Sri Lanka is a country with a lot of flavor. There is the wonderful culinary culmination of East meets west, and one of the best places in the country where you can taste this amalgamation of flavors is in the dazzling, southern city of Bentota. You can explore the many southern dishes of Bentota at the several restaurants of the premier Bentota hotel, Avani Bentota Resort & Spa.
Bentota is located in the Galle District of the Southern Province. Thus, the cuisine you find in Bentota is quite similar to that of Galle where the food is influenced from Dutch and Portuguese colonists as well as different ethnicities such as Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burghers and Sri Lankan Moors. Being located near stunning golden coasts and the mesmerizing sea, means fresh seafood is always in plenty in Bentota. Thus, when you dine in Bentota you will be able to relish a lot of seafood dishes.
One of the main seafood dishes you will find in Bentota is Ambul Thiyal or Sour Fish Curry. The locals love it so much as well as the visiting tourists that it was the first on CNN’s list of ’12 Sri Lanka foods visitors have to try’. Ambul Thiyal is a dynamic dish made out of a firm fish such as Tuna and a blend of spices that includes Goraka, a small fruit that gives the dish a sour flavor and makes the cubes of fish tender. Another popular fish dish of Bentota is Jaadi- a fermented fish dish that is salty but tasty.
The food of Sri Lanka is centered on Rice. In Bentota also it is also the same but with a southern style twist. Lamprais is a delicious, savory rice dish that you must try out when in Bentota. It is a Dutch influenced dish with the name being made out of the combination of the Dutch words “lump” and “rice”. Lamprais is a packet of meat, rice and sambol chilli sauce wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf.
For dessert, savor the deliciously sweet yet healthy Kiri Pani or curd and treacle. The curd is from Tissamaharama ‘the curd village’. Kiri Pani is a soft white substance made from fresh buffalo milk and eaten with Kithul Treacle that is extracted from Kitul or coconut flowers.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.