Popular Sri Lankan Cuisine: 10 Best Sri Lankan Foods Every Tourist Must Try in 2026
Why is Sri Lanka a food paradise for tourists? Its diverse food ranges are rich with bold flavours, quality local spices, and a fresh food collection prepared with the influence of different countries. If you are planning a Sri Lanka Tour in 2026, you must try the best Sri Lankan Cuisine to experience how delicious it is. Your Sri Lankan trip is not complete without trying authentic Sri Lankan food.
Don’t worry about what to eat in Sri Lanka. In this article, you can find the most popular Sri Lankan dishes and get an idea about where to eat in Sri Lanka from this Sri Lankan food guide for tourists. Having a good idea about Sri Lankan food culture, traditional Sri Lankan food, and the most popular Sri Lankan street food items lets you try the most delicious food in Asia. If you are a foodie, choose the must-try Lankan dishes to see the authentic taste of Sri Lankan food on your trip.
Nothing to get excited about how to travel to Sri Lanka. We are here to plan the beautiful journey during your holidays to Sri Lanka.
Best Sri Lankan dishes
- Rice and Curry ( Bath saha wyanjana)
- Egg hoppers ( Biththara Appa)
- Kottu Roti (Koththu)
- Lamprais
- String Hoppers(Idi Appa)
- Coconut Sambol/ Coconut Relish (Pol Sambola)
- Dhal Curry (Parippu)
- Coconut Roti (Pol Roti)
- Sour Fish Curry/Fish Ambul Thiyal- (Malu ambul Thiyal)
- Crab Curry- Seafood Sri Lanka ( Kakuluwo hodda)
1. Rice and Curry
Rice and curry is the staple foods in Sri Lanka, which are prepared with different food items and cooked rice. Mostly Rice and curry will be a one meal a day for a Sri Lankan. Traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry consists of rice, protein dishes such as chicken curry, crab, or fish, and a few vegetables with some salads.
A nutritional potion means rice and curry should always include a salad, which is prepared from a mixture of cucumber, tomatoes, pineapples, mallum (chopped up green leaves), and Chutney. Pol Sombol, Dhal curry, and Papadums( thin and very crunchy fried strips of dough) are also mostly included for a better taste.
In Sri Lanka, people prepare Sri Lankan curry dishes with various recipes using high-quality Sri Lankan spices. The aroma of these spices mixed with Sri Lankan rice and curry dishes will definitely be mouthwatering before you eat.
Where to eat: You can find Sri Lankan food restaurants in any part of Sri Lanka, small hotels or street food shops. From luxury hotels and restaurants up to small shops beside the roads, you can buy rice and curry and also try out some food buffets for some adorable prices at any time, because some Sri Lankan restaurants have 24-hour service for food.
As well as you can find some guidance to eat the most delicious rice and curry dishes in different areas in Sri Lanka, wherever you go, with our expert travel guides.
2. Egg Hoppers
From our experience with tourists, we can say egg hoppers are one of the popular Sri Lankan foods among tourists around the world. You can eat Sri Lankan hoppers with lunu miris (Chopped onions salad mixed with chilies) and some curries such as Sri Lankan chicken curry, dhal, or a tasty gravy.
Egg hoppers are prepared by cracking an egg into the middle while the plain hopper is being prepared, and adding some salt and pepper to enhance the taste. Egg hoppers are made up of fermented rice flour, coconut water, coconut milk, and salt. These Sri Lankan egg hoppers are very soft in the middle(like a pancake), and the edges are crunchy.
Where to Eat Egg Hoppers: Egg hoppers are a very popular Sri Lankan street food. In the morning and evening, you can find hopper Sri Lankan in shops beside some streets, restaurants, hotels, and even in high-end five-star hotels.
3. Kottu Roti
Another unique but world-famous Sri Lankan food is Kottu Roti, which is known as “Koththu” from the Sinhala Language. If this is your first Sri Lankan tour, you must include Kottu in your list of must-try Sri Lankan food. If you are a vegetarian, you can eat Vegetable Kottu, and there are lots of categories of Kottu for non-vegetarian people. Chicken kottu, Egg Kottu, Cheese Kottu, Masala Kottu, Pork Kotu, Beef Koththu, Masala Kottu and Dolphin Kottu.
Whether rice and curry are the national food in Sri Lanka, Kottu is also eaten by both locals and tourists like rice and curry. It's prepared by mixing chopped flat bread with carrots, leeks, onion, capsicum, meat such as chicken, eggs or pork and some aromatic spices together with a tasty gravy. If you would like to add cheese to it and the cheese koththu is prepared by adding quality cheese.
Where to eat Sri Lankan Kottu -There are various restaurants and hotels in Sri Lanka that offer a range of Kottu variations, mostly in Colombo and other town areas. It's also a popular street food in Sri Lanka.
4. Lamprais
Among the best Sri Lankan foods, Lamprais is one of the delicious foods introduced by the Dutch Burgher population. It means a packet of Lumped rice. It is an amalgam of special side dishes with authentic flavoured rice. It's wrapped in a banana leaf and warmed in the oven for a few minutes till the aroma and the taste of the banana leaves infuse into the cooked rice.
The Lamparais dish included flovered rice with chicken, beef, or pork with sini symbol(onion relish), brinjal moju and a fried boiled egg. Lamprais is one of the most famous dishes in Sri Lanka, and you must try it at least once.
Where to eat: The Best lamparais are found in the city areas of the Districts. Most Sri Lankan food restaurants provide Lamprais, but they are not available in rural areas of the country.
5. String Hoppers (Indiappa)
If you are looking for a Sri Lankan breakfast, String hoppers are the best dish to try in the morning. They are made with rice flour and look like noodles, but they are steamed, rounded, flat, and soft. You will mostly receive a dhal curry, coconut sambol, a chicken curry or gravy. It's white in color, but if it has been made with roasted red rice flour, the color changes to red. Sometimes, locals also eat string hoppers for dinner.
Where to eat: There are the best small shops beside roads, and you can find many restaurants, hotels and homestay places to purchase spring hoppers in Sri Lanka in any town in the morning and night. High-end luxury restaurants also provide string hoppers with amazing curries, such as seafood and unique regional dishes.
6. Coconut Sambol/Coconut Relish (Pol Sambola)
As a tourist, if you are confused by the question of what is the most eaten food in Sri Lanka? The answer is rice and curry. But in that curry list, coconut sambol is always included. Most locals' favourite is white rice with coconut sambol. And it’s very nutritional Sri Lankan cuisine. Coconut Sambol is prepared using scraped coconut mixed with chopped dry red chilli, salt, pepper, onion and later adding some lime drops to get the real authentic taste.
In addition, earlier people used some burned dry red chilli and garlic. It's very tasty, and nowadays, locals also use different methods to prepare coconut sambol. Don’t forget to include coconut sambol in the must-try dishes in Sri Lanka list. This is also a kind of Sri Lankan traditional food, and you can eat it with roti, milk rice, steamed manioc yams, bread, string hoppers, dosa, and many other dishes.
Where to eat: Any restaurant from small shops up to high or semi-luxury restaurants, hotels include coconut sambol in their Sri Lankan lunch menu, or breakfast. You can eat and find it in shops in any villages to very crowded areas in Sri Lanka.
All these Sri Lankan dishes are prepared with organic, fresh vegetables and spices, and we can taste both spicy and sweet-flavoured meals. Locals have learnt to take advantage of these new ingredients and vegetables to prepare Sri Lankan dishes to get the authentic Sri Lankan taste using their cooking tips.
There is a big collection of Sri Lankan cuisine, and in our group tours, we provide chances to experience the Popular Sri Lankan food for tourists should not miss in their Sri Lankan tour, and you can learn many things about food culture, cooking tips very uncommon food recipes during your Sri Lankan visit.
7. Dhal Curry (Parippu)
Sri Lankan Dhal Curry is another popular side dish included in the rice and curry dish. Locals sometimes joke that Rice and curry without dhal is like a “funeral house meal.”These represent the incompleteness of the dish. It means in Dhal Curry, which is a Sri Lankan favorite dish.
You can eat tempered dhal curry (parippu themparaduwa) or dhal curry (parippu hodda) with string hoppers, roti, bread, noodles, parata dosa and many more. Tempered dhal curry(lentil dhal recipe) is prepared by adding oils, and dhal gravy curry is prepared by adding coconut milk. No idea about what to eat in Sri Lanka? Then try a dhal curry with any side dish.
Where to eat - You can eat dhal curry from any local or village area. Just Google Sri Lankan restaurants near me and ask for rice and curry or the mentioned side dish with dhal curry. You will definitely be found, no matter whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
8. Coconut Roti (Pol Roti)
Pol Roti is another popular dish among the Best Sri Lankan cuisine. Every Sri Lankan loves to eat coconut roti with lunu miris, pork, chicken dhal curry, Sri Lankan crab curry, coconut sambol and any gravy. Pol Roti is made by scraping coconut, flour, salt and adding water to mix the ingredients and make a flat, round roti. Sometimes, add grated carrots, green chilli and a little bit of onions to the mixture to get more taste and cook in a hot pan for a few minutes.
You don't need the exact time to eat Pol roti, you can eat it for your breakfast, lunch or dinner and also as an evening snack. Both locals and tourists like Pol Roti, and it is also popular as a Sri Lankan street food.
Where to eat - If you like pol roti, you can find any Sri Lankan food stall, restaurant, hotel or any place where Sri Lankan traditional foods are provided. In any part of Sri Lanka you can see pol roti in food serving places.
9. Sour Fish Curry (Malu Ambul Thiyal)
Next, Sri Lankan food is Sour Fish Curry, which is known as Malu Ambul Thiyal in the local language. It is prepared using fresh fish, and the South of Sri Lanka is popular for Malu Ambul Thiyal. It's another traditional dish to try on your Sri Lankan trip. Black-colored fish curry mixed with Sri Lankan spices is one of the amazing fish curries in Sri Lankan food history.
It's prepared with cubed Tuna fish marinated in spices, and goraka adds its sour taste to the fish pieces. It's not a saucy curry; it looks like a dry fish curry, but each part is flavourful. If you have doubts about what fish Ambul Thiyal is, or what the best Sri Lankan fish curries are, plan a trip to Sri Lanka to experience an unlimited food experience in Sri Lanka.
Where to eat -You can eat Malu Ambul Thiyal from local restaurants, hotels in Sri Lanka, and it's better to visit the south coast as it originated from the south-coastal part of Sri Lanka.
10. Crab Curry- Seafood Sri Lanka ( Kakuluwo Hodda)
This Sri Lankan food is for all seafood lovers. Carb Curry is known as Kakuluwo Hodda in the Sinhalese language, and it's a world-popular Sri Lankan cuisine dish that can be created in different recipes.
As Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, you cannot forget to taste the delicious Sri Lankan seafood dishes, as a variety of seafood dishes are available. Crab curry is one of the best Sri Lankan foods. You can eat crab curry with rice, bread, roti, parata, roast paan and dosa.
Where to eat: You can try crab curry in Sri Lankan restaurants and hotels on the southern coast of the country. As well as the crab ministry of Sri Lanka is popular for crab curries.
Conclusion
If you are thinking of visit Sri Lanka and travelling to its popular and beautiful places, this is the perfect time to plan it. And of course, no tour is completed without experience Sri Lankan Food. Visit the best places in Sri Lanka and try the world-popular Sri Lankan cuisine dishes on your trip. In Sri Lanka, some foods are popular in specific regions because they originate from those areas. However, this article is best for everyone who is looking for what to eat in Sri Lanka and must eat Sri Lankan food as a tourist.
Would you like to try the best Sri Lankan dishes? Visit during your holidays to Sri Lanka. Can't you manage your own? We are here to provide the best services with expert tour guides in Sri Lanka, so you can travel to the most beautiful island in the world and explore the food paradise. Click the button below.
FAQs for Traditional Sri Lankan Food
A typical Sri Lankan meal is Rice and curry, which is full of nutrients. Steamed rice is served with a variety of fresh and organic vegetables, meat, fish, chicken or any non-vegetarian item. Also included are mallum (chopped leaves) and a salad. Most of the time, you will receive Papadum.
Sri Lankan cuisine has their own food dishes as well as it has a combination of food cultures of other countries, including India. Some food recipes have Dutch and Portuguese origins. Goan cuisine also has the same influence. Sri Lanka is a food paradise because the authentic taste is generated with original, high-quality Sri Lankan spices, and Sri Lankans add plenty of coconut milk, more vinegar and chilli to their foods. But all Sri Lankan traditional cuisine dishes are very unique and mouth-watering items.
Rice and curry are the national foods of Sri Lanka, so people mostly eat rice with a variety of side dishes. Black pork curry, Polos, Chicken curry, Beetroot, Gotukola symbol, Wambatu moju, Dhal curry, and beef curry are also the most eaten Sri Lankan curries.
Yes. Sri Lankan cuisine has its own flavour, mixed with spices and aroma. Some curries, such as chicken, beef, pork, crab, and polos, use many Sri Lankan spices and masala powder to get the authentic taste. So, for tourists, they might be spicy. But not all Sri Lankan foods are spicy, including street foods. You can experience spicy and non-spicy foods from Sri Lankan restaurants and hotels.
Yes. Organic foods are expensive, but you can find very affordable Sri Lankan dishes everywhere in the country. Some street foods are affordable, but if you are looking for high-luxury hotels to stay in, their food is high-quality, nutritional, fresh and very delicious. Cost depends on how you like to eat in Sri Lanka. But any part of Sri Lanka can find very affordable but delicious high-quality food.
