Sri Lankan cuisine is both rich and varied and offers a peek into the culinary culture that underpins the food.
In Malaysia, Sri Lankan food is typically representative of Sri Lankan Tamils, who form the large majority of Ceylonese people who migrated to Malaysia between the 1880s and 1940s and whose lineage now continues through their descendants.
Most Sri Lankan Tamils in Malaysia originate from Jaffna and were drawn to Malaya in a bid to expand their economic opportunities. According to an article in sangam.org, a 1931 census showed over 18,000 Sri Lankan migrants in then-Malaya, with these numbers growing to 22,000 after the culmination of World War II.
As the population swelled in Malaysia, so too did the expansion of the community’s culinary culture, although the cuisine remained mostly confined to home kitchens as opposed to commercial establishments.
In recent years, Kuala Lumpur restaurants like Aliyaa, Yarl, Ceylon Flavours and Ceylon House have increasingly provided more representation for the community, as well as a glimpse into the food that is sacrosanct to many Sri Lankans.
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