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Formerly
known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an island situated in the Indian Ocean
just south of India.
The island is estimated to have
been colonised by the Balangoda people about 34,000 years ago. The
people called the Veddas (forest-dwellers) are believed to have
inhabited Sri Lanka's semi-evergreen dry forest called the Wanni, for
at least 16,000 years.
The Sinhalese migrated to Sri
Lanka probably from North India in the 5000BC first settling along
rivers. Evidence found suggests that the cultivation of wet rice was
well practised. They constructed canals, water-storage tanks and
reservoirs which made up an elaborate irrigation system as a backup
in times of drought. By 900BC and the use of iron, advanced forms of
farming and livestock breeding were practised. Cinnamon, which is
native to Sri Lanka, was in use in Ancient Egypt in about 1,500 BC,
suggesting that there were trading links with the island.
The island's location made it a
popular stop-off point for foreign traders, especially as it produced
many fine spices such as cinnamon and cloves. Examples include Arabs
who introduced the the use of saffron and rose water, Portuguese who
ruled the island in the 1500's and who not only introduced Chillies
to the island but also culinary terms such as 'temper' which is
derived from the Portuguese word, temperado - to fry and season and
the Dutch who ruled the island from 1658 to1796 who introduced
recipes rich in eggs and butter such as Breudher, a Dutch Christmas
cake, plus savoury recipes such as Frikkadels (meatballs). There are
also Malay influences as can be seen in the dish Wattalapam.
Cuisine
Sri Lankan food is little known
as a speciality food abroad, being totally overshadowed by next door
neighbour India and its food. While Sri Lanka food has a certain
amount in common with South Indian food, Sri Lankan culinary
traditions are quite distinct, being a fusion of local produce and
predominately chicken, pork and fish used in recipes and spices
carried to the island over the centuries by various visitors and
settlers - Malay, Indian, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and more recently
English. The staple dish is rice and curry, being at its best a
delicious mini banquet mixture of spices that demonstrate Sri Lanka's
status as one of the premier spice islands in the world. Spices
generally used in Sri Lankan cooking can include a mixture of
chillies, cinnamon, curry leaves, garlic, coconut milk, pandanus
leaves and sometimes a small pinch of intensely pungent sun dried
tuna called 'Maldive Fish'.
Rice is still the staple of Sri
Lankan cuisine and is generally served either boiled or steamed
accompanied by a variety of curries. Being an island as one might
expect, fish and seafood feature heavily in the everyday diet as do
the wide variety of fruit and vegetables which are cultivated on the
island.
A typical Sri Lankan meal would
consist of a main curry of fish, meat or poultry, several other
curries made with vegetables and /or pulses such as lentils plus
condiments such as chutneys and sambols which are generally extremely
(spicy) hot and made from various ingredients such as coconut,
onions, lime juice and chillies. All the dishes are placed on the
table at the same time and diners help themselves to a little of
everything using a dessertspoon and fork or their fingers.
Perhaps the most distinctive
nature of Sri Lankan food is the use of Maldive fish (dried fish)
which is added as a flavour enhancer to vegetable dishes. Coconut and
chilli also form an integral part of most Sri Lankan dishes.
Common ingredients used include
coconuts and coconut milk (see the featured ingredient), chillies,
onions, Maldives fish which is a little like Shrimp Paste and curry
powder mixes.
There are 3 main types of Sri
Lankan curry: White, Red and Black. White curries are, mild, based on
coconut milk and very liquid. Red curries contain a large amount of
chilli powder or ground red chillies with a few other spices. Black
curries are dark in colour which is achieved by the roasting of the
spices until they are a deep brown and are the most typical curries
eaten in Sri Lanka.
Hoppers (appa) are another food
native to Sri Lanka, served mainly for breakfast or lunch and often
accompanied by "lunumiris," a fiery hot mix of red onions
and spices. Hoppers are made from a fermented batter of rice flour,
coconut milk and a dash of palm toddy, which lends a sour flavor and
fermentation ability. If toddy is not available, yeast is often used.
The batter is left to rise, then cooked in a hemispherical wok-like
pan. There are many types of hoppers including egg hoppers, milk
hoppers, and sweeter varieties like vanduappa and paniappa.
Koola'ya is a dish made of a
variety of leftover curries, mixed together with rice and often
served at temples, with chapati. Its also served in a ball form, or
even mixed in a blender.
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