Sugar and spice and all things nice! The childhood doggerel could well be adapted to the culinary temptations of Sri Lanka nestling serenely in the Indian Ocean. Chasing the legendary spices of the Indies involved a hazardous journey for seafaring Western nations, back in the day.
Since antiquity, pepper, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, saffron, anise, zedoary, cumin, and cloves, treasured spices mostly were brought by overland caravans from the Silk Route or sea routes from the East, with laden ships sailing up the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, traversing either Egypt or Arabia, and into the Mediterranean from the spice markets of Aden and Alexandria. These then found their way into European markets through the Italian maritime hubs of Venice and Genoa.
Being difficult to obtain and pretty expensive, these legendary spices only surfaced in the kitchens and tables of the elite. They were also valued for their medicinal and cosmetic properties. In 1453, the Ottomans captured Constantinople (Istanbul), the strategic bridge between the East and the West. Overland trade into Europe started drying up with the blocking of the route.
The insatiable desire for spices from the Indies for the West was so strong it became a compelling need, not only for the traders, but even nation heads to find an alternative route to the original sources, regardless of the hazards involved.
Spain (oh how Christopher Columbus begged Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to fund his voyage!); Portugal (having sailed around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa in 1488, appointed by King João II, explorer Bartolomeu Dias opened up the possibility of sea route across the Atlantic and Indian oceans). This discovery helped Vasco De Gama set off on a spice-hunting voyage, mounted in 1497-9 by King Manuel I (r. 1495-1521), to India.
The race was on between Portugal and other western powers to capture, nay, even monopolise, the highly lucrative spice trade with countries like India, Sri Lanka Malaysia and Indonesia. Once a base was created on India's Malabar Coast western ships would venture further East to the Spice Islands and South East Asia.
With the Portuguese riding the crest of success upon success King Manuel I declared a royal monopoly on the spice trade. In 1510 Goa became the bastion of 400 years of Portuguese rule. In 1518 they established a fort at Colombo in Sri Lanka. And so, the international spice saga took off in Sri Lanka, with the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Dutch, the English and the Arabs, all having an axe to grind, or rather, a sailing ship to grab a slice of the business of these tropical aromatics.
Today, Sri Lanka is the leading exporter of true cinnamon; also high on its export list are pepper and cardamom.
To be in Sri Lanka and not dine and wine on its culinary history would be a shame. A melting pot of culture and community Sri Lanka has some of the choicest cuisines to offer even the fussiest eater.
Sri Lankan fare… it's hot, pungent, flavoursome and compellingly aromatic. Let’s not linger on chit-chat any longer.
How about we now trundle off on a leisurely, spice-laden caper across this sunny island? Let’s go bundle up some of our own stories and memories for another day.
Rice And Dhal
Let’s begin with a traditional rice and dal dish and move on to more adventurous stuff along the way. Even the soupy lentil dish can vary from region to region, from home to home thanks to the variety of spices at hand in the family kitchen. By the way, did you know that Sri Lanka has over 2000 different kinds of traditional rice varieties alone? As far back as 900 BC rulers of ancient Sri Lanka gave top priority to rice cultivation in order to make the country self-sufficient. Suwandal, Sudu Heenati, Kalu Heenati, Goda Heenati, Madathawalu, Pachchaperumal, Masuran, Gonabaru, Maa Wee…Don’t’ they sound ever so exotic? Do remember that each of these heirloom varieties had its special spot in the Sri Lankan rice culture.
Dhal or Parippu, a household kitchen staple involves the boiling of lentils which are then married in a wok to golden sautéed onions, tomatoes and fresh green chilies; the wedded lentils are then tempered with a fiery mix of spices like cumin seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds and curry leaves. A bit of coconut milk adds a creamy texture to the concoction, with the fragrance of coconut bringing its own twist to the dish. Instead of rice you can have it with a crispy paratha, a shallow-fried flat bread.
Polos
Jackfruit, depending on its maturity, is cooked in different ways. One of the most popular versions is the polos or jackfruit curry, made with the tender green version of this vegetable. Again, boiling and tempering of the bite-sized cubes changes the flavours and texture of the dish. The spices-- mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder, roasted curry powder, curry and curry leaf play a pivotal role in raising it to another level altogether. The final step — coconut milk is added and then reduced to a thickened curry texture. Yum!
Lamprais
Let’s go Dutch over this delicious import from Sri Lanka’s colonial times. The Dutch Burgher community has left its inedible mark on the spice island with this marriage of meat and rice and brought together with Sri Lankan sambal chili sauce, wrapped into a banana leaf envelope and steamed. Infused with cardamom, clove and true Sri Lankan cinnamon the rice is cooked in meat stock which is from a mix of beef, pork or lamb. Lamprais, because it’s such a time-consuming dish, is a popular Sunday family get-together treat.
Sri Lankan Black Chicken Curry
A lovely twist to chicken curry as we travellers through Asia are familiar with. The dark hues of the dish come from roasting the curry and chilli powders till they are dark brown. Marinated in salt, pepper and soy sauce for 24 hours, these bite-size pieces on the bone of the chicken later take the flavours and colours of all the spices apportioned for the dish, like duck to water!!! Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, onions, pandan leaf, curry leaves, chillies, garlic and ginger all come together to transform the dish into a memorable foodie experience.
Exploring Sri Lanka’s culinary diversity is like setting off on a voyage of discovery of your own. Bring on the intrepid adventurer in you and fill up your log book with fantastical experiences in the Spice Island.