FOOD AND DRINK

Sri Lanka is blessed with fertile soil, rich seas and a tropical climate in which delicious fruit, fresh vegetables and flavor some spices grow abundantly. That abundance is reflected in the country's cooking, which also shows the influences of the many races who have settled the island of Sri Lanka in past centuries.

Rice and Curry

No traditional meal in Sri Lanka is complete without rice, usually served plainly boiled or steamed and accompanied by any of dozens of different curry dishes. Usually, a main meal comprises one central curry dish - chicken, lamb, beef, fish or prawn -with a selection of vegetable and dhtil (lentil) dishes.

Along with these are side dishes of chutney and pickle. Some of these are cooling (such as mango chutney), while others are fiery. Among the spiciest of all Sri Lankan side dishes is sninbol, a potent paste blended from onion, coconut, chilly, lime juice and dried fish and served with rice. Coconut milk is a major ingredient in all Sri Lankan curries, which are generally lighter and less rich than the curry dishes of northern India, and have much in common with the cooking of the Indian south.

Many Sri Lankans, both Hindu and Buddhist, follow a vegetarian diet at least part of the time, and Sri Lanka is an excellent destination for vegetarians, with many delicious meat-free dishes to choose from on the menu

Spices

The spices which first drew Europeans to the island - cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper - still grow in great abundance in Sri Lanka. They lend richness and zest to many dishes, often in proportions that depend on availability and the chef's personal taste rather than on any fixed recipe.

                                                                    
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Drink

Fruit juices are widely available but should be treated with caution as they may not have been blended with water that is safe to drink. Tap water may be contaminated, particularly during the monsoon season. You should be able to trust fruit juices in main resort hotels, but those sold in smaller restaurants and roadside stands are best avoided. Bottled water and soft drinks are widely available.

Grapes are among the few fruits that will not grow in Sri Lanka, so all wines are imported and are therefore relatively expensive and often of indifferent quality. Lion lager, the country's main brand of beer, is relatively expensive in Sri Lankan terms, but like almost everything else in Sri Lanka is cheap by international standards. Imported beers, and Guinness stout brewed under license, are also available in bars and restaurants in the main tourist areas.