Your culinary experience in Sri Lanka is one that will create a lasting impression on your taste buds. From mouth-watering street food to spicy servings of fruits (better known as Achcharu), they all seem to have a strong but extremely irresistible flavour that keeps you wanting more. What exactly is it that makes Sri Lankan food taste so great? The answer lies in the tiny quantities of various spices that are sprinkled during the preparation of these delicious dishes. Read on to learn more about these dangerously divine secret ingredients that make Sri Lankan food not only taste amazing but creates a tempting aroma you can detect from miles away.
Pepper - Gammiris
First on the list of popular spices is Pepper, also known as the ‘King of Spices’. Although it appears to be a simple dried berry, pepper dominates the spice trade around the world. There are many types of pepper like green and white pepper but black pepper which is the spiciest is the most commonly used and traded variety. Due to the rich aroma and spiciness pepper brings to dishes it is often used as a substitute for chillies. If you choose to stay in our amazing hotel in Jaffna you will get the chance to enjoy a famous dish of Northern Sri Lankan cuisine, Mulligatawny soup. The name of this curried soup actually means ‘Pepper water’ in Tamil and is one of the best ways to feel the bite of this famous spice.
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Cardamom - Enasal
The other dominant player in the spice trade is the ‘Queen of Spices’, Cardamom. And it comes to no surprise that Sri Lanka is home to many thriving cultivations of this valuable spice as well. Cardamom is used in almost every kind of dish and is a highlight of many wonderful delights prepared during festive seasons like Avurudu sweetmeats or Watalappan the amazing dessert you can enjoy especially during Ramadan season.
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Ginger - Iguru
Ginger is a spice that has been recognised for its medicinal value from ancient times. Owing to this reputation and also the great flavour it brings, ginger has become one of the most widely used spices all around the world. In Sri Lanka you will see that a squashed piece of ginger is dropped into most curries and is even used in the beverage and confectionery industries. We highly recommend you try a warm cup of plain ginger tea that is served in almost every corner shop along with a snack so you can enjoy the flavour of this wonderful spice grown on home soil.
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Cinnamon - Kurundu
Sri Lanka has made a name for itself as one of the leading suppliers of the finest quality Cinnamon to the international market. After being introduced to us by the Dutch, cinnamon cultivation thrived over centuries making it a rich source of foreign income to the country. Most parts of the cinnamon tree are used for various purposes like flavouring for chocolates, sweets, and beverages including tea and alcohol. It is also known to possess high medicinal value as it is believed to be a rich source of antioxidants, protects brain and heart heath, and even can fight diabetes.
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Cloves - Karabu nati
This little spice has a very pungent fragrance that makes it quite hard to ignore if present in excess. But it is a common spice found in most kitchens in Sri Lanka it is often used to add flavour to various curries and even sweets. Among the many health benefits cloves are known to provide, it is highly recommended by traditional Ayurvedic medicine to maintain good oral hygiene.
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Curry Leaves - Karapincha
This tree is native to Asia. The leaves are smaller than bay leaves and shiny. Generally fresh curry leaves are used. It is very fragrant and can be fried in the initial stages of a curry or put in at the simmering stage.
It can also be added at the final stage to bring out the maximum flavour |
Turmeric - Kaha
Turmeric is a powerful spice with an impressive list of uses and benefits. It’s known for its antioxidant content and ability to work as an anti-inflammatory. Many cuisines around the world prize this common culinary spice, and with good reason. Like many herbs and spices its appeal goes beyond appearance and taste.
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Chili - Miris
It is important to understand the use of chillies in the making of curries as they are an important ingredient. There are two varieties of chillies; the green variety, which is used fresh, and the red which is used in dried form. Chillies are an important source of Vitamin C. The green chillies are used in making salads and pickles or chutneys. In these preparations they are used raw. In some savouries they are used for cooking. Recipes usually indicate how the chillies are to be used, slit or chopped. Some dishes call for broken-up red chilli, others for it to be ground into a paste with a little water or vinegar, while in other recipes only red chilli powder is to be used. The stalks of chillies are always removed before use. To achieve the bright colour effect of red chilli powder with a less hot taste, some recipes suggest that paprika can be added it can be mixed with paprika.
But I believe that the colour depends on the type of chilli used and the measurement as given in the recipe. In authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, I do not use paprika. |
Nutmeg & Mace - Sadikka & Wasawasi
Nutmeg & Mace are two distinctly different spices produced from a fruit of an evergreen tree usually 9-12 mtr high. Mace is the dried reticulated ‘aril’ of the fruit and nutmeg is the dried seed kernel of the fruit. Both nutmeg and mace are used as condiment particularly in sweet foods. The spice in the ground form is mainly used in the food processing industry especially as a standard seasoning in many Dutch dishes. Nutmeg oleoresin is used in the preparation of meat products, soups, sauces, baked foods, confectionaries, puddings, seasoning of meat and vegetable etc. The fleshy outer cover of the fruit is crystallized or pickled or made into jellies. Mace is used in savoury dishes. It is used as a drug in Eastern countries because of its stimulant, carminative, astringent and aphrodisiac properties. Excessive doses have a narcotic effect. Nutmeg oil is used in cosmetics and toiletries.
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Coriander - Koththamalli
Coriander is famous worldwide as a spice, and we are aware of some its medicinal properties as well, such as its digestive and stomachic properties. But seldom do we care to know about its other health benefits, those mainly enjoyed when its essential oil is used. Coriander is an herb that is extensively used around the world as a condiment, garnish, or decoration on culinary dishes. Its leaves and fruits have a recognizable and pleasant aroma and are commonly used raw or dried for culinary applications.
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Gambooge - Goraka
People have long used the dried gambooge rinds for chutneys or curries, and sometimes as an aid for stomach problems. The technical name for Goraka is ’’Garcinia Cambogia’’. It belongs to the Clusiaceae family. The Goraka crust is dried up in fire (as it will improve the shelf life) and is made ready for home use and storage. Goraka is an acid seasoning frequently used in Sri Lankan catering. It is an important and a welcome constituent in preparing ambulthiyal fish and meat curries. Goraka extort is the calcium salt of hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is acquired from water extort of Garcinia cambogia fruit. Goraka grows in moist forests, in Srilanka Goraka is grown in low land rainforests (Sinharaja forest, kanneliya, Viharakele, Nikayadeniya).
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