Street food is literally everywhere in Sri Lanka.
Mouthwatering and tempting, it is made from ingredients that are readily
available, affordable, and common, referred as hawker food as well (THINGS TO DO IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA).
Typical ingredients include spices, coconut, and the well-known Sri Lankan palm sugar (kithul treacle). Coconut is used in various for - from grated coconut to coconut milk, coconut oil, fresh sap (kithul sap), or even pol kallu (fermented sap, known as toddy).
Fresh local fish is a staple of Sri Lankan street food, especially for curries (FISH CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK). Common varieties include tuna, mackerel (balaya), sardines, and seer fish (thora). Tamarind (puli) is added to introduce a touch of sourness. These ingredients combine to create the sweet, sour, spicy, and creamy flavors that define Sri Lankan street food.