Sri Lanka, the beautiful spice island once known as Ceylon, is a rich melting pot of cuisines. It seems every nationality that has visited and traded over the years has left its mark – the Dutch, Portuguese, English, Arabs, Malays, Moors and Indians.

Thanks to Sri Lanka’s tropical climate, fresh fruit, vegetables and spices are in abundance and all are used in many ways. Freshness is key, with households regularly shopping more than once a day for produce.

Many families have a curry leaf tree and grow vegetables – some of which are virtually unknown outside Sri Lanka, such as murunga (drumsticks), which are used in curries and accompaniments, their leaves a popular addition to the favourite crab curry.

Every meal comes with rice – one Sinhalese greeting translates as "Have you eaten rice?". A simple meal may consist of rice, sambol made with chilli, pickles or chutney (to liven the flavour and wake up the taste buds), and at least one vegetable curry or dhal. Then there may also be a huge range of meat-based, vegetable and seafood dishes. Sri Lankan banquets are incredibly colourful, with curries that range from yellow to deep brown, the vibrant greens of the vegetables, and the bright colours of sambol. Besides being a daily staple, rice also features in celebratory dishes such as kiribath, or milk rice, which is traditionally the first solid food given to a baby, as well at weddings and on New Year’s Day.

Sri Lankan food is a labour intensive cuisine as many dishes are intricate and time consuming. Hoppers are an example – these are the bowl shaped rice flour pancakes that are used to scoop up curry and rice. Even more labour intensive are stringhoppers, which are fine rice flour strings that have been squeezed through a sieve and are curled into a little circular mat and steamed – these are a feature of banquets for special occasions.

Fresh coconut is grated every day and used in sambols, vegetable dishes and desserts. Often coconut is dry toasted and added towards the end of the cooking of a curry to thicken it and add a lovely toasty flavour.

Desserts are rich and sweet and reflect the many influences on the cuisine – from elaborate cakes to rich custards flavoured with spices, such as wattalappam. Many expats mourn the inability to find a simple but exquisite favourite – curd and treacle.