for the rhythmic chopping sound made while it's cooked on the griddle.
String hoppersIdiyappam
Delicate nests of steamed rice noodles, usually eaten at breakfast or dinner with a mild coconut gravy, dhal and a sharp sambol.
SambolsLunu miris · pol sambol
Coconut-based condiments like lunu miris and pol sambol add heat and texture to almost every meal.
Seafood on the coastCatch of the day
Grilled fish, prawns and crab are widely available along the coast, often prepared with local spice blends.
Short eatsBakery snacks
Fish buns, patties, rolls and vadai piled on a plate at bakeries and tea shops. You pay for what you eat, perfect for a train journey.
Ceylon teaKiri te
Grown in the hill country, Ceylon tea is usually served plain black, milky, or as "kiri te" (milk tea).
King coconutThambili
The bright orange coconuts sold at roadside stalls, opened with a machete and drunk straight from the shell. The best thing on a hot afternoon.
A few good habits
- Spice levelAsk for "not spicy" if you're sensitive to heat; most kitchens are happy to adjust.
- Eat with your handRight hand only, and it really does taste better.
- Lunch is the big mealRice & curry is at its best at midday.
- Learn to cook itA home cooking class is one of the best afternoons of any trip.