Not many realize the versatility of Sri Lankan food. It is often belittled as boring, a subset of Indian cuisine, too hot and spicy to be promoted and for a multitude of other reasons. Yet, Sri Lankan food has been the substance of a nation that had always had a fine appreciation to the finer things in life, who for centuries devoted their lives to intricate creativity; who hosted traders, travelers and explorers from round the world; who themselves traveled far and wide as ambassadors.

This worldly nation certainly had not treated its food as a means of mere survival, but has turned it to both an art and a way of living. It has many Asian strains such as Thai and Indian, but with so many of its own unique twists that it is definitely not a subset of any other world cuisine. The appreciation the ancient Sri Lankan had for his food is evidenced in the elaboration even in the simplest Sri Lankan dish. Indeed Sri Lankan gastronomy provides perfect examples to a vast array of cooking methods and some are unique to the Islanders. This same holistic lifestyle also has dictated the art of cooking Sri Lankan food and thus despite the many international influences, Sri Lankan cuisine has escaped the unhealthy habits of using artificial flavors, fragrances, coloring, sauces, animal fats or oils in its cooking, but has instead promoted the earthy flavors of ingredients that are neither overcooked not undercooked.

A final ingredient that goes into making Sri Lankan curries is lime. Lime like salt has a fine relationship with the other ingredients - notably with the coconut milk and salt. Precisely because of this intricate relationship and because of the manner in which lime behaves with the other ingredients this is always added as the last ingredient. In fact, it is added after removing the curry from fire. There is a very good reason for doing so: the lime curdles the coconut milk if added while on fire. Such is the power of lime!

Many add a dash of lime to most curries - even the simple dhal curry. Like salt, when added in the right dosage, the lime brings out the other flavors of the ingredients that had gone into making the curry with the flavor of lime itself coming through only as a very light base. Just as salt however, if the curry is overdosed it becomes quite unpleasant - though not as unpleasant as the curry with too much salt.

Lime is also used as a cleanser, and is thus s part of marinating fish and seafood dishes. However, it is such a strong agent that the timing of adding lime should be noted with care. If left long enough, the lime tends to cook the fish, turning it white. For this reason, the milder lemon is the far preferred choice. In its absence, lime is added - but as with curries cooked in coconut milk, this is added at the last possible moment with the fish just about to be cooked.

Lime in most curries however is a more personal choice than an absolute necessity. Lime in sambols and mallums on the other hand are absolutely necessary. The success of sambols and mallums lie on the generosity of the lime squeezed. While, too much lime again would make the side dish too sour for enjoyment, the lime component is essential to make the sambol or the mallum zesty and to highlight its freshness, which is the whole point of having the sambol or the mallum in a meal.