Market Tour and Traditional Sinhalese Cooking Class in Negombo | La Vacanza Travel

Market Tour and Traditional Sinhalese Cooking Class in Negombo

Duration: 4 hours
Destination: Sri Lanka, Western Province, Negombo
from
183.52

Check Availability

  • 4 hours
  • Negombo
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

Overview

Shasikala’s family runs a catering business specialized in traditional Sri Lankan, Sinhalese village, Jaffna style, and western cuisines. This is a family business run by her mother, aunt and uncle. 

Shasikala will welcome you into her family's simple, modest home with a warm smile. While you sip on milk tea or fresh juice, she will introduce you to the entire family. Her family has a wealth of knowledge on Sri Lankan food, local produce and cooking styles. Visit a nearby market to buy ingredients for your cooking class, then learn to cook three Sinhalese dishes and later sit down with the family to enjoy a meal you helped prepare.

This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine. Shasikala will welcome you into her family's simple, modest home with a warm smile. While you sip on milk tea or fresh juice, she will introduce you to the entire family. Her family has a wealth of knowledge on Sri Lankan food, local produce and cooking styles. You will take a tuk tuk to the nearby local market called Kirulapone. This market is where the locals shop for fruits, vegetables, spices, seafood and meat. Walk through the market taking in all the sounds, sights and smells. You may also taste a few fruits that are locally grown. Purchase a seasonal vegetable of your choice that you will later cook together during your cooking class.

Sample Menu

• Wambatu moju (eggplant) or green beans - or kiri kos (jackfruit cooked with coconut milk)
• Gotu kola, lotus root, or mallum (leafy vegetables) salad
• Ambul thiyal (tamarind clay pot fish) - or chicken curry cooked in coconut milk or crab curry made with roasted coconut & spices
• Ambarella curry or tender jackfruit curry
• Rice
• Buffalo yoghurt with treacle and local fruit or homemade dessert

Inclusions
  • Private market tour + cooking class + lunch or dinner with your host Shasikala
  • Non-alcoholic beverages
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Exclusions
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Fully refundable up to 48 hours prior to experience; since our hosts begin preparing for your experience up to 2 days in advance, we cannot offer a refund for cancellations made within 48 hours of the experience
  • Stroller accessible
  • Menu may vary depending on the season
  • If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
  • Shasikala can offer vegetarian, vegan and halal meals on request, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Near public transportation
  • Private, personalized experience
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Please note, this is not a commercial cooking class, rather this experience is a visit into a Negombo home to meet a local who is an expert cook, and share Sri Lankan culture and cuisine together
  • Minimum age is 18 years
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Departure Point

Kadirana, Negombo, Sri Lanka


Return Details

Returns to original departure point

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

4 hours


User's Reviews

Zuzanna_S

25 Jan, 2024

We had an amazing experience cooking with Shasi and her mum! They're both very kind, and both my mum and I agreed it was absolutely the best food we had in Sri Lanka. At the end Shasi also gave us some fresh herbs and ordered us tuk-tuk so we could be back home quickly and safely. Highly recommend!!!

225sheridanp

05 Jun, 2023

This was one of the absolute highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka! Shasikala was so friendly and kind, it was wonderful to be welcomed into her home. Both her and her mother showed us how to make a variety of Sri Lankan dishes which were all delicious. Their 3 friendly dogs were a bonus as well! Highly recommend.

Alexander_A

30 Mar, 2022

What an awesome experience! Shasi and her mother were so welcoming and fun. I did the class solo and as soon as they greeted me I immediately felt at ease. The market tour was very cool, I was able to buy some spices to take home. It was so incredible watching Shasi cook and learning the recipes- so many incredible dishes that were the tastiest I’ve had yet! I learned ways to modify the recipes for taste/health, tips and tricks that can only come from home style cooking. Also a great way to understand more about what it’s like to live in Sri Lanka, a great cultural as well as culinary experience. I would (and will) recommend to all my friends travelling in the area and would come back in a heartbeat!

ChristopherO169

20 Feb, 2022

We partook in the market tour, cooking experience, and meal with Shasikala. Both Shasikala and her mother couldn’t have been more welcoming and eager to share their food traditions and culture with us. The market tour was not rushed, and we had opportunities to purchase some spices and tea to take home as well. The market was very local (we were the only tourists) and a nice manageable size. Back at the house Shasikala and her mother demonstrated the techniques used to cook several Sri Lankan dishes, some of which were new to us as well. Shasikala was very helpful, and adjusted the menu to suit our preferences without issue. We were thrilled that we got to cook many of the great dishes we had enjoyed during our holiday. I highly recommend Shasikala’s cooking class to anyone who wants to learn to cook Sri Lankan home style food in an authentic setting from a host who is proud to share her food traditions with visitors.

SNarjala78

16 Jan, 2019

Our hosts, Kodi and Meena, were extremely warm and friendly and I immediately felt right at home with them. Kodi took us on a market tour and was extremely knowledgeable about the local produce. Meena is a wonderful cook and expertly demonstrated how to prepare several flavorful vegetarian dishes. Their home is a piece of history on a quiet lane in Galle - I believe it's a 300-year-old Dutch house. I enjoyed the setting of our meal tremendously as the dining table overlooked a sunny garden. The meal included a wide array of traditional Sri Lankan dishes, all simply prepared and full of flavor. Overall, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who might be considering it. I was won over by the cooking and the warmth of the hosts.

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Delicious food and good company

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