Sri Lankan Food & Cooking Experiences

Dishes to try

Rice and curry, hoppers and string hoppers, kottu, lamprais, fish ambul thiyal, pol sambol and fresh tropical fruit are all worth seeking out.

Cooking classes

Many guesthouses and small schools offer classes that start with a market visit, then teach you to grind spices and cook several curries.

Regional flavours

Jaffna's seafood and spice blends differ from the south's sour fish curries and the hill country's simpler fare.

Eating well on the road

Rice and curry is the everyday meal: a plate of rice with several vegetable, lentil, fish or meat curries, sambols and poppadoms. Lunch is usually the main rice-and-curry meal.

Short eats such as rolls, patties and vadai make good snacks between sights.

Tell your driver what you like and how spicy you want it. They know the good roadside places.

Dietary needs

Vegetarian food is easy to find, and vegan options are common because many curries use coconut milk rather than dairy.

If you have allergies, especially to nuts, seafood or coconut, mention them in your enquiry so we can plan accordingly.

What a cooking class includes

Most classes begin with a visit to a market or garden to choose vegetables and spices. You'll then learn to scrape coconut, make coconut milk, temper spices and cook several curries, a dhal and a sambol, before eating the meal you've made.

A day of eating in Sri Lanka

Breakfast might be string hoppers with dhal curry and coconut sambol, or a bowl of hoppers with an egg cooked in the middle. Lunch is rice and curry, often served on a large plate with five or more dishes. In the afternoon, stop for tea with short eats such as fish rolls and vadai. Dinner could be kottu, freshly grilled seafood on the coast, or another rice and curry.

Spices and markets

Sri Lanka has long been known for its spices, especially cinnamon, which is native to the island. Other spices include cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper and curry leaves. Spice gardens near Matale welcome visitors, and local markets in Kandy, Dambulla, Colombo's Pettah and Jaffna are full of fruit, vegetables and spices.

Where to go

• ColomboStreet food, markets and restaurants.
• JaffnaDistinctive northern cuisine.
• KandyHome-style cooking classes.
• NegomboFresh seafood and the fish market.

Tips

• Ask for less spicy dishes if you prefer; cooks are happy to adapt.
• Eating with your right hand is traditional, but cutlery is always available.
• Drink bottled or filtered water.

Check current details before travelling: prices, opening hours, access and seasonal conditions change.

Frequently asked questions