Life style

Rice morning , noon ,and night in Sri Lanka

Published

3 years ago

2023/01/15

By Zinara Rathnayake

My mother is a good cook. My father is just slightly better. That’s how my younger sister would always describe my parents’ food. She’s right. My mother cooked delicious curries. But my father cooked the food we hold dear.My father grew up in Nabiriththawewa, a small village in Kurunegala.

Unlike his two older brothers who were more interested in going out with their friends, my father accompanied my grandfather to every village wedding. From what I could gather, my grandfather was the chef at every function in the village. He had cooked to feed hundreds.

“I followed him like a thread follows the needle. That’s how I learned to cook,” my father would say.

Although I wish I had met him, I never saw my grandfather, he was already a distant memory when I came to this world.When I was eight years old, my family lived in a small house by the rice fields in my father’s village. My father worked a tedious office job, commuting for hours on a passenger train every day.But when he was home, he would spend time doing two things: gardening and cooking.My father lived a frugal life so he could build a secure future for his two daughters.

He was also a frugal cook, making use of every ingredient so nothing in his kitchen ended up in the waste pit. He mastered the art of delicious snacks, like bath aggala, a Sri Lankan sweet he makes using coconut and leftover rice and that marked our teatime ritual growing up. In Sinhala, aggala are sweet ball-shaped snacks and bath is cooked rice.

At home, teatime was when I cycled home through the rice paddies from the neighbours’ to find my little sister still in her bright sequined nursery dress with her colouring books. Outside, kids would be flying kites as men worked in the fields and women in colourful headwraps reaped golden-yellow paddy with their sharp sickles.

My mother, who was a government school teacher, would be just getting up from her afternoon nap to make tea with powdered milk for us.During the week, teatime meant a cup of tea with a packet of biscuits or a loaf of white bread to dip. But on the weekends, it was my father’s bath aggala, eaten as we sat on the verandah watching the world. Sometimes, my parents would tell us about their childhood. Or we would just watch colonies of bats dart across the evening sky as night fell, and giggle over something my little sister said.

As I look back on those teatimes spent at home, I miss the sounds and colours of those evenings that held us together, and the taste of my father’s bath aggala.It is only now that I understand that, for my father, bath aggala was more than sweet rice balls he made for his family. For him, it was making the most of rice: a grain beloved to him and all Sri Lankans.

The beloved grain

“Udetath bath, dawaltath bath, retath bath”

is a popular Sinhala saying that means “Rice for the morning, afternoon, and night.”

Nothing reflects the essence of my island and people better than that. Rice is not only the main staple for Sri Lankans, it’s more than that.In island kitchens, rice boils every day in clay pots over firewood or steams in electric rice cookers. A pot of steamed rice dominates our tables often, paired with other dishes and condiments. When rice is not cooked this way for breakfast or dinner, another rice-based food blesses our empty plates.

It could be kiribath, a sticky blend of rice and coconut milk eaten for breakfast. Or rice flour is used to make idi appa or idiyappam, discs of steamed thin noodles. Or appa or appam, bowl-shaped snacks with crispy edges and fluffy centres. Or dosa, thin, crisp flatbreads made with a fermented rice-lentil mix. Or levariya, sweet-savoury pockets of rice noodles filled with caramelised coconut.

We use soaked, ground rice to prepare sweetmeats for our New Year every April and when guests come over, we cook rice with aromatics like curry leaves and cinnamon and garnish it with crunchy cashews to prepare golden kaha bath.

When food is scarce, families soak leftover rice to eat in the morning with kiri hodi, a turmeric-infused coconut gravy soured with lime. This modest meal was my father’s favourite breakfast, paired with fresh green chilli.

Rice feeds us, builds us, and shapes us in many ways. This humble grain that thrives in the mud holds a place in every Sri Lankan meal and has crept into every nook and cranny of our society.Rice has a large share of the island’s agriculture, frames its economy, and unpacks our history. And our love for it has given birth to a host of flavourful dishes.I learned how rice grew when we moved to our father’s village. Paddy – the word for the plant and the grain before removing the hull – flourished in the fields thanks to the farmers toiling in the sun.

My father grew paddy in a small field inherited from his parents, which grew enough rice for us. While he readied the field, I would run behind him, getting my feet muddy. Once or twice, I helped him plant seedlings.The earliest stone carving of paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka dates back to 939-940 AD, says Professor Buddhi Marambe, who specialises in weed science and food security. Ancient Sri Lankan rulers built reservoirs to harness rainwater while people developed and preserved rice varieties for more than 3,000 years.

But when the island was colonised by the British in 1815, cash crops like tea and rubber were imposed on farmers to make money for the colonisers. British propaganda campaigns also encouraged people to replace rice with wheat in their diet. “By the 1940s, Sri Lanka had to import 60 percent of the rice needed for the country’s meagre six million population,” says Marambe.In the following decades, refined wheat flour and white bread rose in popularity while native rice was replaced by high-yield varieties to sustain the growing population – varieties that needed chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

In 2020, there was enough locally produced rice to feed Sri Lanka’s population of 21 million, Marambe says. But the then-government abruptly banned synthetic fertilisers in April 2021, forcing farmers to turn to organic fertilisers they were not used to. Farmers lost their harvest, and many deserted their rice fields.

By the time the ban was lifted in November last year, Sri Lanka did not have enough foreign currency to import chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The hard currency shortage also resulted in a fuel crisis, and farmers have to pay more now for reaping and threshing machines.

“Most people [in our village] are abandoning their fields now,” my mother said when I rang her recently. “The machine is charging 240 rupees [$0.66] per minute. They can’t afford it.”

Sri Lanka’s future rice production now depends on a crippled economy and tentative foreign loans that may or may not come.In the past, leftover rice was considered “poor man’s food”, so people stopped eating foods like diya bath (fermented rice porridge with coconut milk) for breakfast, reaching for refined white bread slathered in preservative-laden bottled jam instead.

But, in June, food inflation was more than 60 percent in Sri Lanka and has since kept climbing. Prices soar daily, and most low-income families eat just one or two meals a day. As people rethink their food choices, frugal cooking has made a comeback.

My parents no longer buy biscuits or white bread. A packet of biscuits that cost 200 Sri Lankan rupees ($0.55) a week ago is now 600 rupees ($1.65). “Who would pay that much for biscuits,” my mother said. She wants me to bring her some from India, where I’m currently travelling.My father makes bath aggala more often now. It’s a dish he learned to make by watching his parents and older sisters, he told me recently on the phone.

When my father was a teenager, Sri Lanka was battling drought and an economic crisis in the 1970s. Even though his family had land to grow rice, there wasn’t enough water. So my grandparents made the most of what was available.

“They told us never to throw away rice, not even a single grain of it,” my father said. “When I saw a little boy digging in a dustbin for food at school, I realised what it means to have food on the table.”

Rice and coconuts

I don’t remember us ever buying rice. Even when I left home to live in Colombo, my parents would visit me with tightly packed grocery bags of rice from my father’s fields. But recently when I called home, my mother said she might have to buy rice for the first time in her life.

“The [threshing] machine will only come if we give them diesel,” my mother said. “And we can’t get diesel.”

Many families in the village are now eating diya bath in the morning, my mother said.

Making diya bath involves a few steps if you, like my father, want to eat it hot. Many people eat diya bath cold, which is faster.

If there is rice left over after dinner, my father soaks it in water, letting it soak overnight and draining it the next morning. Then he heats up the coconut milk in a pot, adds dried red chilli, curry leaves, onion, salt, half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, and Maldive fish flakes (dried, cured tuna fish), and lets it simmer.

For sourness, he squeezes in half a lime or adds a few pods of dark brown sun-dried tamarind. (This concoction alone is called kiri hodi). When it’s ready, my father pours it, piping hot, onto a bowl of rice and eats it with fresh green chilli and, sometimes, fried dried fish.

Cold diya bath

is a no-cook meal: mix two cups of coconut milk with one cup of soaked rice. Then add thinly-sliced red onion, two tablespoons of lime juice, three-four roasted dried red chillies, one teaspoon of grated Maldive fish, and salt to taste. If you like it sourer, squeeze in some more lime juice.

Some people like fresh green chilli instead of dried red chilli. Maldive fish is optional, but it adds a nice umami punch. Many elders believe that diya bath, with its fermented rice and coconut milk, cools the body and prevents heartburn.

Speaking of coconut milk, when I make diya bath, I reach for coconut milk that comes in sealed cardboard containers but my parents have never bought coconut milk in their life, they make it. My father plucks coconuts from our garden, removes the fibrous outer husk, halves the nut, and scrapes it with a hiramanaya – a traditional grater with a wooden seat for the person to sit while grating. He mixes the grated coconut with water, squeezing it several times with his hands to make coconut milk.

Making coconut milk is laborious, but my parents still do it. If rice is our staple, coconut is its mate. It thickens our curries, binds our sambals, flavours our foods, and balances meals with healthy fats. Coconuts also make our condiments richer to pair with humble rice.

More than aggala

While people usually boil fresh rice for aggala, my father soaks leftover rice to make sugary, coconutty balls with a slight crunch. For him, bath aggala is food security. It is minimising waste.To make this teatime snack, he ferments leftover cooked rice overnight in water. In the morning, he drains and sun-dries the rice until it is crisp, then roasts it for about 20 minutes in a skillet on a low flame, until it turns brown.

When I made bath aggala recently, I roasted the rice for five to eight minutes and switched off the stove before it changed colour, so it stayed white. Do as you like, roasting for longer gives aggala a golden-brown colour and nutty flavour.Using a pestle and mortar, my father grinds the warm, roasted rice until he gets an uneven texture with pieces of broken rice that add a delightful crunch. You can use an electric grinder as I do, just don’t grind it into powder.

Take 250g of this ground rice and add about 100g of grated coconut, half a cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, and half a cup of water. Mix it well with your hands and shape it into little balls. Some people prefer a bit of a spice kick to their aggala, which is easily done by sprinkling a hint of black pepper into the mix.Once ready, always serve with a cup of tea.

My father’s bath aggala is a testimony to Sri Lanka’s longstanding relationship with rice. It bears witness to the island’s often troubled history and present, twisted and framed by politics and economic interests.The road to recovery is long. But for now, I’d like to be lulled into sweet teatimes at home. One bath aggala at a time.

– Al Jazeera

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Life style

Julie Chung’s graceful goodbye

Published

1 day ago

2026/01/11

Thilina Walpola

Chung

Last chapter in Colombo

Elegant, articulate and amiable, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung reaches the end of her term, with the quiet confidence of a woman who has shaped diplomacy across continents.

In this interview, she speaks with emotional clarity and stately restraint, offering insights shaped by memory, responsibility and a deep respect for the human stories behind public life.

A diplomat of distinction and a fashion icon in her own right, she embodies a modern elegance where intellect meets instinct and presence becomes power. She speaks of her time in Sri Lanka not as a posting, but as a chapter of memory, reflecting with grace on the experiences she will carry forward—memories woven with diplomacy, style and a deep affection for a place that became more than a destination.

As she says goodbye, Julie Chung carries with her not just memories but the very essence of the island: the warmth of its people, the quiet beauty of its moments, and a grace that will remain long after she has left. With an international career spanning Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Washington D.C., she embodies modern diplomacy—polished, perceptive and quietly powerful. She leaves Colombo shaped by its people, moments and connections.

Q: Ambassador, as your tenure in Sri Lanka comes to a close, what moments during your posting stand out the most for you personally and professionally?

A: Celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral relationship was a watershed moment and a time to reflect upon all that we’ve accomplished together- from maritime security partnerships to trade to youth engagement. Opening a beautiful, new U.S. Embassy building was also a highlight, a place where we could really come together and build a community, host our American Centre, and a physical symbol of our efforts to deepen our presence in Sri Lanka. A personal highlight was scuba diving at various wreck sites, including the Godawaya shipwreck from which artifacts were preserved through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, and marveling at the underwater heritage of Sri Lanka.

Q: How would you describe your overall experience living and working in Sri Lanka?

A: I’ve seen many challenges and difficulties that Sri Lanka has gone through during my tenure, but so much joy, resilience, and pride too. Sri Lankans are very proud of their tourism sites, foods, and cultural heritage- and rightfully so! I saw my role as a bridge builder between our two countries professionally, and I absorbed everything I could personally as well to delve into Sri Lankan culture. And the food–anyone who knows me knows that I have traversed the island trying and loving the amazing food here. From Jaffna crab to lamprais, I am going to go through serious spice withdrawal when I leave. My family enjoyed exploring so much of Sri Lanka with me, and even Martha, my dog loved her walks around Colombo!

: At the top of Pidurutalagala enjoying the amazing view of Sigiriya

Batik U.S. flag created by U.S. Embassy staff

Q What challenges did you face in strengthening US-Lanka relations and how were they overcome?

A: One of the challenges was to overcome misperceptions and misinformation about the United States and personal attacks on me. Holding this position invites a lot of attention and scrutiny, and I got my fair share of that while navigating through the public spotlight. I tried to share my personal stories, relay official positions clearly, and be authentic to the Sri Lankan public, not just as an ambassador but as a human being, a wife, and mother. I sought to engage directly with many communities across the island, not just government-to-government but truly people-to-people, speaking directly with farmers, entrepreneurs, students, speaking to them on my role and the United States role in Sri Lanka. It was not always easy, but I appreciated the candidness of everyone I met. As a Christian, it was also important for me to find places of worship to have fellowship which helped me stay faithful and resilient during the challenging times.

Q: Can you share an example of a cultural exchange, a people-to-people initiative that particularly resonated with you?

A: The return of the Peace Corps to Sri Lanka after a long hiatus was one of my proudest moments. I met young Americans willing to put in the work to learn Sinhala and Tamil, assimilate with local families, teach English at local schools—and in the process, learn from their students, too. It goes to the heart of what the Peace Corps was created to do–bringing Americans and communities together through service, learning, and shared understanding.

Q: Sri Lanka is known for its vibrant culture. Did your experience here influence your personal life or style?

A: I loved learning about the arts in Sri Lanka. I’ve attended the annual Kala Pola art fair where I could interact with both seasoned and up and coming artists and made a few purchases myself. I learned about Sri Lanka’s unique batik making culture and integrated various modern takes to batik design in clothes I wear. Our embassy community visited Sonali Dharmawardena’s batik workshop to learn first-hand about batik making and created a beautiful American flag artwork that hangs inside our embassy now.

: Selfie with Sri Lankan student basketball players during the U.S. Embassy sports envoy program

: Enjoying a cup of tea with fellow climbers at Sri Pada

: Diving at the Godawaya shipwreck which was conserved through U.S. support

Q: Who were your favourite designers or fashion experiences that stood out to you during your time here?

A I’ve loved admiring and showcasing so many talented local designers here, who also became my close friends. I consider them artists more than designers because it really is artistry and it comes from their hearts, reflecting who they are as individuals. Sonali Dharmawardhana, Charini Suriyage, Darshi Keerthisena, Kamil Hewavitharana, and Sammani Pathiranagama have been some of my favorites! I leave with a very full suitcase and I can’t wait to share my love of Sri Lankan design with Americans.

Q How did participating in Sri Lanka’s cultural and social events help in strengthening diplomatic relationships?

Two U.S. C-130s supported cyclone Ditwah response by transporting donated goods across the country

A Diplomacy is not just about having official meetings but diving into a country’s culture and personality; it provides us a deeper understanding and at the same time offers an opportunity to share the immense richness of American culture as well. When we invited our sports diplomacy ambassadors and arts envoys to come to Sri Lanka, it created avenues for more people-to-people connections. Every conversation I had, every trip I took, and every photo I snapped created that tapestry that led to my love for Sri Lanka. I took part in Sri Lanka’s social and cultural events while also creating opportunities for others to engage with American arts and culture.

Q: Were there moments in Colombo’s social scene that brought you joy or surprise?

A: I really enjoyed attending the Royal Thomian cricket match! It was my first ever cricket match and was so exciting to see the fans, the festive mood, and I joined along with the dancing, too. It was nice to see people from all walks of life and political factions come together in such a way for the love of the game.

Q: What memory of Sri Lanka will you carry with you forever?

A: One memory I will always carry with me is how Sri Lankans came together to support one another during the tragic period following Cyclone Ditwah. I was deeply moved by the compassion and solidarity shown at the community level. When we were able to offer $2 million in humanitarian aid and bring two C130 airplanes to deliver supplies, it really made me proud. Personally taking part in some of those flights and talking to the military forces and local communities was memorable. As a diplomat, I believe it’s important we get involved hands-on and not just watch from afar. Seeing Americans and Sri Lankans working side by side, physically unloading goods off of our planes was a powerful reminder that in difficult moments, our partnership is strongest, and that the friendship between our two countries is built on ordinary people and shared values.

Q: If you could relive one day of your tenure here, which day would it be and why?

A: It would be to climb back up to the peak of Sri Pada again with my husband and see the sun rising above the mountains and the shadows of the temple, and take in the natural glory of that moment in such a special cultural place. It was not just the natural beauty, but the friendliness of the pilgrims and fellow climbers who encouraged each other, even me, as I took on that climb. Moments along the journey—sharing a cup of tea or listening to someone’s story—kept me energized.

Q: What are the strongest impressions of Sri Lanka that you will take back with you?

A: Sri Lanka is such a diverse island- from its landscape and tourism sites to its religions, ethnicities, and cuisines. I say this often, it is a magical island that bursts with passion, energy, and a richness that makes every part of the country feel distinct yet deeply connected. I travelled throughout Sri Lanka, by boats, cars, planes, and trains – the sounds, smells, and beauty will stay with me forever.

Q: How would you describe the spirit of the Sri Lankan people to friends and colleagues abroad?

A: The spirit of Sri Lankans is definitely something I’ve come to learn about and admire so much – it goes beyond resilience during tough periods and is reflected in the humor and creativity of its people and traditions. That can be seen through the arts, literature, and even political cartoons. The Sri Lankan people are amazing and have given me memories that will last a lifetime. I am grateful for my time here and will carry it with me always.

By Zanita Careem ✍️

Life style

Gilded glamour at Grand Kandyan

Published

1 day ago

2026/01/11

Thilina Walpola

Celebrations with grandeur

The Grand Kandyan transformed into a sanctuary of elegance this past New Year’s Eve, hosting a spectacular gala dinner dance that seamlessly blended tradition with high-energy celebration.

From the moment guests arrived, they were swept into a world of luxury. The hotel and ballroom were meticulously decorated, setting a festive tone that promised an unforgettable night. The evening commenced with a sophisticated cocktail hour in the lobby, where guests mingled before being ushered into the majestic Royal Peacock Ballroom for the main event.

A Symphony of Black and Gold

The ballroom was a sight to behold, draped in a striking theme of black and gold. The color palette exuded sophistication, providing a glittering backdrop for the night’s festivities.

Lavish international buffet

Taking charge of the evening’s proceedings was the charismatic Javed Bongso, whose expert compering kept the energy high. The musical heartbeat of the night was provided by the popular band Lunu Dehi, whose infectious performance immediately filled the dance floor. As the night progressed, DJ Harsha took over the decks, keeping the crowd moving with a seamless mix of floor-fillers.

Prizes and Pageantry

The gala was punctuated by moments of excitement and engagement. Beyond the music, guests participated in:

Multiple Raffle Draws: Featuring a variety of high-value prizes.

Interactive Games: Engaging the audience and adding a touch of playful competition.

Grand Giveaways: Ensuring many guests walked away with more than just memories.

A highlight of the evening was the prestigious crowning of the “Grand Kandyan Queen,” a moment of true pageantry that added a layer of classic glamour to the night’s program.

A Culinary Masterpiece

No celebration at The Grand Kandyan would be complete without a culinary showcase. Guests were treated to a lavish international buffet, specifically decorated for the occasion.

A Global Family Celebration

The Grand Kandyan hotel General Manager, . Thusith Samaraweera, remarked on how wonderful it was to see a vibrant mixture of local and foreign guests coming together. He noted that seeing everyone ushering in the New Year alongside the “Grand Kandyan family” was the perfect embodiment of the hotel’s spirit of hospitality.

The night concluded as a resounding success, marking the start of 2026 with style, spirit, and community.

Life style

“Best International Hotel for Weddings” at Travel+Leisure India’s Best Awards 2025

Published

1 day ago

2026/01/11

Thilina Walpola

Saman Villa

Jetwing Saman Villas, part of Jetwing Luxury Reserves, has been awarded “Best International Hotel for Weddings” at the 14th edition of Travel+Leisure India & South Asia’s Best Awards, held on December 16, 2025, in New Delhi. This prestigious accolade celebrates the resort’s exceptional ability to create unforgettable wedding experiences, placing Sri Lanka firmly on the global map as a leading destination for romance.

The annual India’s Best Awards, driven by reader votes, honours excellence across the travel spectrum, from hotels and destinations to wellness retreats and culinary experiences. This year’s theme, “Passports to Possibility,” highlighted the transformative power of travel and brought together global hospitality leaders for an evening of recognition and inspiration.

Perched on a dramatic cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, the 27-suite resort is Sri Lanka’s pioneering luxury boutique hotel and a haven for intimate celebrations. The property offers one of the most unique settings on the island: a garden on a rock surrounded by nothing but incredible ocean views. From pre-wedding rituals to gourmet receptions, the property specializes in intimate weddings that feel truly exclusive and deeply personal. Beyond the ceremony, Jetwing Saman Villas doubles as an idyllic honeymoon retreat, offering luxurious private-pool suites, indulgent spa rituals, and romantic dining experiences under starlit skies, making it the perfect beginning to a lifelong journey together.

“We are truly honoured to bring this recognition to Sri Lanka,” said Hashan Cooray, Director of Marketing and Development at Jetwing Hotels. “As the country’s first and leading boutique hotel, this award reinforces Sri Lanka’s true potential as a premier destination for romance and weddings.”

Farrel Blom, General Manager of Jetwing Saman Villas, added, “Weddings are deeply personal, and for us, it’s never just about one evening, but it’s about creating an experience that feels like home. Many couples stay with us for several days, allowing us to be part of their story. Seeing them return for holidays and hearing their heartfelt feedback is the greatest reward.”

With a legacy spanning over half a century in the tourism industry, Jetwing Hotels has established itself as a pioneer in curating unique experiences and offering the best of legendary Sri Lankan hospitality, with the values of passion, humility, tenacity, and the spirit of family being at its core. As a family-owned brand, Jetwing Hotels continues to be a leading advocate for sustainability and responsible tourism, with ongoing initiatives focused on community upliftment, environmental conservation, and resource efficiency. With over 35 properties across the island, the brand’s diverse portfolio includes a range of Luxury Reserves, Premium Hotels, Select Hotels, and Essentials, each offering a unique perspective on Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty.