Exploring the Maldives through food

Flanked by neighbors that offer travelers a multitude of experiences, the Maldives has managed to hold its own. Its warm turquoise waters, abundant marine life, and luxurious resorts attract many holidaymakers to its shores.

Lately, the country’s cultural dimensions have evoked a sense of curiosity among those seeking offbeat holidays. Their itchy feet take them to the islands inhabited by locals, revealing a completely different island nation. It results in exploring the archipelago through its history, traditions, and most importantly, its cuisine.   

When one wants to experience a country truly, its culinary traditions cannot be left far behind. In the Maldives, this becomes a highlight once you visit public islands where traditional ingredients and cooking methods still rule the roost. 

A brief history of Maldivian (Dhivehi) cuisine

The geography of the island nation is envious but comes with some constraints, especially regarding what grows on it. The islanders, therefore, had to base their food around the three main readily available ingredients and their derivatives. These are coconut, fish, and different forms of starches.

The ingenuity of the islanders ensured the creation of various dishes using a combination of these ingredients. A range of preservation techniques further helped increase the life of the elements. Cooking techniques passed down by generations are still widely used to prepare most of these traditional dishes.

Moreover, the flourishing trade with Africa and the sub-continent led to the trickling in of other ingredients that weren’t native to the islands. These include grains, vegetables, and spices. Over time, they have become a tasteful part of Maldivian cuisine.

The base ingredients

Coconut

Given its abundance, coconut forms an integral part of Maldivian food and drinks. From quenching the thirst with its refreshing water, the kurumba – a local name for the young tender coconut –  graduates to a hard flesh, adding a distinct flavor and body to the dishes.

Its desiccated hard flesh is a common element in many dishes. For example, it is one of the main ingredients in mas huni. This fresh spicy breakfast dish elegantly blends coconut, tuna, chili, and onions with seasonings and comes with roshi (a type of chapati). An alternate to this is the masroshi, which is mas huni stuffed in roshi and deep-fried in coconut oil.

Coconut milk (called kaashi kiru) is the basis of curries that accompany steamed rice or roshi. Prepared using onions, ginger, and various spices, some curries like dhon riha – tuna curry – are occasionally flavored with green mango.

Mas Riha, made with diced tuna, is another traditional curry cooked widely, sometimes also available in a version with chicken called kukulhu riha. The vegetarian options use pumpkin, eggplants, tora, or even unripe bananas.

Starches

Tubers such as taro, sweet potato, and cassava, along with rice, are common accompaniments to fried fish and curries in a Maldivian household.

Although generally eaten boiled, rice is either cooked or ground into a powder. Breadfruit is also a popular choice for curries, desserts, and snacks.

While religious beliefs restrict pork and its products only to the resort islands, other meats like chicken are a standard preparation on special occasions.

Fish

Boasting a shoreline of around 600kms, plentiful fish is available to Maldivians who use it generously in the local cuisine.

Garudhiya, a fish broth, is a staple throughout the archipelago. It uses simple ingredients like chilies, onions, and lemon cooked with the catch of the day. The commonly used fish are mahi-mahi, mackerel, and bigeye scad.

The star of Maldivian cuisine remains the tuna! Boiled, cured, sundried, grilled, or smoked, there are several ways to incorporate it into the Maldivian diet.

The fish cakes called kulhi baokiba, for instance, have been eaten on the island for many years. Made with smoked tuna, shriveled coconut, onions, chili peppers, ginger, and rice, it is a popular dish during festivals.

Preserves

Not only fresh tuna but its preserved version also finds prominence in Maldivian cuisine. Prepared by drying chunks of tuna in the sun and grinding it, this fine powder has a longer shelf life.

Cured tuna is another practice that goes back to the days without refrigeration. It is also a tradition found in Sri Lankan cuisine. These then form the basis for curries and other food items.

A by-product of gharudiya (when made with tuna) is rihaakuru – a fish paste – a regular in Maldivian homes. Thought to be highly nutritious, it forms at the bottom of the pan if the water is left to boil completely. Consumed as a condiment, it complements rice and other food items.

Short eats

Deep-fried bite-sized sweet and savory items locally known as Hedhika were traditional tea-time snacks loved by the locals. These have now started making appearances at the bustling roadside eateries of Malé and in some of the best restaurants on Maldives’ resort islands.

Gulha – fish balls stuffed with tuna and coconut – is easily the most popular finger food. Other items consumed widely as part of Hedhika are kavaabu – fritters made with fish, coconut, and rice; bajiya – a type of pastry (akin to a samosa) stuffed with tuna; dhonkeyo kahuru – banana fritters; biskeemiya – spring roll stuffed with egg and cabbage; and huni folhi – coconut pancakes eaten either hot or cold.

Desserts

The indigenous coconut often finds itself creatively incorporated in Maldivian sweets, giving them a refreshingly unique texture and taste.

Among the most loved, both by locals and tourists alike, is aluvi boakiba. Made with a base of cassava and coconut, it is a cake that deliciously balances its sweetness with its buttery texture, making it a popular short eat.

Banbukeyo bondibai is perfect for those with an extra sweet tooth. It is a festival delicacy made with breadfruit and coconut milk.

While most desserts in Maldivian cuisine are homegrown, some draw inspiration from their neighbors as well.

Gulab jamun is a case in point. An import from the Indian sub-continent, these spongy balls are basically milk solids deep-fried and soaked in flavored sugar syrup.  

Drinks

Maldivians usually have black tea or kalhu sai, as milk is a rare commodity on the islands. Traditionally a domestic ritual that many believe to be a British influence, it has become a common sight at roadside eateries and cafés.

Coffee is also served at many places, though tea remains the top choice for the locals.

Fruit juices and coconut water are good sources of hydration in the hot and humid environs of the tropics. Being an Islamic Republic, alcohol is not available in the Maldives, except on the resort islands. However, there is one small exception – Raa. A toddy drink tapped from the coconut palm; it is sometimes briefly left to ferment.

Knowing what and how the locals eat can help one understand the cultural intricacies of the land and its people. And once you are familiar with the Dhivehi cuisine, its simple flavors will linger on much after your holiday is over!