In Sri Lanka, we checked out Keells and filled our basket with local foods we’d indulged in throughout our trip as well as must-have items for authentic Sri Lanka cuisine.

Keells is one of Sri Lanka’s leading supermarket chains with over 130 stores nationwide, sourcing fresh produce and prioritising local sourcing.

Essential items in our basket included red rice, yellow rice curry mix, and cinnamon sticks. Dahl (and fried dhal, as a treat), chilli powder for some heat, and fennel seeds for the typical saunf-mishri post-dinner refresher. Sri Lanka is well-known for its vast tea plantations, so we picked up some Dilmah Ceylon variety. Other essential items included rice flour and eggs—perfect for making the iconic Sri Lankan hoppers, incense sticks for warding off mosquitoes, Revello chocolate made in Sri Lanka, and of course, fruit, fruit, fruit—coconut used for everything from pol roti to pol sambol, bananas, and papaya. 

What are your favourite foods to check out in Sri Lanka?