Kiribath : Dominates New Year Festival

By Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

In the culinary psyche of all races, a special dish is enthroned as their mass-delight, for all seasons. The favourite item may not necessarily be a five-star goodie, that could swoon elite gourmet foodies. But, on the other hand, it could very well be humble, homely, simple or just plain – like Sri Lanka’s milk rice - Kiribath - for instance.

According to what I hear, in folk America, it is deep-plate apple-pie.

In the United Kingdom, as far as I have learnt, the average Englishman is wowed by beef steak and Yorkshire pudding.

As for Korea, it is Kimchi-summer , autumn, winter and spring.

But, here in Sri Lanka, the ever-revered racial repast is, of course Kiribath - milk rice.

Fast on its heels comes the perennial favourite - the curd -and - treacle combination.

Dominant meal

Even if challenged by such a sweet offering, Kiribath ‘takes the cake’ - as the saying goes. It holds its own as the dominant meal in the Sri Lankan national cuisine.

Kiribath in the morning,

Kiribath for lunch,

Kiribath in the evening and Kiribath to dine on.

So goes the ringing refrain of the entrenched Kiribath rooter.

In this ancient land, over long centuries, Kiribath had won not only the common-folk but even the royalty.

Kiribath possesses profound spiritual connotations as well. The last meal taken by ascetic Siddhartha, prior to his attainment supreme Enlightenment- was milk rice.

This eternally significant meal of Kiribath , was offered by an elitist young woman that too, in a bowl of gold.

No auspicious event - domestic or public - is complete unless accompanied by Kiribath. When the Sri Lankan New Year comes round, Kiribath comes into its glorious best. Every household is ready to greet the New Year, invariably with this prime dish.

Long years ago, I viewed an ECB Wijesinghe drama, titled, “Well Mudliyar, How?” I still remember the snatches of a song, sung by the Mudliyar in this play. Its lines went somewhat like this:

“Very good Mister Kiribath Batavi hal.” (Meaning:’Mister, the milk rice, prepared with batavi rice, is very good). ‘Batavi hal’ was a variety of rice imported at that time from Batavia in Java-Indonesia. When I was a little child my mother too used this kind of rice, to make “milk rice” for us.

Piquancy

The keen piquancy of alluring Kiribath, is exhilaratingly enhanced by a whole series of intriguing site-dishes, hallowed by age-old folk-tradition.

Those added items move along a wide range. The text-book side-preparation for Kiribath, is, of course, Sambol, with a generous addition of Maldive fish to enliven its appeal. Its smart chillie flavour sharpens the built-in mildness of Kiribath transforming it into a lingering pungency.

Kiribath could be associated at times, with Seeni-Sambol, elevating it into a well-rounded meal.

Exotic touches

But, there are other exotic touches that could impart a peculiar appeal to your Kiribath dish. The culinary classic of the deep south “embulthiyal” - is foremost among those.

And, that is not all.

Kiribath has a whole retinue of taste-refiners.

When we were children, my mother used to fix a dried fish dish with liberal pinches of chilly and onion, to make us taste an unusually flavoured milk rice. Pickles too accompany Kiribath enticingly. If your taste-buds have a sweeter indications, you could try your Kiribath with a nugget of jaggery (rock candy).

The ever-present banana too offers an intimate companionship to your slice of Kiribath.

Diamond shape

This slice of Kiribath can be diamond-shaped or square. Its texture is brown or white, depending on the variety of rice that goes into its preparation. The compelling magic of Kiribath is that you never get tired of it. The tang, the taste and the allure of Kiribath never diminish, even with diurnal familiarity.

When the auspicious New Year table is laid, Kiribath occupies the centre-stage, resting usually, on a tender banana leaf, with a whole range of other items arrayed around it.

This Kiribath fixation is not restricted to the indigenous folk alone.

Exquisite taste

A former director of the German Cultural Centre in Colombo, once told me that among the best experiences he takes away from Sri Lanka, when he goes home after his duty-tenure, is the exquisite taste of Sri Lankan Kiribath .

The abiding taste of Kiribath never fades, though some ephemeral food-fads, may come and go.

The mystique of the taste of this humble repast - Kiribath - is just unfathomable.

A taste of Kiribath is a life-time treat to your taste-buds.

Every time your memory lovingly savours the flavour of Kiribath , your taste-buds, will begin to sing a little folk-song. In brief, Kiribath grips you. Kiribath, anyone?