From Tide to Table

Sri Lanka; a colourful food destination

I think of Sri Lanka as a food parcel at the southern tip of India, unwrapping to reveal ingredients that reflect the past.

Every raider, invader and conqueror has left their mark; on the culture, architecture, landscape and especially on the food.

Arabian nuts may be followed by an Indian Curry, Portuguese fish, all cooled down with a Dutch curd pudding washed down with a very British Cup of Tea.

The early Indian kings brought irrigation engineers who built reservoirs that stored water between the monsoons and dry seasons. Today these 'tanks' house fresh water fish, surrounded by purple water lily, Sri Lanka’s symbol of opportunity. Verdant paddies produce red, white and brown rice.

The road sides are dotted with stalls of seasonal tropical fruit; the bright red of the spiky rambutan contrast with the yellow of the small pineapple. Bananas hang above and may be green, yellow, orange, or even red.

I believe all food tastes best when harvested ripe and eaten immediately. However in a country of weather extremes, preservation is important. Fruit is often served in syrup of jaggery (palm sugar) and spices.

Start the day with orange mangoes infused in syrup of cardamom, cinnamon and clove and reflect on the wars fought for these spices.

Curries are often described by colour- a white curry is milked down with coconut, a yellow curry is spiced with turmeric, a red is laced with chilli and a black is fired with pepper.

The beaches of Negombo are a hive of activity in the early mornings. Yellow-finned tuna are spread in the sun to dry. Without refrigeration sun drying is just one method of preservation. The Portuguese women in the south use the orange pulp of the tamarind to coat their fish whilst the Sinhalese in the South use the white salt crystals, harvested and dried from the sea.

Sri Lanka, where you can taste the colourful history, where through food, you can gain an insight to another culture.