Food fusion

Bhagya Senaratne

I am generally known as a ‘non-food’ person. I am not overly crazy over food. However, the tables turned by the time I was halfway through the day, at the

Cultural Food Festival at Wayamba University, Makandura. I was literally exhausted from tasting the numerous traditional food items that were prepared at the campus, by the participants from the various universities who took part in this wonderful event.

When my roommate, a lecturer from the Jaffna University, gave me a teaser on what food items they will be preparing for the Cultural Food Festival that day, I was practically bouncing on my feet to have the Festival going!

There was a variety of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese traditional food items available for us to taste. From kevum to pools, from dosai to aadikool to biriyani, we got to taste it all! It was a real feast!

Of course, while nibbling on the various sweetmeats and tasting the curries, there were some very interesting things I came across. I was to learn that some food items held special meanings, therefore consumed for special occasions; as was the case with aadikool. Made with palmyra juggery, green grams and coconut milk this semi-solid food (kool means semi-solid in Tamil) is prepared on the first of July annually in every Tamil persons’ house, in memory of the loved ones who have passed away.

Cultural difference

This semi-solid food is also prepared to pay respect to the Hindu gods.

The sequel to the ‘Beraya’ drum festival the previous night, the Cultural Food Festival organized by the Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries and Nutrition of the Wayamba University, was attended by undergraduates, lecturers, villagers; both young and old alike.

Organizing the event with the hope of providing the participants with an opportunity to understand and enjoy cultural difference through food, the Faculty staff and students did a splendid job as the hosts.

The entrance which was creatively made with designs incorporating the Muslim, Sinhala and the Tamil cultures was thought provoking as much as it was beautiful.

The kolam just beneath it was equally so. The punkalasa, along with the king coconut and bananas and the star and moon, could never have looked better together!

Getting back to the food - as it was the hot topic of the day - I can simply say it was delicious! Everyone was eager to taste the food which was prepared then and there with live demonstrations and served hot, hot.

The enthusiasm was such that the food would vanish as soon as it was laid off the fire; as was the case with the polos, the string hoppers and curry, the chicken biriyani and dodol to name a few.

The participants even had the wonderful opportunity to have a hands-on experience in preparing some of the food items. They tried to get the kondey - the top pinnacle-like part - of the kondey kevum just so or have the kokis looking a little less lopsided than it did. All in all, it was a fun learning experience!

Opportunity to interact

Funded by a project under FLICT, the event was mainly organized to promote reconciliation among post-conflict communities. Expressing his views on the project Dr Wijeya Jayathilake stated “this is the second time we are funding this project.

Last time it was organized at a much smaller scale. This time I urged the Faculty to organize it at a larger scale, for better results.” Due to the minimal interaction among the staff and students within the university, the Faculty decided that organizing an event like this would help improve the situation.

This, they say is the inspiration for this event. Shalika, an undergraduate of the Faculty stated that “event of this nature are a wonderful opportunity to interact.”

Kumari Rathnayaka a member of the Faculty stated that they are hoping to continue this program in the future.

The Coordinator of this program Dhanesh Liyanage said “hopefully other universities will follow our example and follow suit, with events such as this.”