{"id":1224,"date":"2015-08-07T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2015-08-07T01:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/?p=1224"},"modified":"2026-01-28T09:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T01:00:08","slug":"must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/","title":{"rendered":"Must Try Foods in Sri Lanka: 13 Dishes Not to Be Missed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/discovering-sri-lankas-staple-dish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rice and curry<\/a> may be Sri Lanka&#8217;s most well-known delicacy, but there is more to the culinary scene on the island than this fiery staple dish. During your sojourns, you are likely to chance upon restaurants and eateries serving popular local fare such as string hoppers, hoppers, kottu roti and vadai, along with myriad snacks, side dishes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/sri-lankas-sweet-treats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">desserts<\/a> and beverages.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Start your culinary adventure right here &#8211; &nbsp;our foodie guide will inform you of the must-try dishes not to be missed on the island:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Sri_Lankan_Short_Eats\" >Sri Lankan Short Eats<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Seafood\" >Seafood<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Lamprais\" >Lamprais<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Wood_Apple\" >Wood Apple<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Wambatu_Moju\" >Wambatu Moju<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Buriani\" >Buriani<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/must-try-foods-in-sri-lanka-13-dishes-not-to-be-missed\/#Desserts\" >Desserts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sri_Lankan_Short_Eats\"><\/span>Sri Lankan Short Eats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Sri-Lanka-Egg-Roll.jpg\" alt=\"Sri Lanka Egg Roll\" class=\"wp-image-1243\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In Sri Lanka, <strong>short eats<\/strong> refer to snacks sold at stalls and restaurants that are eaten by the dozen. The locals consume these treats as a snack on the go or have them as a light breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are looking for a quick breakfast, try vegetable roti. These triangular items consist of vegetable curry wrapped in a flatbread. Other variations of this snack may include eggs or meat fillings. Fill up any remaining stomach space with an egg roll, a pancake containing a filling of fish, potatoes, and egg, then deep-fried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pol roti<\/strong>, or coconut roti, is a flatbread that also makes a good breakfast treat. This roti, made from desiccated coconut and rice flour, is usually\u00a0eaten with curries or a spicy relish of onions and chilli.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/malu-paan.jpg\" alt=\"Malu Paan Sri Lanka\" class=\"wp-image-1244\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Vacation makers with a taste for fiery flavours should give the <strong>malu paan<\/strong> a try. This inconspicuous bread roll packs a punch, for it is stuffed with a flavourful fish sambol. <strong>Stuffed chilies<\/strong>, which are banana chilies filled with a stuffing of onions and almond, also bring heat to the palate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Samosas<\/strong> are an irresistible snack perfect for munching on at all times of the day. These crispy bites contain curries, and the fillings may include a mix of meat and vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Seafood\"><\/span>Seafood<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Sri-Lanka-Seafood-in-Devilled-Sauce.jpg\" alt=\"Sri Lanka Seafood in Devilled Sauce\" class=\"wp-image-1245\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Seafood lovers will find no shortage of dishes to indulge in during their stay on the island. Early birds keen on rising up in the wee hours of the morning may be in time to watch throngs of fishermen pull in their catches of the day along the coasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local specialties in Sri Lanka include dishes containing squid, lobster, crab and jumbo prawns. There are a variety of ways in which the&nbsp;seafood dishes are prepared. Diners may tuck into a barbecue feast of grilled items, savour seafood curries, feast on seafood that are stir-fried with garlic, or eat them along with a devilled sauce made with chilies, peppers and ketchup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lamprais\"><\/span>Lamprais<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lamprais.png\" alt=\"Lamprais\" class=\"wp-image-1246\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"zn-body__paragraph\"><strong>Lamprais<\/strong> is a hearty dish made with a combination of meats, such as beef, pork or lamb, that have been infused with spices like\u00a0cardamom, clove and cinnamon. These ingredients, along with rice that has been cooked in a meat broth, are wrapped with banana leaves before being steamed. The result is an aromatic dish eaten with a handful of sides, such as curries, sambols and fried egg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wood_Apple\"><\/span>Wood Apple<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Wood-Apple-Juice.jpg\" alt=\"Wood Apple Juice\" class=\"wp-image-1247\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Southest Asia dishes up an array of fruits with intriguing flavours that may be\u00a0too exotic for some. In countries like Singapore or Malaysia, you are likely to come upon the infamous <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Durian\">durian<\/a>. A similar equivalent in Sri Lanka is the <strong>wood apple<\/strong>, a fruit possessing a distinct, pungent aroma that brings to mind the smell of blue cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traverse the street food stalls and markets of Sri Lanka, and you are likely to discern the scent of this fruit. Travellers with an adventurous palate can try out this fruit in different ways. You may consume the fruit out of the shell, or&nbsp;have&nbsp;it as a thick smoothie blended with additional ingredients of jaggery and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wambatu_Moju\"><\/span>Wambatu Moju<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Wambatu-Moju.jpg\" alt=\"Wambatu Moju\" class=\"wp-image-1249\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Pickles are a part and parcel of rice dishes consumed in Sri Lanka. The <strong>wambatu moju<\/strong>, an eggplant pickle, is a flavourful treat with a crispy exterior and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The pickle is prepared by frying bite-sized portions of the eggplant, before caramelising the vegetable with sugar, vinegar, red onions, green chilies, mustard seeds, chili powder and turmeric powder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Buriani\"><\/span>Buriani<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/blog.srilanka-villa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Buriani.jpg\" alt=\"Buriani\" class=\"wp-image-1250\" title=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This local staple is Sri Lanka\u2019s own take on biryani \u2014 usually less perfumed than North Indian versions, but still a hearty rice-and-meat favourite. Perfect for carb and meat lovers, the dish contains a generous portion of rice, chunks of chicken, a serving of curry and a boiled egg. Holidaymakers with a low tolerance for heat may want to opt for this item, as it is a\u00a0less spicy\u00a0alternative to rice and curry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Desserts\"><\/span>Desserts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A meal is not complete without a sweet treat. Round off a feast of savoury delights <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">with a d<\/span>essert of\u00a0kiribath,\u00a0rice cakes cooked in milk and served with jaggery. Be sure to leave some stomach space for the <strong>halapa<\/strong>, a dessert\u00a0wrapped in a kanda leaf. Unwrap the leaf, and you will find a curious-looking treat made of ragi flour, coconut, honey and salt. Possessing a mild sweetness, this nondescript-looking dessert can be surprisingly addictive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">See our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/\">villas in Sri Lanka here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rice and curry may be Sri Lanka&#8217;s most well-known delicacy, but there is more to the culinary scene on the island than this fiery staple &hellip; <\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_excerpt -->","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[111],"class_list":["post-1224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fnb","tag-wine-and-dine","latest_post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1224"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4924,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1224\/revisions\/4924"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.srilanka-villa.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}