Sri Lanka

An island of many ethnicities and influences, Sri Lanka was colonized successively by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British, all of whom left their mark on the local South Asian cuisine. See portugal’s influence in asia. Baked goods made with wheat flour, sugar, and eggs, such as cakes, tarts, and cookies, reflect the European influence. One Portuguese legacy is love cake, made from flour, eggs, spices, crystallized fruit, and nuts, and baked so that the center remains moist. Broeder is of Dutch origin, a round, rich, yeasty cake made of white flour and raisins and cooked in a pan resembling a Gugelhupf pan. See gugelhupf.