Short eats: Sri Lanka's glorious snack counter culture
Fish buns, vegetable rotis, cutlets and patties, priced by the piece and eaten on the move. Decoding the bakery counter. Every Sri Lankan bakery and roadside cafe keeps a glass counter of short eats: triangular vegetable rotis, deep-fried fish cutlets, flaky egg-and-fish patties, Chinese rolls (a crumbed pancake wrap) and the sweet seeni sambol bun. You point, they.
On the plate
Every Sri Lankan bakery and roadside cafe keeps a glass counter of short eats: triangular vegetable rotis, deep-fried fish cutlets, flaky egg-and-fish patties, Chinese rolls (a crumbed pancake wrap) and the sweet seeni sambol bun. You point, they plate, you pay by the piece.
They are the island's travel fuel, perfect for train rides and long bus days. On intercity trains, vendors walk the aisles with baskets of warm ones, and the correct amount to buy is always one more than you planned.
Frequently asked
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