With foodies queuing up eagerly for fresh Sri Lankan favorites like hoppers at London's street food markets; the country's first Michelin star just awarded to Sri Lankan national Rishi Naleendra; and fast becoming a Soho institution- Hoppers opening a second outpost in the UK capital, it is clear that Sri Lanka's eclectic food scene is finally getting the global recognition it deserves. Nevertheless, the best way to experience authentic Sri Lankan cuisine is still in the bustling streets and markets of this Indian Ocean island melting pot, so bespoke holiday experts Experience Travel Group - originally founded in Sri Lanka in 2004 - have drawn on all their unrivalled knowledge and passion for this diverse country to create a superb new immersive Cuisine of Sri Lanka tour. Fuelled by an alluring array of fragrant coconut curries, savoury pancakes laden with spices and moreish rotis, the exclusive tour takes in bustling city markets, ancient rice fields, coconut farms and tea plantations amongst other exclusive experiences, providing a true taste of Sri Lankan culture and cuisine.
Tamil, Muslim and Burgher culture has all played its part in shaping Sri Lanka's culinary heritage, and the island's landscape also lends itself to even greater diversity. From the lush fruit and vegetables of the far north, to the old world glamour of the tea plantations and the fresh seafood dishes of the south coast, all these elements combine to create an island idyll perfect for intrepid foodies. Fast food aficionados will love Kottu Roti, a mix of stir-fried vegetables, egg, spices and chopped flatbread, washed down with a cold Lion beer. Brunch fans will fall for Ceylon tea and Egg Hoppers - a delicate rice flour bowl-shaped pancake topped with an egg, dhal curry, and onion sambal. With vibrant spices, the aromas of stewing curry and baskets of juicy fresh fruit seen on every corner, visitors are sure to be captivated by Sri Lanka's vibrant food scene.
Experience Travel Group co-founder Sam Clark says that “to get a true experience of Sri Lanka's amazing food, we like to encourage our clients to get off the beaten track, head out across the country and call into the little villages, as that's where the best is found. After their eyes and mouths have been opened - and their minds and waistlines expanded! – the capital, Colombo, is a great end to a culinary tour. There's a real buzz around the urban food scene at the moment, with lots of new restaurants run by dynamic young chefs who aren't afraid to deconstruct and reinvent the nation's classics.”
