Dishes include rice and curry, whole meal Roti, wattalapam (a rich pudding of Malay origin made with coconut mils, jaggery, cashews, eggs, and spices including cinnamon and nutmeg), kottue, and appam. Jackfruit may sometimes replace rice. Traditionally food is served on a plantain leaf or platter. Middle Eastern influences and practices are found in traditional Moor dishes, while Dutch and Portuguese influences are found with the island’s Burgher community preserving their culture through traditional dishes such as lamprais (rice cooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf), breudher (Dutch holiday biscuit), and bolo fiado (Portuguese-style layer cake).
In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the Buddhist and Hindu new year festivals. Esala Perahera is a symbolic Buddhist festival consisting of dances and decorated elephants held in Kandy in July and August. Fire dances, whip dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances are integral parts of the festival.
