In general, Sri Lankans eat 3 meals per day, as in breakfast, lunch and dinner and one can see a variety among these daily meals. These variants such as boiled chickpeas, Mung or Cowpea or root yams such as boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes or manioc or string hoppers or rice and curry with coconut sambol and well famous Kiribath(Milk rice) with Lunu miris(Chilli sambol) is been frequently used for their breakfast! Some people of course have got a habit to grab an eatable from a bakery due to their very busy schedule and These easily accessible bakery items became very well known as “short eats” later on. To be frank I won't recommend these type of food as a healthy option to anyone at all. Following our food traditions, what a better way to start a very healthy morning by drinking a glass of pure fresh cow's milk, or a bowl of herbal porridge (Kola kanda) or a rice based porridge (Bath kanda) to give all the stamina and vitality.

Sri Lankan people mainly focus on preparing and having a well balanced diet for their lunch. Everyone give emphasis on having all the nutrient components like carbohydrates and other vitamins and minerals rich meal for the lunch. Mainly their lunch is completed with either meat or fish, a couple of vegetable curries, a sambol or a pickle and of course they never forget to include leafy greens as well. Sri Lankan housewives are born with vast capable of cooking skills to cook these varieties of dishes to complement each other.

At the same time with their inborn skills in traditional cooking, they possess the expertise to select the appropriate suitable curries to suit the occasion as well. The accompaniments(curries) that are been used with rice is called "Malupini". As per our culture Sri Lankans eat their lunch by using the 5 fingers of their well washed right hand. Once served the required quantity of rice into the middle of the plate and curries(malupini) are served around it, they are well versed with the art of mixing with little of every curry with the required quantity of rice and transform that portion right into their mouth. While they chew that mouthful of rice they get ready by mixing the next mouthful of rice. In this process we are having the opportunity to taste different flavour combinations by mixing two or three varieties each and every time when we take a mouthful of rice.

For the dinner, Sri Lankans are very accustomed to have rice and few curries as well as the dinner menu is comprises of steamed rice cakes(Pittu), flat bread (Roti), bread (Paan), crispy hoppers(Appa), or string Hoppers(Indi appa) as varieties. For various occasions or family celebrations, as I mentioned you earlier they never forget to prepare their favourite foreign-influenced cuisines as well. The succulent Sri Lankan authentic dinner dish “kottu”(Stir fried rotis mixed with curry) became a world hit, is also part of the dinner menu in our Sri Lankan food table.

Sri Lanka boasts of many other varieties of delicacies which is been served with tea that suits any occasion. Varieties of delicious sweets and sweet buns, curry filled breads, biscuits, cakes goes well with the tea. We also have an array of desserts where you will come across in all my future videos. The significance of most of these desserts are proud claims of our traditional Sri Lankan creations. Our country boasts of different kinds of beverages and juices alike. The world-acclaimed aromatic "Ceylon Tea" is one such star from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was well known as Ceylon in the past up to the year 1972.

Since we are a tropical country, Sri Lanka use such vast variety of fruits for fresh and healthy juices and we use certain raw fruits for curries and pickle to add more nourishment, color to complete our food culture.

Very clearly it states about table manners in our ancient culture where those customs transforms from the elderly to the next generation. When eating food, Sinhalese people does not engage in conversations unless it's very necessary. They always chew their food with well-mannered methods where there won't be any noises coming out when chewing and swallowing the food. They always made sure not to make any unpleasant sounds when mixing the food and not to smeared the food all over their hands as those are completely against our traditional customs. These very respectful customary rituals are merely not for customs sake but to pay our utmost respect to our staple diet rice and to avoid other people in the table, feeling unpleasant and disgusted.