The first week I was here, my friends and I participated in a cooking course. In short, we cooked for nearly three hours, and we were finished eating in about ten minutes. Granted, we did make 11 different dishes, each with its own unique line-up of ten or more ingredients. But, by the time we finished, our tongues were sweating both from the physical exertion of grinding coconuts and the sheer spice of mounds of chili powder. Few Sri Lankans bake, so cooking is active, and it happens by stirring a hot pot over a hot stove in hot and humid tropical weather. To be frank, I enjoy cooking, but I will never put as much effort into my dishes as my students' mothers, who wake every morning at four a.m. to prepare the day's meals for a family of six.
Sri Lanka is developing quickly, and as a result, people here do have access to foods that may not be in season or are imported from other countries, especially in big cities like Colombo. Nuwara Eliya, however, is smaller, and as a result, access to food is much more limited by the local environment. The Sunday Fair, or market, is one of my favorite events of the week, and it is teeming with colorful vegetables and ambling Sri Lankans stocking up on groceries for the week. Because Nuwara Eliya is an agricultural community, I have access that many of my friends who live in more arid or tropical climatesdo not. They have fruits, and I have veggies. Here, even though transportation is simple enough on a small island, freshness is a privilege. I may not have the greatest mangos, but avocado season is coming up, and Nuwara Eliya is known for its pitted green fruits! I am more than a little excited.
