Curry dominates most Asian gastronomies. Yet, apart from the same surname, curry is distinct as the region and people as the country it hails from. Until recently, for the ordinary European, curries were nothing more than stews dressed up in garish pastes and powders that were nothing more than turmeric and oils. However today, curries are the vogue in gastronomy with Indian and Thai as the supermodels in culinary fashion. Yet, Sri Lankan curries with the same vibrancy and strains as these Asian cuisines are languishing in the backburner. Sri Lankan food is assumed by many to be a part of Indian cuisine. However, the influences of Sri Lankan culinary reach far beyond the Indian continent. Not only was Sri Lanka the strategic node in the Silk Road, but Sri Lankans themselves were great travellers. Thus, while entertaining traders and travelers from many distant regions; they themselves went to far off shores as ambassadors. Indeed history suggests that Sri Lankans enjoyed sophistications far beyond our current realms, but did not degenerate the society as it did to civilizations like the Roman Empire – it simplified life to build on creativity. Thus, there is an elaboration even in the simplest dish and the preparatory methods are so many that Sri Lankan curries provide perfect examples to the vast array of dishes that are categorized – almost carelessly – as curries. Buddhism is believed to be strong influence in the vegetarian emphasis in Sri Lankan fare, but there are other reasons such as the almost limitless availability of vegetarian fare growing literally on the doorstep and the Royal decree that forbade the common man from harming beast or plant in the rainforests.

The kings of Sri Lanka, with their intimate knowledge of the land knew the exact danger of disturbing these forests. It is this knowledge of theirs that led them to forbid the general public from the forests and to protect the wildlife – beast and plant – of the forest. Moving away from this Royal ruling and the resultant clearance of the rainforests has caused the baring of many mountains to expose its rocky core and bring forth many of the ‘natural’ hazards that we are experiencing today.

Until colonization by the European forces, fresh meat was not easily accessible. It was only after Europeans began to invade the forests, especially the mountains for their rubber, coffee and tea plantations that meat began to feature more and more in the Sri Lankan diet. Of course, here the European influence also played a part to the meat that was becoming more available than before.

With the growing Catholic influence, people especially in the littoral began to include more meat into their diet. Chicken, pork and even mutton became fixtures in the menu, especially in a special feast. While Down South, especially the areas of Negambo became famous for their pork curries, the rest of the country had reservation on both pork and beef.

Due to the heavy Hindu influence, many would not consume, much less prepare pork or beef at home for fear of offending the deity. Pig, perhaps due to not a small amount of Muslim influence, is considered an unclean animal. The cow on the other hand is considered sacred. However, there was another reason for beef to be slow in been incorporated into the menu.

As an agricultural community, the cow played such an immense role in the day to day activities of the farmer and his family that it became an intimate member of the family. Many regarded the cow as an adapted child of the family, as evidenced by the many poems sung during harvest, traveling and other activities.

The creature was often referred to as the son or daughter and many events of its life were celebrated with much love and care. For instance, when a cow gives birth to a calf, she is bathed in warm water and fed with melon mixed milk rice. Regularly, the family cow (or bull) is treated with special coconut concoctions called the punnakku. For a very long time, even since colonization, to harm a cow was reviled in the same light of harming a woman. Thus, just as many would not touch dog meat, many could not touch the meat of their beloved household member – the cow.

Hence, while chicken is a regular dish enjoyed by all in the family, red meat is still mostly the man’s dish. Though, there are wonderfully spicy and aromatic red meat curries, which are especially prepared for special times such as entertaining guests, red meat is often prepared as ‘bites’, which is a form of appetizers enjoyed mostly by men with a strong liquor before meals. This is very much a socializing act and is rarely done in solitude. The downside however is that after the strong liquor coupled with good food and good company, men tends to be too hazy and full for the actual meal!