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- Sri Lankan cuisine is a blend of many colonial influences — British, Dutch and Portuguese as well as pan-Asian with Indian (especially South Indian) and Indonesian influences
RIYADH: The spicy and full-bodied flavors of Sri Lanka’s cuisine are under the spotlight at LuLu Hypermarkets Saudi Arabia as the retail chain hosts the “Best of Sri Lanka” festival at its stores across the Kingdom. A number of Sri Lankan specialities, including tea, spices, fruits and vegetables, rice and a variety of coconut products, have been especially flown in from the island nation for LuLu’s customers.
The festival, which runs until Sept 14, was inaugurated at Lulu’s Murabba branch in the capital city on Sept. 9 by chief guest Dulmith Waruna, the charge d’affaires at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh. Also present were Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets and other LuLu Group officials.
With the event, the hypermarket aims to bring alive the unique culinary heritage of Sri Lanka, which is a blend of many colonial influences — British, Dutch and Portuguese as well as pan-Asian with Indian (especially South Indian) and Indonesian influences.
The festival promotion gives shoppers a chance to stock up on top-quality spices that Sri Lanka is famed for: Cloves, pepper, cinnamon and others, all of which have been packaged for hygiene, aroma and convenience. On offer is also a variety of tea and tea-based herbal infusions with turmeric, chamomile and other herbs and teas from signature plantations around Sri Lanka.
Several varieties of healthy and organic coconut products such as coconut cream, coconut milk and virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil are available at discounted prices, while the vegetables section is bursting with the goodness, color and juicy flavors of Sri Lankan farm produce.
“LuLu Hypermarket has brought together a rich and classic collection of the best of Sri Lankan products and this is certainly an invitation to all shoppers to explore the tastes of our country,” said Waruna. “Sri Lanka and the Arab world share a rich culinary experience, which nurtured the spice trade of the olden days and the spices still have a vibrant presence in Arab kitchens today.”
Mohammed, director of LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets, expressed his thanks to the Sri Lankan Embassy for their support of the festival. “The food products of Sri Lanka are exotic, healthy and unique, and with the LuLu sourcing center in the country, we have a network of suppliers who give us the first pick of the best on offer from there. We are delighted to share this bounty with our customers and explore the tastes of the best of Sri Lanka,” he said.