Maldives Food and Drink Guide: Wetin You Go Chop and Drink

Cuisine Wey Build on Tuna and Coconut

Maldivian food, wey dem call Dhivehi cuisine, dey rest on three pillars: tuna, coconut, and starch (rice or breadfruit). Centuries of trade with India, Sri Lanka and Arabia add chilli, curry leaves and aromatic spice. Wetin you go get na bold, smoky and surprisingly hot food.

Signature Dishes You Must Try

• Garudhiya - clear, fragrant tuna broth, di national dish. Dem dey chop am over rice with lime, chilli and raw onion.
• Mas huni - shredded smoked tuna wey dem mix with grated coconut, onion, chilli and lime. Di classic breakfast, scoop with roshi (flatbread).
• Rihaakuru - thick, salty brown tuna paste wey dem chop with rice and vegetables; e be acquired taste but plenty people love am.
• Fihunu mas - grilled reef fish wey dem rub with chilli paste.
• Bis keemiya - samosa-like pastry wey dem fill with cabbage, egg and onion.

Short Eats and Hedhikaa

Teahouses dey serve hedhikaa, spread of small savoury and sweet snacks wey dem call short eats. Look for gulha (fried dough balls wey dem stuff with tuna), bajiya, masroshi and kulhi boakibaa (dense spiced fish cake). Most cost only small rufiyaa each for local cafes.

Drinks

• Sai - strong, sweet black tea, di social glue of di islands.
• Raa - fresh toddy wey dem tap from palm crowns, mildly sweet when fresh.
• Kurumba - fresh young coconut water, dem dey sell am everywhere.
• Mango, watermelon and passion-fruit juices dey plenty.

Note: Maldives na Muslim country and alcohol dey ban for inhabited local islands. Alcohol na only for resort islands and small licensed liveaboards and hotels, where price dey high.

Practical Dining Tips and Etiquette

• For local islands, meals dey modest and cheap. Teahouse plate of short eats with tea often cost under 100 rufiyaa.
• Plenty Maldivians dey chop with di right hand; if you use left hand pass food, dem go consider am rude.
• During Ramadan, daytime eating dey restricted for local islands and plenty cafes dey close till sundown.
• Tap water no reliable; drink bottled or filtered water.
• Resorts dey run pricey buffets and themed nights, so local-island stay na di cheapest way to chop authentic food.

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