Food in Sri Lanka: What to Try as a Tourist - Complete Guide to Lankan Cuisine

Sri Lankan Cuisine: Spicy, Aromatic and Authentic

Lankan cuisine is an explosion of character! In taste, it is very spicy and aromatic, featuring the pungency of Southeast Asian cuisines, like in Thailand, but with its own unique flavor. The basis of most local dishes consists of rice, fish, vegetables, and an abundance of spices.

Sri Lankan cuisine owes its combination of spiciness and heat to Indian cuisine, which has greatly influenced the culinary preferences of Lankans. Primarily, Indian and Lankan cuisines are similar in their use of large amounts of curry spice - a mixture of spices (main ones: black pepper, chili pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, turmeric, garlic, coriander, cinnamon), ground into powder. This mixture is prepared differently, and its composition can vary from the number of spice mixtures included to the dosage of each mixture, which determines the aroma and spiciness of the final curry seasoning. To give the dish a more refined aroma, in Sri Lanka it is customary to first fry the spices in vegetable oil, and then add other ingredients. There are many cooking variations, but here they prefer not to overcook the products but to stew them to preserve their taste and benefits. The national cuisine has also been influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, English who ruled here, and descendants of Arabs.

Sri Lankan cuisine is largely oriented towards vegetarians, as in everyday life Lankans do not eat meat often, mainly chicken. However, lamb, beef, and pork are also present here, but this meat is quite expensive and rarely consumed by locals. Beef is prohibited here, as the cow is considered a sacred animal. But, to cater to tourists, they will cook any type of meat, and you can even see beef on store shelves.

Since plant-based food predominates in the Lankans' diet, a lot of greens (dill, lettuce, cilantro, etc.), various spices (curry, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, vanilla), vegetables (tomatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, peppers, eggplant), bamboo shoots, coconut palm flowers, and seaweed are used here. Millet, corn, and various types of legumes (peas, lentils, beans) are also grown in Sri Lanka.

Bakery products are popular here. Fresh local bread is very tasty. "Bakeries" are quite common, including mobile ones, offering a wide range of pastries. Lankans especially love buns and pies with spicy fillings, such as samosa. They are consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There is milk and dairy products, but they are quite expensive - 1 liter of milk costs from 500 rupees (1.5 USD). A special local product that is a must-try is the fermented, yogurt-like, and very thick - curd, made from fermented buffalo milk. Sold in markets and supermarkets in large plastic or clay pots from 0.450-0.9 liters. Costs from 680 rupees (2.03 USD) for 0.9 liters.

As for fish and seafood, there is plenty of this 'goodness', especially in coastal areas. Among all the variety, tuna is considered the main fish in the locals' diet. It is very meaty, abundant, and inexpensive. Tuna is best ordered stewed, as its meat is more tender and juicy. For example, dinner of a whole fish for two, with fries and salad, without drinks, will cost about $15. Restaurant menus offer giant 'jumbo' shrimp, crabs, and lobsters. These dishes are quite expensive, for example, a medium-sized lobster about $10, 'jumbo' - from $5 per shrimp, there's nothing much to eat there, so such dishes are more aimed at true gourmets. A portion of cooked king prawns (6-7 pieces) in a cafe will cost $9, including a side of rice and salad. There are sharks (has a sourish taste and is somewhat tough), barracuda tastes like pike-perch, squid (called cuttle fish on menus here, so don't confuse it with real fish when ordering), small shrimp.

We advise visiting the morning fish market, which opens in many coastal villages at dawn (around 4 am) and closes by 8-9 am. Here, restaurant, cafe, and eatery owners stock up on freshly caught fish and seafood of various types. Their quantity and variety depend on the season. And, if you have the opportunity to cook something yourself (for example, your accommodation has a kitchen), be sure to take advantage of it. This way you can try various fish dishes here relatively inexpensively and eat as much as you want.

Also try tuna fillet stewed in coconut sauce, grilled 'jumbo' shrimp, crabs or lobsters with sweet and sour or garlic sauce, various types of dried and smoked fish, fried fish in one large piece ('steak'), fried fish in small pieces then stewed in curry mixture ('curry'), fish pieces stewed in sweet and spicy sauce ('devil'), as well as fried squid, etc. Any fish dish is served with a side of your choice: rice or fries and vegetable salad.

Main Dishes in Sri Lanka: Must-Try

Lankan cuisine is diverse. Here is our TOP dishes that every tourist must try:

• The Foundation: Rice and Curry

  

  • Rice with Curry (Rice and Curry)

    The basis of any Lankan table is Rice with Curry (Rice and Curry). Not a single daily meal goes without it. Moreover, curry - a spice mixture, is added to almost any dish, be it meat, fish, vegetables, and even fruits, giving a special aroma, taste, and spiciness. Therefore, the word 'curry' is added to the names of corresponding dishes: fish curry, shrimp curry, dal curry (beans). 'Rice and curry' is the most popular dish in Sri Lanka and consists of a large plate of rice, served separately with several small bowls of various sauces, seasonings, vegetables, meat, or fish. Moreover, in tourist restaurants, rice and curry is positioned as a special signature dish, which extremely enterprising Lankans unceremoniously speculate on. So, in addition to paying for the dish itself (essentially for boiled rice) in some places, you will have to pay extra for each additional bowl of seasoning. As a result, the cost of all rice with curry without meat can reach 700 rupees (2.09 USD, )see Sri Lanka currency, exchange rate), while in a local eatery you can find similar food for 300-400 rupees.

  • Biryani - Mega Pilaf

    If classic fried rice has become boring, Biryani will be a real revelation! This is a fragrant and very hearty pilaf where rice is cooked in layers with meat, fish, or vegetables, generously seasoned with spice mixtures, with nuts, raisins, and egg. This is a dish of incredible depth of flavor that can easily become your absolute favorite in Sri Lanka. Prices for Biryani also depend on the resort; the cheapest we found was in Jaffna for 500 rupees for a super-huge dish that we couldn't even finish together.

• Street Food and Snacks

  

  • Roti, Parotta and Dosa: Universal Flatbreads

    If you're looking for an inexpensive, hearty, and tasty snack any time of day, your choice is flatbreads! Roti - simple unleavened flatbreads made from wheat flour, often served with curry. Parotta - their richer, flakier relative, incredibly airy. And Dosa - crispy pancakes made from fermented rice and lentils, which are a culinary event in themselves. All of them perfectly complement any curry sauces and embody the 'cheap and cheerful' principle. One simple flatbread (without fillings) costs from 25 rupees (0.07 USD), and a full meal, including several flatbreads with meat or vegetable fillings and spicy gravy - from 350 rupees (0.9 USD).

    Kottu (Kottu) — Symbol of Sri Lanka

    You'll hear this dish before you see it! Kottu is cooked on every street: these are finely chopped roti flatbreads fried on a griddle with vegetables, egg, meat, or cheese. The clatter made by the sharp knives chopping the flatbreads for this dish is the soundtrack of Lankan cities. A hearty, aromatic, and very popular dish among locals. Can cost from 500 to 1500 rupees depending on the ingredients and resort (from 1.5 USD).

    Hoppers (Hoppers) and String Hoppers (String Hoppers): Perfect Breakfast

    Hoppers (Appa) - these are bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from rice flour and coconut milk, crispy on the edges and soft in the center. Egg Hoppers - the same hopper, but with an egg baked in the middle, perfect breakfast.

    String Hoppers (Idiyappam) - this is not just noodles, but an elegant and tasty base for breakfast or dinner. The dish consists of small lacy 'nests' woven from the thinnest rice noodles, steamed. String hoppers are usually served with fragrant and spicy curry - chicken, fish, or vegetable - as well as with the obligatory portion of coconut sambal and lentil gravy (dal). This is a light but very hearty and authentic food that is a must-try. For a full meal with several circles of noodles and 2-3 gravy additions, we paid in different places from 130 to 350 rupees (from 0.39 USD).

  

• Meat, Fish and Seafood

  

  • Deviled (Deviled) — Spicy Temptation

    When you want something piquant and fiery, boldly order dishes labeled Deviled (Deviled). This is fish, chicken, seafood, or even vegetables, fried or stewed in a spicy, sweet and sour sauce with chili, onions, and spices. This is an explosive taste that pairs perfectly with plain rice. Prices start from 800 rupees (2.39 USD).

Fruits of Sri Lanka: Seasons and Prices

Sri Lanka is often called a fruit paradise, as natural conditions allow for growing a great variety of exotic fruits: mangoes, pineapples, bananas, papaya, apples, sapodilla, mangosteen, rambutan, woodapple (or wooden apple), durian, passion fruit, avocado, carambola, pomelo, longan, tamarind, soursop, guava, sugar apple, fruit of the palmyra palm, etc.

Watch our video with fruit prices and other goods straight from the store, and see for yourself:

First place in the ranking of Sri Lankan fruits goes to the coconut. Coconut palms grow everywhere on the island and are the 'breadwinners' of the local population. Coconut is widely used in cooking in the form of coconut milk, oil, coconut flakes, as well as palm nectar. The Lankans themselves prefer the juice of orange (royal) coconuts. They will crack it open in front of you and give you a straw. But chilled coconuts like in Thailand, for example, are almost impossible to find.

Bananas come in several types: from ordinary yellow minis to red ones (grown only here), melting in the mouth, sweet and even with a sour note.

We didn't like the local mango; it is very small and expensive. For example, the cheapest local mango the size of small apples we found in markets and supermarkets for 450 rupees (1.35 USD). But it's the kind of mango that in Thailand or Vietnam would probably be too embarrassed to put on the counter. And a normal large mango costs from 800 rupees (2.39 USD), while at the same time in Russia you could buy it for 299 rubles in chain supermarkets, and in Vietnam a month earlier we bought it from 20,000 dong (0.76 USD). Feel the difference, as they say.

Drinks of Sri Lanka: From Tea to Arrack

Besides the famous Ceylon tea, there is plenty to try in Sri Lanka.

• Non-Alcoholic Drinks

  The king of drinks is coconut water (King Coconut). Excellent for quenching thirst, on busy streets it costs on average from 150 to 200 rupees.

  Freshly squeezed juices, smoothies from local fruits (papaya, lemon, mango, passion fruit), and milkshakes from 300 rupees are also popular.

  Bottled water in the most popular 1.5L size for 130 rupees is available everywhere. By the way, 5L bottles are also sold for 350 rupees, so if you're staying somewhere for 2-3 full days, you can safely take them.

  Also, besides the well-known global soda brands Coca Cola, Pepsi, 7UP, Fanta, Sprite, local soda under the Elephant House brand is sold. However, it is significantly inferior in taste and carbonation to Coca, and the price is about the same.

  There is a special type of local soda – ginger beer (Ginger Beer). The most popular brand is EGB, but there are others. But this is not an alcoholic drink, but a sweet soda with a 'fiery' ginger taste. Be sure to try it!!!

• Tea (Tea)

  Sri Lanka is a world leader in black tea production. Be sure to visit the tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya and try freshly brewed 'Ceylon Tea'. It is drunk with sugar and milk. A pack of good tea as a gift will cost from 650 rupees for 200g.

• Alcohol

  Arrack (Coconut Arrack) - the national strong alcoholic drink, distilled from coconut palm sap. Tastes like good rum or whiskey. Drunk both straight and in cocktails. A 0.7L bottle costs from 3700 rupees (11.07 USD).

  Lion Beer - the most popular local beer. Light, refreshing, perfect for the hot climate. Minimum price for 0.65L beer in a specialized store - 500 rupees (1.5 USD). In cafes, alcohol is almost twice as expensive.

  Generally, regarding alcohol, things are a bit complicated in Sri Lanka: prices are high, sales only in specialized stores, there are restrictions. Therefore, we have explained everything in more detail in a separate guide – Alcohol in Sri Lanka: where to buy, what to try, prices.

Sweets and Desserts of Sri Lanka

Sweets in Sri Lanka are very distinctive, most often based on coconut and palm syrup. Be sure to try:

• Rulan Aluwa (Rulan Aluwa) – traditional sweet made from semolina (rulan) with coconut, nuts, and molasses (or sugar). Served in diamond or square shapes.
• Kiribath (Kiribath) — rice in coconut milk, served for breakfast or on holidays.
• Watalappam (Watalappam) — traditional pudding made from coconut milk, eggs, and palm syrup with cardamom and nuts.
• Unduwel (Unduwel, Pani Walalu) - something like fried dough twists made from rice and lentil flour, soaked in sweet syrup.
• Kevum (Kevum) — buttery sweet pastries made from rice flour and palm syrup.
• Fermented curd (Curd) with palm syrup or honey - this is also a kind of dessert that locals love very much.

Where to Eat in Sri Lanka and Prices

The choice of food establishments in Sri Lanka is wide. In tourist areas, there are small cafes, restaurants, however, there are not many inexpensive local eateries; Lankans still prefer to eat at home. From our experience, we can say that sometimes it is even difficult to find inexpensive non-touristy cafes. For example, in central areas of Colombo, they are concentrated near the bus station and railway station, but even for us - unpretentious experienced travelers - it seemed too dirty there.

When searching for establishments, consider the peculiarity of Lankan cuisine that distinguishes it from other Asian countries - eating with hands. Therefore, often in cafes, there are no spoons, forks, and knives on common tables. Also, a great rarity - the presence of napkins, sets of sauces and spices, as in other Asian and SEA countries popular with tourists. Sinks are available for hand washing, but soap is not always available. Therefore, we advise always carrying wet wipes with you.

• Where You Can Eat in Sri Lanka

  • Street Food Stalls — here they prepare the most authentic and cheapest dishes: roti, hoppers, stuffed flatbreads, samosa. You can take several different types with you and try them at once. Ideal for a quick snack, for some it can quite replace breakfast or even lunch (we often ate like this ourselves). Eat from 50 rupees for one samosa or flatbread / 0.15 USD.

    

  • Local Cafes (Local Cafes) — establishments for locals, often operating under signs saying 'Hotel', but these are exactly cafe-type canteens, not hotels. Prices are low, simple local food like rice and curry, biryani, roti is served. There isn't always a menu, and if there is, it's not easy to navigate, no English translation. You'll have to point through the display case at the dish you like, you can find out the price at the end. Eat from 400 rupees per dish / 0.9 USD.

    

  • Take Away (Take Away) and delivery. This is a real lifesaver for those who need to save time and money. There are many establishments working on Take Away, prices are low even compared to cafes for locals, portions are huge. You can also order delivery through Uber or PickMe apps, there is a separate section for that. Delivery can be free and up to 200 rupees depending on the location.

    

  • Food courts in supermarkets - a good alternative to cafes. The choice of dishes is not large, but everything is fresh and the environment is much cleaner. Average prices, menu in English. However, these are only in big cities and large supermarkets. Eat from 400 rupees per dish / 1.2 USD.

    

  • Tourist restaurants — menu in English, more Europeanized cuisine, clean, atmospheric environment, but higher prices. You can find such establishments in any more or less developed resort, but to be honest, they are not found everywhere and not on every corner. Eat from 1000 rupees per dish / 2.99 USD.

    

  • Hotel restaurants (Hotel Restaurants) — the most expensive option, often buffet. When checking in, you can even choose the type of meal (breakfast-dinner). Such options need to be selected when booking the hotel or pay extra on the spot. Eat from 1500 rupees per dish / 4.49 USD.

    

  • Fast food chains (KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King) - a familiar option for many, without elements of national cuisine. Not available everywhere, only in large cities like Colombo, Kandy. Eat from 600 rupees per dish / 1.79 USD.

    

• How Much to Budget for Food in Sri Lanka

  • Eat ultra-economically in local establishments, buy drinks and water in supermarkets – from 1800 rupees/person per day / 5.38 USD.
  • Eat tasty in tourist cafes, but without delicacies like seafood and without alcohol – from 3000 rupees/person per day / 8.97 USD.
  • Eat tasty in restaurants with seafood and alcohol without excesses – from 6000 rupees per day / 17.95 USD.

Practical Tips and Lifehacks for Eating in Sri Lanka

• Read the menu carefully or ask. In tourist places, they may charge extra for each additional bowl, for example, of rice with curry. Often in local cafes there isn't even a menu, so always clarify the cost of the dish and what's included when ordering.
• Bargain in markets and fruit stalls. The initial price for a tourist may be inflated by 2 times. However, this will be difficult, as many don't speak English and it will be very difficult to negotiate. A good option in such a case would be a supermarket - prices are known, you can choose.
• Follow the locals. If a cafe is full of Lankans - it's likely tasty and inexpensive here.
• Carry wet alcohol wipes with you. Even simple ones won't hurt. In Sri Lanka, it's customary to eat with hands, and hygiene in small cafes is not always good. Better to be safe.
• Clarify the weight for 'Deviled' and seafood. The price often depends on the weight of the fish or lobster, to avoid surprises in the bill, ask for the final cost of the dish before ordering.

That's all! Have successful and 'tasty' travels in Sri Lanka! And finally, a personal review of the cuisine from our author:

Personal Review of Sri Lankan Cuisine

Food and cuisine in Sri Lanka became one of my biggest disappointments upon first acquaintance with the country. The disappointment concerned both the quality of food and prices. Of course, if you eat in an expensive restaurant every time, perhaps such disappointment won't affect you, but during a long stay you need to eat more economically, not leaving $20 for one dish every time. This is where disappointment arises. For some reason, in tourist places in Sri Lanka, it's very difficult to find mid-priced establishments where you can eat inexpensively and tasty, which was especially noticeable after moving here from Vietnam. You either have to leave a lot of money in expensive restaurants, or eat for pennies, but in local eateries in completely unsanitary conditions in cafes where rats run at the doorstep and insects inside. Sometimes I barely held back nausea when, already eating the ordered dish, I noticed in what conditions it was prepared. There are no napkins at all, except maybe they might put cut-up newspapers. And in not particularly popular tourist places, for example in Anuradhapura or Dambulla, finding something to eat in the evening is a real problem. And several evenings, when we arrived in local small towns for overnight stays, we remained hungry altogether.

And even in expensive places, we didn't always get lucky with food. It turned out about 50/50: one time we managed to eat tasty, another time 'terrible'. Even in an expensive tourist place, they can easily oversalt or undersalt, overpepper, overcook fish to a bitter taste, and shrimp to charcoal so that there's simply nothing left to eat. Service in such places is not always top-notch either. Accustomed to the fact that in Thailand, and generally everywhere, even with simple rice they serve you a bunch of various jars with spices and sauces, here we never got anything like that. We had to ask for everything, and besides ketchup, pepper, and salt, we never got anything else.

Prices for breakfasts or dinners in hotels didn't please us either, even in the cheapest guesthouses. For example, for a completely tasteless breakfast of an egg, tea, and toast, the owners shamelessly 'charged' us $2-4.

The only two places where during almost a full month on the island I enjoyed eating were McDonald's (prices even slightly less than ours), and the food court in the Majestic City shopping mall in Colombo. But this was my personal and first experience in Sri Lanka, perhaps everything will be different for you.