The sun bleached islands of the Maldives are centrally located in the Indian Ocean. Today the Maldives attracts thousands of holidaymakers, like it attracted traders and sea faring travellers many years ago. The Maldives enjoys an ocean rich with marine life, coral reefs alive with colour, golden beaches of fine sand and Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas with its stunning over water pavilions.

Dining in Maldives is an experience in itself. Maldivian cuisine is comprised mainly of locally sourced ingredients. Fish is the star of many of the local dishes because it is freely available in the surrounding waters. Varieties of Tuna like yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, little tunny and frigate tuna are strong favourites. Bigeye scad, wahoo and mahi-mahi are also commonly used for cooking. Fish preparations include boiling, smoking, sun drying and processing. Coconut, also plentiful across the islands, is used for adding flavour or a rich base. Grated coconut, coconut oil and coconut milk are used generously in food preparation. The use of coconut is believed to yield significant health benefits. The local cuisine also shows strong influences from South India and Sri Lanka as well as the Middle East and the oriental countries. Much like in the subcontinent, though not grown in the Maldives, rice is consumed as the main starch that accompanies a meal. You will also taste bold flavours that come from the generous use of pepper, chilli, onion and curry leaves.

Maldives fish, a staple of the local cuisine, is a preparation unique to the Maldives. It is added to other dishes for flavour. The tuna is cut in a specific manner, boiled in water, smoked, salted and sundried. The fish then resembles wood chips and can be stored for several years. The product is also exported to Sri Lanka in bulk.

Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world. Google+