Traditional rice of Sri Lanka

Rice in Sri Lanka has played an important role in the country's functioning and survival for centuries.

[1] Further evidence of early rice cultivation is the construction, since 390 B.C., of massive irrigation structures, reservoirs, and interconnected canals.

From ancient times, rice cultivation was not only an economic activity, but a way of life for the people of Sri Lanka.

Once renowned as the granary of the east, Sri Lanka offered more than 2000 indigenous rice varieties to the rest of the world.

[7] Suwandel is an heirloom rice variety, cultivated organically with traditional rain-fed methods in the southern lowlands of Sri Lanka.

One traditional dish calls for the rice to be cooked with chopped spring onion and leeks, and served with bottle gourd sautéed in spices and coconut milk.

Ma-Wee was loved by the queens of Sri Lanka, who believed it helped them maintain a trim, shapely figure.

A nutritious red rice variety rich in proteins and fiber, kuruluthuda has a unique, pleasant taste.

It is said that rice cooked with coconut milk was the first offering made to Buddha, and to this day the dish is a staple of Sri Lankan Buddhist culture during sacred festivals and important events.