Fruit salad

Sweet, sour, juicy, round and even the downright strange - we have them all. As Sri Lanka is located in the tropics, it comes as no surprise that the island is blessed with a variety of exotic fruit.

A drive around the island, mostly on the outskirts of towns and cities will take you past a number of roadside stalls selling colourful fruit. If you are a fruit enthusiast, then this is going to be a gastronomical ride of a lifetime! Although I cannot describe every single fruit found in Sri Lanka (this would require me writing an entire book), I will touch on a few favourites enjoyed by locals.

At any given time of the year, you are bound to run into bunches of bananas sold by the gazillions at any fruit stall. Choose from the larger savoury bananas like Kolikuttu or the smaller sweet/sour kinds like Ambul Kesel. You are bound to go bananas over the numerous varieties and flavours waiting to be chomped on!

Mangos are my personal favourite fruit. When eating mangos, one generally looks for big flavour and little fiber. If you’re lucky enough, you will be able to get your hands on mangos from Jaffna, undoubtedly the best in the island. These deliciously sweet mangos are juicy, full of flavour and are just the right consistency when ripe.



Jaffna Mangos

The wood apple is a strange looking fruit. This peculiar bulbous fruit is brown in colour and has a hard outer layering. Once cracked, the fruit reveals a sticky brown pulp within that has a jam like consistency. The wood apple is used to make a popular drink called divul kiri, which is a definite must try on your list of Sri Lankan specialties to taste whilst on holiday.

I cannot forget to mention a few seasonal favourites. Jambu is one such fruit. These small bell-shaped, blushing fruits have a very subtle flavour comparable to a snow pear. They are often enjoyed raw or eaten with a pinch of salt and chilli for an added Sri Lankan kick!

Next let me introduce you to my dear old friend, the rambutan. Rambutan is found in South East Asia and is yet another strange looking fruit. Its red skin is covered with hairy protuberances and cannot be eaten. However once the skin is peeled away, the succulent opaque fruit is revealed. Its flavour is slightly sweet with an acidic after taste that will leave you begging for more! Rambutans are not found all year round, however when they are, you will find them piled up in glorious red bunches by the roadside and at any fruit stall. Other popular fruits include the pineapple, papaw, watermelon and of course the coconut.



A delicious mound of rambutan

Yes, our tiny island is jam-packed with a vast array of delicious fruit. Be astounded by the variety of colours, smells and tastes that greet your senses when visiting a local fruit market. It’s amazing that such a large variety of produce is grown locally in various parts of the island. I think that Sri Lanka’s fruit platter can be paralleled to its society. There are so many ethnicities found in the island, resembling one colossal fruit salad.