Quick answer
On a 10-day Sri Lanka itinerary, eat village rice and curry, with several vegetable, dhal and fish or chicken curries, in the Cultural Triangle; egg hoppers, string hoppers and kottu in Kandy; fresh tea and hill-grown vegetables in Ella; buffalo curd with kithul treacle near Yala; and grilled fish, prawns and crab on the south coast. Breakfast is often a Sri Lankan spread of hoppers, dhal and sambol. Ask for less chilli if needed; most hotels will adjust.
Key takeaways
- Rice and curry, usually a mound of rice with several small curries, is the everyday meal across the island.
- Hoppers are bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes, often with an egg cooked in the centre, typically eaten at breakfast or dinner.
- Buffalo curd with kithul palm treacle is a speciality of the south, sold at roadside stalls on the way to and from Yala.
- Kottu, chopped roti stir-fried with vegetables, egg or meat, is the island's most popular evening street food.
- Most restaurants and hotels will make dishes milder on request, and vegetarian options are plentiful.
The basics of Sri Lankan food
Sri Lankan food on a 10-day itinerary centres on rice and curry: a plate of rice with several small dishes, typically dhal, two or three vegetable curries, a fish or chicken curry, a sambol of coconut and chilli, and papadum. Coconut, curry leaves, cinnamon, pandan and chilli run through almost everything.
Breakfast in many hotels includes a Sri Lankan spread alongside western options: hoppers, string hoppers, dhal, pol sambol and fruit. It is well worth trying at least once.
- →Rice and curry: the everyday meal.
- →Hoppers and string hoppers: breakfast and dinner favourites.
- →Kottu: the evening street-food classic.
- →Short eats: rotis, vadai and patties for snacks.
Cultural Triangle and Kandy
In the Cultural Triangle, the best meals are often village-style rice and curry, cooked on a wood fire with vegetables from the garden, served at guesthouses or on a village visit near Sigiriya. Lotus root, jackfruit, bitter gourd and freshwater fish from the reservoirs appear often.
In Kandy, look for hoppers and kottu in the evening, and try Kandyan sweets such as kavum and kokis, especially around festivals. The market near the lake has fruit and spices.
Tea and hill-country food in Ella
The hill country grows much of Sri Lanka's vegetables, and meals in Ella often feature carrots, leeks, beans and potatoes in lighter curries. A tea factory tour, with a tasting of fresh Ceylon tea, is part of the day 6 plan for many travellers.
Ella's cafés also serve western food for anyone needing a break from curry, and several guesthouses offer cooking classes, a good way to learn how rice and curry comes together.
- →Fresh Ceylon tea at a factory near Ella.
- →A cooking class at an Ella guesthouse.
- →Hill vegetables in lighter curries.
Curd and treacle, and south-coast seafood
On the way to and from Yala, roadside stalls sell buffalo curd in clay pots, eaten with kithul treacle, a syrup made from palm sap. It is a southern speciality and a perfect cooling dessert after a hot safari.
On the south coast, seafood is the highlight. Mirissa's beach restaurants display the day's catch in the evening, grilled to order, and fish ambul thiyal, a sour fish curry from the south, is worth seeking out.
- →Buffalo curd and treacle: roadside stalls near Tissamaharama.
- →Grilled fish and prawns: Mirissa beach restaurants.
- →Ambul thiyal: the south's sour fish curry.
Drinks along the route
Drinks are part of the food trail on a 10-day Sri Lanka itinerary. King coconut, the orange coconut sold at roadside stalls across the island, is the best rehydration in the heat of the Cultural Triangle and Yala. Ceylon tea, often served strong and sweet with milk, is everywhere, and at its freshest in the hills around Ella.
Fresh fruit juices, lime juice with soda and ginger beer are widely available. Arrack, a spirit distilled from coconut sap, and local lager are served in hotels and tourist restaurants, though not on poya days, when alcohol sales stop.
- →King coconut: roadside stalls; ideal in the heat.
- →Ceylon tea: freshest at the Ella tea factories.
- →Arrack: the local spirit; not sold on poya days.
Spice levels and special diets
Sri Lankan food can be very spicy, but most hotel and tourist restaurants tone it down for visitors, and will make dishes milder still on request. Pol sambol and some curries carry the most heat; dhal and many vegetable curries are gentle.
Vegetarians eat very well in Sri Lanka, since many curries are vegetable-based. Vegans should ask about ghee and fish flakes in some dishes. Gluten-free travellers find rice-based meals easy but should be careful with roti and kottu.
Eating well on the route
Eat where locals eat for the best rice and curry, choose busy places with high turnover, and drink bottled or filtered water. Try one new dish each day and the ten days become a food tour.
Lankan Stays & Trails includes village meals and cooking experiences on request, and our drivers know the best roadside curd stalls. The site's Sri Lankan cuisine guide covers the island's food in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
What food should I try in Sri Lanka?
Rice and curry, egg hoppers, string hoppers, kottu, pol sambol, dhal, lamprais, buffalo curd with kithul treacle, and fresh seafood on the coast. Fresh fruit such as mango, rambutan and king coconut is also excellent.
Is Sri Lankan food very spicy?
It can be, but hotels and tourist restaurants usually reduce the heat for visitors and will make dishes milder on request. Dhal and many vegetable curries are gentle; sambols and some meat curries are the hottest.
Is Sri Lanka good for vegetarians?
Very. Many curries are vegetable- or lentil-based, and rice and curry can easily be made vegetarian. Vegans should ask about ghee, milk and dried fish, which appear in some dishes.
What is curd and treacle?
Buffalo curd, a thick, slightly sour yoghurt set in clay pots, eaten with kithul treacle, a syrup made from the sap of the kithul palm. It is a southern speciality, sold at roadside stalls near Tissamaharama and along the south.
Where can I eat hoppers in Sri Lanka?
At hotel breakfasts across the island, and at local eateries in the evening, particularly in Kandy and Colombo. Egg hoppers, with an egg cooked in the centre, are the classic; eat them with sambol and curry.
Is street food safe in Sri Lanka?
Generally yes, if you choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh and hot, such as kottu and short eats. Avoid food left standing, drink bottled or filtered water, and be cautious with salads and ice at very basic places.