Sri Lanka connects tourism through its cuisine, spreading its influence worldwide.

"Customers often assume the restaurant will offer dishes with flavors similar to Indian cuisine," said Aushi Meewella, co-founder of the restaurant, who grew up in Sri Lanka and lives in London, England.

Although Sri Lanka is a small neighbor of India with a population of only 22 million people, its cuisine and culture are quite different.

And now, a new generation of Sri Lankan chefs and entrepreneurs around the world are focusing on indigenous cuisine to preserve the country's diverse culinary heritage.

Tourism connection

"For a long time, Sri Lankan cuisine was not very popular. But now, more and more Sri Lankans are willing to try our cuisine, open restaurants, and spread our food to the world," said Aushi Meewella.

Ms. Meewella believes that tourism is the connecting link that helps more and more tourists learn about Sri Lankan cuisine.

Despite the disruption to tourism caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, the worst economic crisis ever, Sri Lanka's tourism industry has now rebounded strongly, attracting 800,000 visitors in 2023 as of the first week of August.

"People come to visit, explore our diverse island and try Sri Lankan food and they have rated the dishes as very delicious," said Ms. Meewella.

Chef Dhayanie Williams, a contestant on "MasterChef Australia 2019," said that the development of social media over the past decade and shows like Masterchef have helped professional chefs and many families promote Sri Lankan cuisine around the world.

"We've seen many people cooking authentic Sri Lankan dishes on these shows. Live programs will encourage people to try Sri Lankan food at restaurants," said Chef Dhayanie Williams.

Diverse influences

Today, more and more Sri Lankan chefs around the world are supporting their national cuisine.

"This move has helped change global perceptions that Sri Lankan cuisine is different from Indian food and is not simply curry paired with rice," Williams said.

Despite sharing the same name, Sri Lankan roti breads are smaller, thicker "dishes" made from grated fresh coconut and rice flour, unlike the larger Indian roti breads made from wheat.

Rice, coconut milk, native fruits, vegetables, and seafood form the foundation of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Meanwhile, Ms. Meewella explained that this was inspired by the diverse ethnic cultures and the influence of the Dutch and Portuguese. At Kolamba restaurant, the main course includes lamb poriyal, a popular dish in the predominantly Tamil northern region of Sri Lanka, in which the meat is fried with onions, green chilies, and lime.

A popular dessert is watalappam, a coconut and palm-based custard made by Muslims to celebrate Eid.

Ms. Meewella pointed out that Sri Lankan cuisine is also largely plant-based with many vegan options, which helps it stand out and resonate with diners worldwide.

This eating habit is not a passing trend. For centuries, Sri Lankans have used wild and organic ingredients such as jackfruit, water spinach, and yam, mixing them with spices and herbs, then frying and curring them to create dishes with unique flavors.

The menu at Kolamba restaurant adheres to these plant-based recipes with dishes such as bread curry cooked with coconut milk and fried unripe plantains with grated coconut.

In Sri Lankan cuisine, the white flesh of the coconut is grated and pressed to create a rich, creamy coconut milk, which is used to thicken curries made with various vegetables and meats.

Fresh coconut milk is also added to drinks made from herbs and rice – such as the morning smoothie called kola kenda. For celebratory events like New Year's or the first day of work, Sri Lankans even cook coconut milk with rice to prepare a creamy breakfast called kiribath.

Spicy, sour, sweet

Although many people consider Sri Lankan food to be spicy, this spiciness is actually derived from a variety of spices and herbs besides chili peppers. Coriander seeds, black pepper, mustard seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves, pandan leaves, and lemongrass are all used to flavor and add aroma to the dishes.

The spices are also roasted and ground together to create various curry powders, an essential flavoring agent.

Sam Fore, an American chef of Sri Lankan descent, notes that Sri Lankan ingredients are often incorporated into everyday dishes to add flavor. For example, she prepares fried chicken—a familiar American dish—but mixes it with Sri Lankan chicken curry spices, grinds them, and combines them with buttermilk to enhance the taste.

As chefs and entrepreneurs around the world become interested in the unique flavors of local dishes, Sam Fore believes that interest in Sri Lankan cuisine will continue to grow.

"As cuisine evolves, there will need to be some creative adaptations of flavors like chili, lime, and tamarind to fully integrate into international palates. We, as chefs, have a responsibility to honor our roots while embracing innovation for the future. I eagerly anticipate Sri Lankan street food becoming a coveted dish across America," Ms. Fore suggested.