While the Maldives may be famed for its picture-perfect beaches and thrilling water sports, just as enticing are the flavour-filled culinary adventures on offer!
Getting Started
The local cuisine is generally spicy and has been influenced by neighbouring nations like India and Sri Lanka. In Maldives, restaurants and local homes generally utilise three key ingredients namely coconut (be it shredded or liquid), starches (inclusive of veggies and grains) and fish (especially various kinds of tuna).
Hands-on Insights
Of course, to truly get to know about Maldivian cuisine, signing up for special cooking classes is a great way to go. Offered at resorts such as Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, such classes unlock the “secrets” of making traditional local dishes the likes of Maldivian tuna curry and crab cakes which you can try back home too.
Dining in Maldives
When it comes to sampling local cuisine, island resorts most often offer several dining options inclusive of those serving Maldivian dishes. Budget rest houses will usually have their own restaurants, while inhabited islands like the capital Malé are home to eateries and cafés where you embark on a small foodie tour.
Top Local Dishes
Last but not least, here are some of the key local dishes you should look to try:
• Mas huni: a kind of spicy tuna salad typically eaten with roshi / chapati
• Garudhiya: a spicy fish broth / soup
• Mas riha: a tuna-based curry
• Kuli boakiba: fish cakes
• Handulu bondibai: a sweet sticky rice
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+
