Sri Lankan Fish: How to Buy It, Cook It and Understand It

The fish markets of Sri Lanka open before dawn and they are among the most visually extraordinary places on the island. Negombo fish market on the west coast is the largest: a sprawling pre-dawn auction where the night's catch is sorted, weighed, and sold in a chaos of ice boxes, motorbikes, and men shouting prices across the floor. Arrive at 4am if you want to see it at full intensity. Bring a headlamp and do not wear shoes you care about.

Seer fish, locally called thora, is the fish that Sri Lankans use for the finest preparations. A firm, oily, flavourful fish that takes a marinade beautifully and grills without falling apart. Ask for it at any good fish stall and have it cut into steaks rather than fillets. Marinate with turmeric, chilli, lime juice, and salt for thirty minutes, then grill over high heat. Nothing complicated. Nothing needs to be.

Amberjack, red snapper, barracuda, yellow fin tuna and the extraordinary Malabar trevally are all caught in Sri Lankan waters and available at any coastal market. The tuna in Arugam Bay, bought directly from the boats that have been out overnight, is caught in the deep Indian Ocean and has a richness that is entirely different from farmed tuna anywhere.

Devilled fish is the Sri Lankan preparation that converts everyone who tries it: chunks of fish flash-fried with onion, tomato, green chilli, capsicum, soy sauce, and a heavy hand with the pepper. It is intense, immediate, and completely addictive. Every Sri Lankan restaurant does a version. The best versions are in restaurants with no printed menu where the cook decides what you need.