Culinary Ceylon: A unique flavour of history and cuisine
The Bombai Muttai man arrives and beautifully presented black pork on pol roti. Pix by Amila Gamage
Walking down the cobblestoned Hospital Street in Fort, a curious sight greets you if you happen to notice it at all – a small ‘petti kade’ with its timber shelves lined with groceries nestled between the buildings. Not a typical location for a roadside kiosk.
It is all part of the experience of Culinary Ceylon, as you walk past the shelves into a room where you are greeted by your host for the evening and a team of smiling staff who are dedicated to taking you on a culinary journey through Sri Lanka.
Culinary Ceylon is a hosted food experience, comprising a seven course degustation menu that tells the story of Sri Lanka’s rich and varied history through its cuisine. Diners are treated to delicious and skilfully prepared examples of the island’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and diverse range of dishes, while a passionate and knowledgeable host teaches you about the origins of each dish, the history behind it, the ingredients and how it is made.
Culinary Ceylon is owned and operated by the team behind Leopard Trails, a luxury camping service in Yala and Wilpattu. Director Amrith de Soysa explains that they decided to bring the concept of a hosted experience to Sri Lankan cuisine to educate and immerse tourists in Sri Lankan culture
“Colombo is definitely lacking experiences and we feel this will be a great addition to the experiences available for foreigners,” he adds.
Our host for the evening Glen spared no detail in explaining the gastronomic history of Sri Lanka as Richard softly serenaded on guitar with popular local hits. The historical tales were fascinating, from the culinary habits of the indigenous Veddhas to the colonial influences from the Portuguese, Dutch and British who brought their own flavours and techniques from their travels around the world, which Lankans then adopted and gave our own flavourful spin.
Chef Lasantha and his team plated up a variety of dishes that tasted as beautiful as they looked. The crab rasam hit the palate with a peppery punch flavoured with roasted coriander seed and tamarind paste, tender crab meat at the bottom.
Next was a platter of street food and ‘saivar kade’ favourites – the isso wade that is a beachside staple made of lentils and prawns, hot buttered cuttlefish and crispy ulundu vadai. This was complemented by a cold dish of grilled sweet potato topped with eggplant salad that lent a refreshing balance to the fried foods.
The black pork curry stuffed pol roti was an instant favourite, served with seeni sambol and a lunu miris that didn’t shy away from spice.
Next was a delightfully mini version of chicken lamprais, served traditionally wrapped in banana leaf with all the necessary accompaniments. We were told about its Dutch Burgher influences, and its origins from the Dutch East India Company bringing Indonesian workers to the country, who in turn brought with them their local snack of lemper.
No Sri Lankan menu would be complete without kottu or stringhoppers, and the string hopper kottu with roasted chicken wings and chilli parata with tangy tamarind sauce was a wonderful tribute to the adaptability of local cuisine. Kottu itself is an example of this, as it originated from the East as an experiment according to their research.
Both the food and the knowledge kept coming, surprising and delighting even us locals who ought to know these things.
Dessert brought forth familiar favourites – buffalo curd and treacle and a pol pani pancake of sweetened coconut tinged with cardamom and cinnamon, flavours which linger on the tongue.
A surprise treat was when a bombai muttai vendor dropped by, ringing his bell and bringing with him the crunchy nostalgic confection that is sadly not as widespread as it used to be. The evening culminated with a glass of hot ginger plain tea that settled both the stomach and the mind.
Priced at 70USD, the Culinary Ceylon dinner experience is perfect for tour groups up to 26 pax per reservation. Starting at 7.30p.m, the dinner is paced over two hours so you don’t feel rushed.
Culinary Ceylon also hope to launch an immersive hosted cooking class, where guests will be taken to the market to buy fresh produce themselves, cook traditional local fare, and eat the meal they have prepared.
For more information and bookings, contact +94 (0) 777800030 or culinaryceylonhr@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/culinaryceylon