Are you craving to taste some snacks and savory bites while traveling in Sri Lanka? For those with tasty snacks indulgence in mind, Sri Lanka offers the best opportunity with endless numbers of varieties. These crispy savory bites will fulfill your cravings giving a treat to your taste buds any time of the day. Whether you want snacks to complement your lunch or as a late afternoon snack, there are lots of tasty snacks to select according to your choice.
Sri Lankan snacks are a mix of cuisines of all the different nationalities that live on the island. There is a wide array of deep-fried, roasted, and devilled savory bites, which are authentic to the country. Most of them are highly famous as street foods in Sri Lanka. Trying these street foods is a great way to get an authentic feel of the vibrant food culture in the country.
These savory snacks can consider the best friend of travelers. They are a tasty and healthy option as on-the-go foods. Many travelers prefer to nibble them on road trips. Since they are hot and spicy, they will take away your hunger pangs soon. Grab a few delicious snacks and you’ll love the spicy and flavorful taste of them. These hot & spicy snacks are a treat to your palate and the perfect way to brighten your day on the road.
Here we have made the list of the best snacks and savory bites we prefer in Sri Lanka. The wholesome and yummy nibbles mentioned here are the most delicious ones we have tasted. We hope once you’ve tried them, you’ll definitely love them and come back for more.
1. Roasted Cashew
Among all snacks, nuts, and savory bites, cashew gets the highest attention of bite lovers. Cashews are crunchy and deliciously flavorful with a milk taste. Whole cashews roasted in oil, tossed with chili, salt, and pepper is a mouthwatering spicy flavored delicacy. Roasted, devilled, salted, or unsalted cashew makes a delectable dish which preferred by both kids and adults.
Cashew is a major part of the Sri Lankan food scene. cashew curry is the most delicious vegan dish you’ll find in the country. As well, cashews are commonly used as an ingredient to garnish desserts like watalappam. Since the creamy taste of Sri Lankan cashews gives a delightful feeling to the palate. They are extremely popular among both Sri Lankan adults and kids, as well as foreign travelers.
Some areas in Sri Lanka are particularly famous for cashew production. As you pass the fruit stalls along the Colombo-Kandy main road, you’ll meet an area with many roadside huts selling cashew. This village calls as “Kajugama”, the literal meaning is cashew village. You can see Sri Lankan women dressed in beautiful traditional attire, who are selling roasted cashew packets. Don’t forget to buy a delicious, freshly made pack of cashew from them.
You can buy elegantly packed cashews from duty-free shops in Bandaranaike International Airport. It is one of the perfect things to buy as a gift or souvenir from Sri Lanka. This delicious savory bite will be the best thing ever to give as a present to your family.
2. Roasted Peanuts
One of the major stars of the street food Industry is peanuts. It is one of the healthiest and best-selling snacks in Sri Lanka. Peanuts contain more protein than any nut, containing more than 30 essential vitamins and minerals. Also, it is a good source of fiber and fats. Therefore it is highly famous among Sri Lankans as an on-the-go snack.
There are street food stalls that sell different kinds of peanuts exclusively. Roasted, fried, salted, unsalted, spiced, or sweetened peanuts are available to buy in these stalls. The freshly made roasted peanuts are crunchy and taste a slightly spicy flavor, which is added by the chili powder.
Another delicious snack made from peanuts is Pani Kaju, the Sri Lankan sweetened peanut brittle. It makes with peanuts and honey but sometimes mixes with cashews. Pani Kaju is a very famous snack in Sri Lanka.
Peanut vendors prepare roasted peanuts in roadside huts and the sizzling pot gives a nice aroma to the passers. Therefore, people who pass these stalls don’t forget to buy a small paper bag filled with yummy peanuts. These salty roasted peanuts are the perfect companion with a cold glass of beer or any other drink during the evening leisure time.
3. Devilled Chickpeas
Boiled, stir-fried, or devilled chickpeas are highly famous food among Sri Lankans. Known as Kadala in Sinhala, this legume is a versatile food option in the country. Chickpeas can use for the breakfast menu or as a curry for lunch or dinner. When it use as street food, it is one of the famous savory bites in the country.
When using chickpeas for breakfast, the most popular way is stir-frying it with mustard seed, chili flakes, onions, curry leaves, and pieces of coconut. This added spiciness enhances the taste of chickpeas a lot. When using it as a curry, boiled chickpeas cook with spices and coconut milk to give a delicious vegan curry. It goes well with plain white rice, as well as with Roti or Bread too.
You can find devilled chickpeas sellers in cities and major transport hubs including buses, trains, train stations, and bus stands. The nice aroma coming from the sizzling pot of hot chickpeas will definitely tempt you to buy them. The fried chickpeas with chili pods are exceptionally delicious, simply mouth-watering food. The hot and spicy sensation of devilled chickpeas will give you an unforgettable Sri Lankan street food experience.
4. Boiled Corns
Boiled corns are a good answer to hungry travelers, who haven’t time for a lingering meal. The freshly cooked young corns are very delicious and your hunger will quickly disappear. It is a hugely popular food sell like hot cakes in roadside corn huts.
Boiled corns are usually made right next to the huts that sell them. Make a pit stop to try out the steaming, boiled young corn and it will be one of the simple joys of visiting Sri Lanka.
5. Tapioca chips
This is a tasty snack made from thin slices of deep-fried cassava roots. The inner rind and outer skin of cassava tubers are removed and then the chips are fried in coconut oil. The fried chips are salted and often spiced with red chili powder. This snack is highly famous as street food. Since Tapioca chips have a longer shelf life, they can find in packaged bags too. It is one of the best snacks in Sri Lanka, completely worthy of tasting.
6. Potato Chips
Potato chips are widely available in Sri Lanka, both in luxury restaurants and street gram selling huts. It prepares by adding salt and spices to fried chips of potato, so the taste is very good. Although it isn’t authentic food in Sri Lanka, many people like them. Even small kids like to taste some savory potato chips during their leisure time.
7. Sweet Potato Chips
Sweet potato chips are also a famous snack you’ll find in gram selling shops. They are slightly harder in texture than potato chips but give a more sweet taste. Lightly spiced with a bit of chili, salt, and pepper, it is one of the best snacks in the country. In gram stores, you can sample any of the fried, spicy delights from the displays. So taste them before buying and pick your favorite in any quantity to taste during your journey.
8. Murukku
Murukku is a savory, crunchy snack that originated in India and is widely famous among the Sri Lankan Tamil community. Nowadays it is one of the very popular snacks in Sri Lanka. You’ll find them in any of the gram stores or small boutiques and kiosks.
.Murukku are fried spiral-like crunchy bites with a spicy kick. Since it has a spicy taste, Murukku is one of the very addictive bites in the country. When you start to taste them, you won’t feel to stop, but feel to try it more and more. Murukku is a common snack on road trips and a popular accompaniment for afternoon tea time.
9. Garlic Murukku
Among the very addictive Sri Lankan bites, Garlic Murukku can rank in the first place. Since Garlic is added to the Murukku mixture, they are Garlic flavored and very delicious. As Same as Garlic bread is the preferred choice of lots of bread lovers, Garlic Murukku is preferred by many Murukku lovers. It is a highly popular snack available throughout Sri Lanka. Taste some Garlic Murukku on the go as a snack and it is sure you won’t be disappointed.
10. Cocktail Mixture
Sri Lankan cocktail mixture is an awesome addition to any party, especially if they accompany alcohol. Not only in parties but also it is a popular local choice for any time of the day. The mixture includes deep-fried thin strings of dough made by roasted dhal, fried peanuts, curry leaves, and spices. Since it has a long shelf life, the packed cocktail mixtures sell in almost all supermarkets.
There are different kinds of mixtures, and some of them contain cashews with peanuts. Some of them contain fried dhal, peas, or some other nuts. These different varieties all are delicious and completely worthy to taste while touring Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan snacks are an important element of the Sri Lankan food scene and daily life. Roasted or fried, salted or unsalted, devilled or spiced, they are the ideal choice for daytime hunger pangs. These bites are very famous among locals, who want a mouthful on their way back home. As you pass many stalls and carts selling savory bites, definitely you’ll be tempted by the nice aroma of them. Taste the different types of snacks on offer and explore the new tastes. Happy snack time for you guys!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, UberEats, Facebook, and Twitter. All copyrights reserved by original authors.
