Top 10 local foods to try in Maldives

Paradise islands of Maldives are well-known tourist destinations. Indeed, the archipelago is considered to be a top-notch vocational resort worldwide. Most people visit the country to spend their vacation at the pristine beaches of Maldives, leaving behind all the stress of busy life. There are many reasons to travel to Maldives other than visiting beaches. One even can be Maldives food culture. Yes, you saw it right. The republic boasts of Maldives food culture as it is unique in many ways. To better understand it, we need to investigate its cuisine by tasting as many local foods as possible.

As you already know, we can not simply walk to other countries in most cases. Depending on the person’s nationality, he or she might need to hold a Maldives visa to enter the country. You might need professional help to get a Maldives visa, and this is where Pickvisa kicks in. Pickvisa offers the best visa services most conveniently. Anyone can take advantage of our services, simply clicking on the services section at the top of your screen.

Maldivian cuisine is the gateway to Maldivian life. It carries a message about the history and culture of Maldives. You might wonder about the local foods in the Maldives and thus ask what kind of food is eaten in the Maldives. It is best characterized by the extensive use of coconuts, starches, and of course, seafood. When investigating the cuisine of Maldives you will find it difficult to overlook Indian influence. Indeed, Maldivian and Indian cuisines show some similarities. To better understand what kind of food is eaten in the Maldives, we need to look at different types of traditional food in Maldives. Luckily, we will talk about the best local foods in the Maldives for this article. Let’s cut to the chase and have a look at these foods.

Garudhiya

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To start, we have Gaurdhuta on our list. Garudhiya is a fish soup that is a traditional food in Maldives. What are the ingredients, you might ask? The basic ingredients are fresh fish, lime, rice, chili, and onions. The soup is creamy and very healthy. However, it can be a little bit fragrant. The fish that are used in the cooking of soups are fresh Tunas. They are sliced in the shape of a cube and mixed with other ingredients such as garlic, onion, rice, lime, chili, etc.

Saagu bondibai

Saagu bondibai is one of the jewels of Maldivian cuisine. It is a pudding commonly known as Sago pudding. The main ingredient here is Sago. What is Sago? It is a starch made out of various tropical palm stems by extracting these plants' spongy center, or pith. Other ingredients are also used in the making of Sago pudding, and they are mostly coconut milk, cardamom, rose, etc. Saagu bondibai is very popular among Maldivians and easily found in local restaurants. This food price in Maldives is reasonable as well.

Mas Huni

Since the Maldiv archipelago is blessed with plenty of fish resources, it is only natural for the seafood to hold a huge part of the Maldivian diet. Tuna is one of the most loved seafood products among Maldivians. Mas Huni is a breakfast food made of smoked and shredded tuna. Shredded tuna is blended with coconut, onion, and chili and served with tortilla-like flatbread chapati. In some places in the Maldives, it is made with boiled butternut squash or pumpkin. Overall it is one of the best local foods in the Maldives and is also a must-try dish if you are visiting the country.

Bis Keemiyaa

This crusty pastry is made of cabbages, tuna, and eggs. It is practical and easy to make, yet delicious. It has a crispy texture which makes it more enjoyable. This dish is popular in the Maldives and countries like India, Pakistan, Indonesia, etc. It is a versatile dish meaning that you can add or remove some of the ingredients depending on the taste. Some people prefer spicy vegetables when cooking Bis Keemiya. Furthermore, you can bake it or deep fry it. You can mix it with a sauce as well. It is available in almost every corner of Maldives. Street vendors sell Bis Keemiya as well.

Boshi Mashuni

Boshi Mashuni might come as an extraordinary dish as it is a mixture of salad and salsa. What is most interesting about Boshi Mashuni is that it is made out of banana flowers. This healthy food is made with various vegetables such as coconut, chilies, lime, onion, curry leaves, turmeric, and cumin, blended all together. The dish has a savory aftertaste. If you are a vegetarian, you will love Boshi Mashuni. By the way, the chile used for the meal is Maldivian chile which has a distinct taste and is hot enough to make you cry.

Rihaakuru

Rihaakuru is a fish sauce that requires several procedures to be done precisely. Nevertheless, it is one of the most found sauces around the country. To have a final product of Rihaakuru, tuna should be processed. You should boil tuna with saltwater to lose the scraps of the fish. Then you need to take fish and leave the water to evaporate. Once it is evaporated, a dark red paste will be left, and that will be your Rihaakuru. Rihakuuru is eaten with rice or flatbread, or Huni roshi, a coconut bread.

Maldivian Kulhimas

Kulhiminas, or in another name, chili tuna is a traditional meal in the Maldives. The meal has a broad range of ingredients blended to make a final meal. What are they? Well, the main ingredient is tuna fish. Onion, coconut, peppers, cardamom, garlic are the ingredients that create spicy flavor. Cumin and red chili powder help the dish maintain its color and flavor. Most of the time, Kulhiminas are served with roshi, a typical Maldivian flatbread. Overall, it is a delicious and healthy alternative to some fast foods.

Maldivian fish curry

We have already included several seafood meals. However, in most of them, the main fish was tuna. In this case, apart from tuna, it can also be made with swordfish. This mouthwatering soup is popular among Maldivians and tourists. It has a delicious, spicy aftertaste thanks to excessive vegetables such as onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, hot peppers, coconut oil, cumin, fennel, coconut milk, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, turmeric, etc.

Gulha

It is made of coconut, rice, tuna, and onions within a dumpling shape. Maldivians eat gulha as snack. You can find these snacks at street vendors, and restaurants. It is easy and faster to cook. It has a crunchy texture but a smooth aftertaste. Furthermore, the inside of the Gulha is soft and easy to swallow. Maldivians love to consume Gulha while having tea or coffee.

Dhonkeyo Kajuru

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I saved sweet Dhonkeyo Kajuru to the last for those with sweet teeth. It is a cake, a dessert made with the banana fritter. In some places, you can find another version of the cake made with coconut. This cake goes best with hot beverages like tea or coffee. You might get sick of seafood and have cravings for sweets. Dhonkeyokajuru will help you to suppress this craving for sweets.

How expensive is Maldives food?

As a tourist that does not know much about the country, you might ask how expensive is Maldives food. The archipelago of Maldives is a busy tourist destination. Therefore, prices are relatively high if you compare them near countries like India, Sri Lanka, etc. Nevertheless, they are reasonable, nothing crazy. Food price in Maldives can vary greatly depending on different factors such as restaurant, location, season, etc. 50 USD will be enough to keep you full for a day in most cases.

To wrap up this article, we can tell that there is no need to advertise the Maldives as the world already knows its fame. Tourists travel to Maldives for a variety of reasons. Some include going sightseeing, hiking, soaking up sunlight at a beach, enjoying wildlife, etc. The cuisine of Maldives is famous for its unique structure and meals. It has taken many features of Indian cuisine and other cuisines. The mixture of these cuisines creates a rich food culture in the country. Whether you want to travel to the Maldives to get away from it all or taste its delicious foods, there are certain things that you should be aware of. One can be your visa if you are from a visa-required country. If so, you can get your visa easily using our services.