Living in Culture

Earlier, I talked about the deep relationship between food and the many aspects of a culture. Recently, I have been researching food traditions in Sri Lanka, and through this process, I’ve learned so much more about the country and its cultural practices. Being half Sri Lankan, this research feels especially meaningful to me, as it allows me to connect more deeply with my own heritage. I hope to one day travel to Sri Lanka to experience these customs firsthand and learn directly about the traditions that have shaped my family.

The food in Sri Lanka, though basically similar, could differ in taste, preparation, and the occasion for which they are used. Foods like kiribath (coconut rice), string hoppers, rice, and dahl are all very common foods in the country.

Northern Sri Lanka

In the northern part of Sri Lanka, most of its inhabitants are mainly migrants from South India, many of whom had settled centuries ago. They are called the Tamils and have their food traditions that have many ties to Southern India. Similar to many other Asian nations, people in this area often use paddy rice (rice that has been removed from the outer chaff, but still has its outer husk) and rice flour in cooking.

One very common dish in this region is called Dosa. This dish is a version of a crepe and is made from a fermented rice-and-black-lentil batter. Other variations are made of rice flour to create different textures. In this region, Dosa is generally a breakfast dish, stuffed with various vegetables and served with a spicy sauce. Due to its preparation with different spices, the taste can be very intense and strong.

Mid Country/Hill Country

The middle part of Sri Lanka is popularly known as the “Hill Country”. This region also has staple dishes that include rice and rice-flour. However, the preparations are quite different from the Northern part of the country.

A typical meal normally has rice as the main dish, but consists of five or six additional side dishes. They can include a fish or meat (often fried), a non-spicy dish made with lentils (also known as dahl), and two or three vegetable dishes.

Southern Country

The food in the southern part of Sri Lanka also consists of rice as a main dish. Many meals also feature four to five side dishes that can be quite spicy. The reason for the Southern meals being spicy can be attributed to all of the spices grown in that region. Spices like chili, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves are grown in abundance in this region. It is important to note that spices grown in Sri Lanka are more intense than those grown in some other places due to the climate in the country.

A typical meal in Southern Sri Lanka would, most of the time, consist of fish because of
the fishing industry that is concentrated in the South. For that reason, fish get prepared
in different ways, such as curry, stews, preserved, and dried.