In the Beginning

Appears in
Serendip
Serendip

By Peter Kuruvita

Published 2009

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SRI LANKA IS A COUNTRY RICH IN SPICES. WHILE ITS FORMALLY RECORDED HISTORY BEGAN OVER 2500 YEARS AGO, IT WAS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY THAT CEYLON, AS IT WAS THEN KNOWN, WAS DISCOVERED BY THE PORTUGUESE. TRADE IN CINNAMON AND OTHER SPICES WAS SOON THRIVING. THE DUTCH AND BRITISH FOLLOWED, BRINGING WITH THEM THEIR OWN HISTORY AND INFLUENCES, AND ESTABLISHING A STRONG WESTERN PRESENCE IN THE ISLAND NATION.

Sri Lankan food is an expression of the country’s rich history and is full of delightful surprises, just like the island itself. Characterised by vibrant colours and fragrant aromas, every dish, from main meals to desserts and cakes, makes use of the country’s bounty of fresh spices. An ordinary Sinhalese curry, for example, can contain up to thirteen herbs and spices: chillies, coriander, cumin, curry leaves, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime, onion, pandanus leaf and turmeric.