Breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner

I am sore and tired, tired. Since returning from my solo tour, Vinu has had us going out with her friends every lunch and dinner. And Monday we drove to Kandy with Kalli and her husband Subash for a one night visit. Kalli's daughter-in-law is from Kandy, so Aruni's parents fed us both lunch and dinner - the food was very good, just as it is at Kalli's. I think there were at least six dishes served both meals. Homemade Sri Lankan food is so much better than what I've had at restaurants here. There's always rice and coconut sambal, a combination of fresh coconut, spices and fresh chilis ground together into a fluffy, dryish condiment. And a fish curry for those that don't eat meat, plus a chicken or mutton (which here means goat, not sheep - go figure) curry for those that do. At least one vegetable curry, plus a fresh salad - no lettuce, but diced cucumber, onions, maybe some mango or pineapple, often in a dressing of coconut milk. 

The three Sri Lankan homes I have been in each had two kitchen areas - one with the sink, cabinets, refrigerator, and a kitchen table. The other area, furthest away from the main house, is where the hot work is done - it houses the stove and is where coconuts are dealt with, which takes a lot of physical labor; all had a pile of coconuts in a corner on the floor. There are two kinds of coconut commonly used here - green, which is the one we Americans are used to, used mostly for its meat, and King coconut, which has a yellow husk and is used mostly for coconut water; its flesh is thin and gelatinous - it's my favorite part, but most people here seem to value its water.

My first morning in Colombo, I was awakened by the sound of an ice cream truck tinkling out the tune of Fur Elise. An ice cream truck on a Monday morning seemed like a very odd thing to me, but I'm open to the fact that people do things differently in different parts of the world. Again that evening I heard the plinking sounds of an ice cream truck singing the tune of Fur Elise. After also hearing the same in various towns on my tour, I finally asked Vinu about it. She told me it is the bakery tuk tuk. I've seen them - they are tricked out tuk tuks that have had the back removed and in its place is a plexiglass bakery case with all sorts of loaves and rolls and sweets on display.

This morning's breakfast consisted of: boiled mung beans, lentil curry, fresh ground coconut, and chili paste. There was also fresh bread (purchased from the bakery tub tuk) and butter on the table, but no one ate it. And the maid brought out a plate of a variety of bananas afterwards. Fruit is usually served for dessert, and dessert is served at every meal - no wonder I love it here!

I feel like I'll have to be rolled on to the plane when I leave - we eat so much at every meal! I don't think that's typical of Sri Lankans, it's just that every friend wants to go out for a special meal, and we have to have appetizer, entree, dessert and drinks each time. Plus when we eat at "home" (Kalli's house), she makes an effort to prepare Vinu's favorie items, so each meal is special. Plus there's tea - sometimes it is only the traditional Sri Lankan milk tea, which is often very sweet, but often there is something to eat as well. One time we had "short eats" for tea, which are various versions of baked or fried dough filled with fish or meat (spiced, of course, with either black pepper or chili). One night I was so tired and stuffed from the day that I begged off from the evening's plan and went to bed early without dinner. I still wasn't all that hungry the next day.

Two nights before leaving Sri Lanka, I was lucky enough to be included in a family birthday party - Vinu and Kalli's sister-in-law's. Sri Lankans are no different from the rest of us - a party means special food. We had two kinds of rice, chicken, fish, and shrimp, and several vegetables, including lotus root which I especially enjoyed - it's very crisp. True to the cuisine, this food was spicy hot, and as I ate (with my fingers, of course), my mouth got hotter and hotter. If I were a cartoon, there would have been flames and smoke coming out my ears, with a siren sound. Thankfully Vinu noticed I was eating slowly and she was kind enough to tell me that it wouldn't be considered rude if I didn't finish my plate. I was so very grateful.

Sri Lankan food is wonderfully tasty, but I am looking forward to getting back to my relatively bland diet; plus I'm almost out of Tums.