While most guides will tell you about the “must-do” things in the Maldives, here are some insights on the “must eat” local dishes that will enrich your holiday and your taste buds!
Image by: Satdeep Gill, Maldivian dish – Kandu Kulkulhu 04, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia commons
Mas Huni
Mas huni is a popular tuna salad and is a quintessential dish to look for be it at island eateries or at resorts including those belonging to Adaaran Maldives. Apart from tuna, it consists of coconut, onion and chilli. Usually served at breakfast, it is most often eaten with chapati bread.
Garudhiya
A traditional fish soup, garudhiya is a kind of fish soup that is a perennial favourite amongst locals, and one should look to sample it while staying at the best resorts in Maldives. Fresh tuna is the key ingredient in its preparation while chopped chilli and lime which give it that spicy “punch”.
Kulhi Boakiba
This is a type of fish cake and is another traditional dish that is generally served during festivals or as a light snack during teatime. Smoked tuna (as you may have guessed, tuna is a constant favourite!) is used to make kulhi boakiba along with chopped chillies, garlic, grated coconut and rice.
Handulu Bondibai
When it’s time for dessert, look to try a sweetened sticky rice dish known as handulu bondibai. Maldivians usually make this dish when they want to celebrate certain occasions and the combination of ingredients like cardamom, rose water and coconut milk are divine indeed!