We have moved into our apartment in Colombo. It is basic but in a
decent location because we are close to two grocery stores. One (Food City – nothing
like the Food City we know in the South) is close by and I can pick up
essentials: milk, eggs, and some decent produce. The tomatoes are all over-ripe
and I wonder if this is how people use them here.
I could spend hours in the
grocery stores looking at spices and writing down ingredients to Google later
and learn about. At the Food City they only sell chicken and fish. (Remember in
Sri Lanka the population is mostly Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim. Hindus don’t
eat beef, Buddhists don’t eat meat, and Muslims don’t eat pork.) I was sweating
it a bit because James won’t eat seafood or eggs (!). What in the world am I
going to make to eat? There are also no canned beans and the avocados are unripe. I was starting to think that I'd have to make only chicken and pasta for
the next three months.
Thankfully, today we tried a different “superstore” that is
about a 20 minute walk from our apartment. We set out at 9:30 a.m. and walked
carefully, watching for tuk tuks speeding by and hesitating at crosswalks
because we weren’t sure if drivers stop for pedestrians. We followed the lead
of a small but stout Sri Lankan man (everyone seems tiny here) and he stepped
out in front of traffic! Surprisingly no one honked or seemed annoyed, they
just slammed on the brakes and we crossed – almost running - behind our
fearless leader.
After entering the superstore, our eyes lit up. This
looks more like a super Target than the market with willy-nilly items. (Okay,
not really, but think of a third-world version of a super Target and you’ve got
it.) I started wandering the aisles with my mouth slightly open. I saw Ponds Cold Cream, L’Oreal shampoo, vinegars of all kinds, pasta sauce, and at the
meat counter – minced beef. I also noticed cuts of lamb! We are going to be okay.
What I’m most interested in, however, are the piles and piles of fresh curry
leaves that are found in the produce section. I’ve watched two cooking shows
featuring a Sri Lankan chef who is also Australian (Peter Kuruvita).
He uses curry leaves at the beginning of most dishes with a mixture of ginger,
onion, and garlic. I’m on it! I hope to record my culinary journey either here
or in a written journal but I'd like to learn some easy authentic Sri Lankan
dishes.
(Leave it to me to write about food in one of the first posts from
this fascinating island in the Indian Ocean.)
2 comments
I was so shocked to learn that americans ( mostly) yield to pedestrians, it took me a while to accept that.
I am glad you weren't crossing in India, crossing roads is a skill in India :)
I don't think I could handle the traffic in India! I was worried about that here but so far so good.
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