Food is an integral part of our travel experience. Where ever we go, we eat only local. Period. Never ever carried separate food even for our daughter, expect those intial two years when she was on baby food. Sri Lanka was no different. In fact, we had made major plans to gorge on crabs and lobsters when in the island country for 10 days. We gorged gorged and gorged some more….and came back home deeply satiated and 2-3 extra kgs round our waist….
Here is a list of what you should not miss when in Sri Lanka –
Sea-Food: But obviously! The country is known for its lagoon crabs and lobsters. We had them to our heart’s content in Colombo, Amar Restaurant near Bentota, at Galle and in Unawatuna at our hotel in Coco Bay. Why, even the Cinnamon Lodge in Habarana offered extremely good sea-food. Remember though, that you won’t get too many options for fish and sea-fish in the central towns of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, simply because they are farther away from the sea.
Hoppers: The hoppers, both plain and spring, is the staple breakfast in Sri Lanka. And I fell for them. A lot like the Kerala appam in India, the hoppers are served with Sri Lankan curries and chutneys. Our breakfast, every day, would be incomplete if we didn’t eat a minimum of 4-5 hoppers. In big hotels, they make veg and egg variants of the hoppers. My favourite were the plain ones, especially the spring hoppers.
Sri Lankan Desserts: I normally freak out on desserts. Especially the traditional ones. Sri Lankan desserts, for obvious reasons, are normally coconut based. And so, I gorged on oil cakes called Konda kevum, Kalu Dodol, Athirasa, Aluwas…
Sri Lankan Tea: Sri Lanka is the world’s biggest tea grower. Kandy-Nuwara Eliya districts have the most beautiful tea gardens in the world. Hence, a tea-lover like me, didn’t find it hard to get a good cuppa in Sri Lanka. Although I normally prefer and love the light Darjeeling in our country, the full-bodied Sri Lankan variety is good with milk or lemon.
Eat and drink local. You will make more friends while travelling.
P.S: For a complete Sri Lanka itinerary and tour details, read — Best Itinerary & Blogs for Sri Lanka Road Trip