Comparison of Sri Lankan and German cuisine
Food is the fundamental material of a human’s life. It provides us with the nutrition necessary for our daily body functions. Moreover it plays a huge role in people’s social life. It can bring people together for occasions such as a dinner or a lunch date, holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Although it is fundamental to everyone there is a big difference between food cultures all around the world. Every country, even every region within a country has its own delicacies. On a broader scale in can be said that Asian food consists of lots of rice, vegetables and a variety of spices. There are 6 times as many vegetables in Asian countries as there are present in the western countries. Therefore Asians are regarded to be of plant character. In the western culture it is in the man’s nature to hunt and fish therefore the diet of westerners consist of more meat than in other parts of the world, so in contrast to the Asian culture western culture is regarded to be of animal character. Another role in the differences in food cultures is religion. Different religions have rules on what animals are forbidden to eat or what kind of method of slaughter to use. In the following the difference between food in Sri Lanka and Germany is going to be explored in greater detail.
Sri Lanka is a small island to the south of India on the Asian continent. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and has a coast line of only 1340 kilometers which indicates how small of a country it is. The cuisine in the hilly part of the country was greatly influenced by the Dutch and the Portuguese. These influences mainly exist because of colonists and foreign traders. The country was also influenced by the British and Indian. The high consumption of rice in Sri Lanka originated from the fact that the country was an agriculture society in which everyone, no matter the social rank, grew rice. Along with the high consumption of rice comes the large variation of spices. Along the coastline of the country one will find various spice plantations and a large growth of coconuts. Hence a typical Sri Lankan meal is based on rice, coconut milk and a variety of spices.
In comparison to the Sri Lankan origin of food, the German society has established its own food culture. Germany was primarily involved with crop and cattle farming so that lots of different meats can be found in society’s diet, pork being a national’s favorite. Other meat that is consumed in high quantities is beef, chicken and turkey. There is also a high consumption of fish especially in the northern part of Germany due to the connection to the Baltic Sea and North Sea. After World War 2 a lot of foreign dishes, such as Italian, were integrated into the German cuisine because of foreign workers. After the war Germany was also divided into East and West Germany whereby the cuisine in the East was strongly influenced by countries such as Hungary, Russia and other eastern European countries. This topic will be discussed more in detail later on.
In comparison to the Sri Lankan origin of food, the German society has established its own food culture. Germany was primarily involved with crop and cattle farming so that lots of different meats can be found in society’s diet, pork being a national’s favorite. Other meat that is consumed in high quantities is beef, chicken and turkey. There is also a high consumption of fish especially in the northern part of Germany due to the connection to the Baltic Sea and North Sea. After World War 2 a lot of foreign dishes, such as Italian, were integrated into the German cuisine because of foreign workers. After the war Germany was also divided into East and West Germany whereby the cuisine in the East was strongly influenced by countries such as Hungary, Russia and other eastern European countries. This topic will be discussed more in detail later on.
First off breakfast is an essential part of the day in Germany. On weekends friends can be invited to it and it will be expanded to a brunch. A typical breakfast in Germany consists of bread, bread rolls or croissants. Bread comes in all varieties from white bread and bread rolls to rye, whole wheat, sesame, poppy seed, cheese and other kinds. There is lots of different things to put on the bread in the morning. The most common is to eat it with jam, honey or Nutella. Nutella is probably one of the most consumed breakfast spreads. It is a hazelnut chocolate cream and tastes great with a cup of hot chocolate. If one isn’t so much about the sweats in the morning one will eat the bread with lunch meats or cheese. A breakfast specialty that has its origin in Hamburg, Germany is the “Franzbroetchen”. It is somewhat of a sweet pastry baked with cinnamon and butter but not deep fried. As far as beverages in the morning it is common to drink coffee, tea or hot chocolate. A German lunch typically consists of dishes involving a type of meat along with side dishes such as potatoes, rice, dumplings or noodles. It is common in Germany to eat the main meal of the day during lunch time. Since the main meal of the day is eaten for lunch a typical dinner will consist of again bread with a variety of cheese, sausages and other dinner spreads such as liver-sausage spread etc. A lot of the time vegetables will be cut and served with different dips along with the sandwiches. In comparison to German cuisine Sri Lankan breakfast dishes are usually made from rice flour. Hoppers are the Sri Lankan version of pancakes. They are made from a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk and a dash of palm toddy. They’re crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. It is eaten with curry while it is still steaming hot. There are many different types of hoppers such as plain hoppers, egg hoppers, milk hoppers, and sweeter varieties of hoppers. In comparison to the sweet pancakes eaten in Germany hoppers have a sour taste to them. Other dishes served for breakfast are string hoppers which are fresh rice noodles, roti which is coconut flat bread. These dishes are served with a mixture of vegetables and hot peppers, and again different types of curry. These same dishes will most likely be served for dinner in Sri Lanka because similar to Germany the main meal of the day is eaten during lunch time. The main dishes for lunch will usually consist of a large serving of rice and a curry with it. Curry is not to be confused with the spice called curry one knows from India. Curries in Sri Lanka are spicy side dishes which consist of vegetables, coconut milk, variable spices and fish or meat. These curries are said to be the spiciest dishes to be found in the world, even spicier then the South Indian cuisine. For a German tourist this level of spiciness would be considered excessive but the Sri Lankan people are used to it. Due to the number of tourists in Sri Lanka a few of the restaurants have adopted low-spiced traditional dishes into their menu so that tourists will be able to have a taste of the traditional food as well. Moreover the country is known for their variety of tropical fruits and their tea. They are one of the largest producers of tea which explains that tea is the main drink served in Sri Lanka.
There is not only a difference in the food served but also differences in eating habits. The main difference between German and Sri Lankan food culture is eating with cutlery. Sri Lankans do not use cutlery to eat their food but instead use their fingers. While rolling little balls of rice and curry together the food is not allowed to work its way above the knuckles or onto the palm of the hand. Also one is only allowed to use the right hand as the left hand is used trips to the bathroom. Licking ones fingers after or during the meal is not allowed and considered dirty as well as touching food that others might eat. In addition to eating with your fingers it is appropriate to leave a little bit of food on the plate as an indicator of being full. If all the food on the plate is eaten it is most likely that one will get another serving. In Germany it is considered impolite to leave food on a plate as one is only supposed to put as much food on the plate as can be eaten. This attitude most likely arose after the war when the food supply was very scarce and people were starving. Another difference between the German and Sri Lankan dining etiquette is that if invited to someone’s house to eat most of the socializing in Sri Lanka is done before dinner and you’re expected to leave within 30 minutes after the meal is eaten whereas in Germany most of the socializing is done after dinner. What both countries have in common when it comes to eating habits is that the whole family sits together to eat the main meal of the day.
Eating out in Sri Lanka is a rare thing just as it is in Germany. People mostly go out to eat for special occasions such as birthday’s or holidays. It is not a common way to get food as it is in countries such as the United States in which people skip the home-cooking part and use going out to eat as a regular way of feeding themselves.
Although a lot of differences have just been discussed above the biggest difference between the two countries is the usage of alcohol. The legal drinking age in Sri Lanka is 21. In Germany one is allowed to purchase wine and beer at the age of 16 and liquor at the age of 18. Also advertising of alcohol is prohibited in Sri Lanka as well is consumption of alcohol in public. This is the complete opposite in Germany. Different alcoholic beverages are widely advertised and the consumption of alcohol in public is open to anyone who feels like it. Drinking is a big part of German culture. With over 1300 breweries and 5000 different brands Germany has the highest density of breweries in the world. Beer is one of the most consumed drinks in Germany followed by a large variety of different red and white wines as well as champagne. The national drink in Germany is clearly beer. In Sri Lanka one will find a variety of imported as well as locally produced beers. Sri Lankan’s favorite and national drinks are Toddy and Arrack. Toddy is a wine made out of different palm trees and Array is a fermented and refined version of Toddy turning it into a kind of liquor.
Although a lot of differences have just been discussed above the biggest difference between the two countries is the usage of alcohol. The legal drinking age in Sri Lanka is 21. In Germany one is allowed to purchase wine and beer at the age of 16 and liquor at the age of 18. Also advertising of alcohol is prohibited in Sri Lanka as well is consumption of alcohol in public. This is the complete opposite in Germany. Different alcoholic beverages are widely advertised and the consumption of alcohol in public is open to anyone who feels like it. Drinking is a big part of German culture. With over 1300 breweries and 5000 different brands Germany has the highest density of breweries in the world. Beer is one of the most consumed drinks in Germany followed by a large variety of different red and white wines as well as champagne. The national drink in Germany is clearly beer. In Sri Lanka one will find a variety of imported as well as locally produced beers. Sri Lankan’s favorite and national drinks are Toddy and Arrack. Toddy is a wine made out of different palm trees and Array is a fermented and refined version of Toddy turning it into a kind of liquor.
There are also international fast food chains in Sri Lanka which are mainly Mc Donald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC. As far as international cuisine in Sri Lanka a lot of Indian cuisine can be found along with a lot of other South Asian restaurants. Germany’s fast food chains in Germany include Mc Donald’s, Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King etc. The most popular fast food in Germany though is Doener. Doener is a Turkish fast food which is flatbread cut open filled with different types of chopped lettuce, onion, cabbage etc. Usually one will have a choice of lamb or chicken meat to put in it along with a delicious garlic sauce. There are also lots of Chinese, Greek and Italian restaurants to be found in Germany.
To sum it all up there is a lot of differences in the cuisine, eating habits and the use of alcohol between Germany and Sri Lanka. As far as cuisine goes Sri Lankan people love their curries and rice whereas Germans love their meat and rich foods. Being German myself I have a hard time eating spicy food because I never grew up with any spices in my diet. I personally would love to travel to Sri Lanka to experience their way of eating because eating with ones fingers is said to be the most delicious way to eat food. From talking to Sri Lankan students I got the impression that both, German and Sri Lankan, people are very passionate about their food and it is an essential part of their culture.
Works Cited
· "Sri Lanka Food, Food of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Cuisine." Sri Lanka Travel. Saarc Tourism. Web. http://sri-lanka.saarctourism.org/sri-lanka-food.html
· "Sri Lankan Cuisine." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_cuisine
· "Sri Lanka - Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette." Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. Web. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/srilanka.html
· "What Are The Major Influences Of German Cuisine?" Ask Questions, Get Free Answers - Blurtit. Web.
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