Known for its “rice and curry” and Ceylon tea, the food in Sri Lanka claims its multi-cultural roots. Whether spicy and fragrant or sweetened with coconut, the exotic gastronomy gathers those looking for a different kind of cuisine. Here are my top ten, not to be missed dishes.

The best Sri Lankan breakfast

#1: Breakfast in Sri Lanka is generous and spicy. Both savory and sweet, it is usually composed of fresh fruit and shaved coconut pancakes named the Pani Bol. Absolutely delicious.

#2. The string hoppers may look like a funny vermicelli nest, but paired with dal curry, a soft lentil delicacy, they get eaten under a minute. Yum.

3#. Hoppers (no string attached this time) can also mean thin coconut milk crepes, served with dal curry or just simple cane sugar. Hard to keep from eating 10 in a row and ruin your appetite….

4#. The coconut roti, reminiscent of the Indian naan bread, can easily replace our Western toasts.

5#. I really loved the pol sambol pancake. Shaped like a bowl, it is made with coconut milk and is served with a sweet and spicy coconut hash. So delicious !

The famous rice and curry

6#. The famous “rice and curry” is the country’s national dish and thus the most popular in Sri Lanka. It comprises rice and dal curry, garnished with fish, meat or vegetables.

7#. Are you over rice and curry? Try a good biryani with shrimp or chicken. A welcomed change of flavor !

The Kottu roti, devilled chicken and lamprai

8#. Devilled dishes are an other popular speciality, and as you will taste, it’s all in the name… With rice and chicken or fish, they are extremely spicy. Sensitive palates beware !

9#. Kottu roti, also a traditional dish, has an impressive preparation process: All the ingredients are chopped together with large (and noisy!) metallic palets. Roti bread is finely mixed with vegetables, eggs, fish or chicken on a large stone hotplate. I loved it!

10#. Last but not least, lamprai, made of rice and vegetables cooked in a banana leaf. It reminds me of French West Indies recipes, inspired from Indian cuisine, that use the same cooking process.

Une petite soif ?

A la mangue, à la papaye, au fruit de la passion ou à l'orange, les jus de fruits frais, crémeux et acidulés, n'ont pas de prix au Sri Lanka. Nous en avons fait une cure durant tout notre séjour. Pour une detox complète, j'ai testé différents thés verts, bien plus doux que le célèbre thé de Ceylan. Autre pépite à consommer sans modération, l'eau de coco. Pour s'amuser, nous faisions souvent des battles de coco pour voir qui finissait le sien en 1er.

Amoureux de la bière, la meilleure est sans doute la Lion beer, douce et mousseuse. Pour aller crescendo en alcool, l'arrack fait plus de dégâts. A base de whisky local, il vaut mieux le boire mixé avec de la limonade. Pour le café, grosse déception, il est souvent soluble et sans goût.