Sri Lanka is a small island but the diverse array of food makes eating truly a pleasure. Rice and curry is the staple diet of most Sri Lankans but the two words hardly pay homage to the immense array of dishes that fall under this heading. A plateful of rice is accompanied by either spicy or non-spicy vegetable, meat or fish curries. Mallung (shredded green vegetable leaves), a spicy pol sambol (a coconut sambol) papadams (crispy fried wafers) and chutney are some of the additional dishes found in a traditional Sri Lankan meal. Aside from rice and curry Sri Lankan cuisine has plenty of fascinating dishes such as hoppers, string hoppers, pittu, kottu rotti and rotti. Hoppers (or appa) are a hot favourite. Crispy on the outside with a soft and spongy center, it is made from coconut milk, rice flour and a bit of toddy. Hoppers as well as any of the other dishes mentioned should be eaten with your fingers and coupled with curries or sambols. Sweatmeats, tropical fruit and colonial food such as love cake or lamprais all contribute to create a vibrant and colorful cuisine distinctly Sri Lankan in all its tastes and shapes.
