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This little island,
formerly known as Ceylon is situated at the southernmost tip of the Indian
sub-continent has a wonderfully varied cuisine, reflecting not only the
traditions of the indigenous people, the Sinhalese, but also the different
nations which either colonised the island or came to trade and stayed for
many generations.
Apart from these occasional and
festive foods, the main meals eaten by the population are based on rice
accompanied by fish, meat and vegetable curries and sambals based on
coconut and chillies or other strong-flavoured ingredients such as dried
and salted fish. Everything is brought to the table at once and there are
no separate courses as in a Western style meal. It is perfectly correct to
take a little of everything and taste it against the neutral rice. There
will probably be a 'dry curry', that is, with a rich thick gravy which is
cooked for hours until concentrated flavour clings around the main
ingredient. Another will be a soupy curry with coconut milk gravy to
moisten the rice. Midway between these two are curries which have a
moderate amount of fairly spicy gravy and are not to be taken with the
same abandon as the mild, soupy type. Sri Lankan food is incendiary - an
average 'red' curry to serve 6-8 people will use around 30 hot red
chillies! |
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