Sri Lanka Wins ‘Best Food’ Award for the Third Consecutive Year at the Commonwealth Food Fair in Rome

Sri Lanka Wins ‘Best Food’ Award for the Third Consecutive Year at the Commonwealth Food Fair in Rome

The Sri Lankan food stall at the Commonwealth Food Fair in Rome. Photograph: Newswire.

Sri Lanka has secured first place in the ‘Best Food’ Award for the third consecutive year at the Commonwealth Food Fair in Rome, extending a successful record that has placed the country’s cuisine at the centre of an international gathering combining food, culture, diplomacy and cricket.

The event was held on 26 September 2026 at the Roma Cricket Ground alongside the Commonwealth Club Cricket Cup 2026, and was organised by the Commonwealth Club of Rome in collaboration with UISP Roma, under the patronage of the Italian Cricket Federation. Through the participation of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the occasion provided an established platform for Sri Lankan cuisine, cultural identity and tourism to be introduced to representatives of diplomatic missions, international organisations and cricket enthusiasts from several countries.

The result was particularly significant because it demonstrated how food can operate as a form of cultural diplomacy, creating an accessible point of connection between people who may otherwise encounter one another only through formal institutions. In Rome, familiar Sri Lankan flavours were presented alongside an international sporting programme, allowing the country’s culinary traditions to be experienced in an informal and welcoming setting.

A food stall shaped by familiar Sri Lankan flavours

The Sri Lankan stall, catered by Suresh Food & Drinks Restaurant in Rome, presented a selection of dishes representing several dimensions of the country’s food culture.

The menu included kottu, chicken fried rice, pol roti with seeni sambol, vegetable rolls, chicken patties and watalappan, accompanied by Ceylon Tea. The selection combined popular street-food and restaurant favourites with traditional home-style flavours, offering visitors a concise but varied introduction to Sri Lankan cooking.

Kottu, prepared through the rhythmic chopping of roti with vegetables, spices and other ingredients, is widely recognised as one of Sri Lanka’s most distinctive dishes. Pol roti and seeni sambol provided a coconut-based and sweetly spiced combination, while vegetable rolls and chicken patties added familiar savoury snacks to the display. Watalappan, a rich coconut custard traditionally flavoured with jaggery and spices, offered a suitably memorable dessert, while Ceylon Tea represented one of Sri Lanka’s most enduring international products.

The range was therefore more than a buffet selection. It presented different textures, preparation styles and culinary influences, while demonstrating the adaptability of Sri Lankan food in an international environment. For visitors unfamiliar with the cuisine, the stall offered an introduction through approachable dishes; for Sri Lankan attendees, it provided a recognisable taste of home in the historic setting of Rome.

AI-generated illustration of a Sri Lankan food stall presenting traditional dishes and a trophy at an international fair in Rome. The illustration is based on the event context reported by Newswire.

A three-year record at the Commonwealth Food Fair

Sri Lanka’s latest success forms part of a consistent record at the event.

Sri Lanka first participated in the Commonwealth Food Fair and cricket tournament in 2024, when the country won the Best Food Award and finished second in the cricket tournament. In 2025, the Sri Lankan team retained the food award and secured third place in cricket.

The 2026 result therefore represents a third consecutive food award, while the Sri Lankan Embassy Team again finished third in the cricket tournament. The team also received the ‘Best Team Jersey’ trophy, producing a second sporting and design-related achievement alongside the culinary award.

The award-winning jersey featured maroon and gold colours, incorporating the lion and lotus symbols together with landmarks of Rome. Its design brought together national imagery and the visual identity of the host city, creating a garment that reflected both Sri Lankan heritage and the international character of the competition.

The result also illustrated the breadth of the Sri Lankan participation. Food, sport, design, tourism and cultural presentation were not treated as separate activities; instead, they were combined within one public-facing event that enabled the Embassy and its partners to communicate several aspects of Sri Lanka at the same time.

Cricket as a meeting point for communities

Five teams participated in the cricket tournament this year. They represented the Embassies of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, United Nations agencies, the Commonwealth Club of Rome, and the Rome International–University of Cassino team.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Italy, Satya Rodrigo, highlighted the importance of cricket in bringing communities together and acknowledged the sport’s growing popularity in Italy. His comments, as reported by Newswire and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome, reflected the broader purpose of the event: cricket was used not merely as a competitive activity, but also as a practical means of encouraging contact between diplomatic missions, international organisations, educational institutions and local sporting communities.

That role is particularly relevant in countries where cricket has historically occupied a smaller place in the sporting landscape than football, cycling or athletics. Through events such as the Commonwealth Club Cricket Cup, the sport becomes an instrument for community participation and international exchange, while Sri Lankan involvement adds a strong cultural dimension to the proceedings.

The Sri Lankan team’s third-place finish, following its second-place result in 2024 and third-place result in 2025, complemented the Embassy’s continued success in the food competition. Together, the achievements demonstrated a sustained commitment to participation rather than a single isolated appearance.

AI-generated illustration of a maroon-and-gold cricket jersey and trophy incorporating Sri Lankan symbols and Rome-inspired details. The illustration is based on the event context reported by Newswire.

Food diplomacy with relevance for Sri Lankan communities abroad

For Sri Lankan communities in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and elsewhere, the recognition in Rome carries a familiar significance. Food remains one of the most effective ways in which heritage is shared across generations and introduced to friends, neighbours and colleagues from other backgrounds.

A plate of kottu, a serving of pol roti with seeni sambol or a cup of Ceylon Tea can communicate history and identity without requiring a formal presentation. These foods carry associations with family gatherings, markets, school events, religious celebrations and community functions, while also possessing the versatility to be presented in new settings.

Sri Lankan restaurants and caterers operating outside the island have consequently become important cultural ambassadors. Their work introduces international audiences to the distinctive use of coconut, spices, rice, roti, sambol and jaggery, while also demonstrating the professionalism and creativity of Sri Lankan food businesses abroad.

The Rome event further showed how such culinary introductions can be strengthened when they are linked to tourism and sporting traditions. A visitor attracted by the food stall may also encounter images of Sri Lanka’s landscapes, heritage sites and cultural symbols; a cricket participant may develop an interest in the country’s sporting history; and a diplomatic representative may gain a more direct understanding of Sri Lanka through the warmth of its hospitality.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome stated that initiatives of this nature help promote Sri Lankan cuisine, tourism, culture and sporting traditions while strengthening ties between Sri Lanka and Italy. The third consecutive Best Food Award offers a clear indication that this approach is producing sustained visibility.

Sri Lanka’s achievement in Rome is therefore both a culinary success and a constructive example of cultural diplomacy. Through a well-presented food stall, an engaging cricket tournament and a distinctive team jersey, Sri Lankan representatives were able to share the country’s identity with an international audience, while continuing a record that has grown stronger each year since 2024.

For readers who wish to explore Sri Lankan groceries, books and music, the eLanka Shop provides an additional online connection to products associated with Sri Lankan life and culture. eLanka also continues to share positive stories, community events and achievements through its newsletter service, helping Sri Lankan communities abroad remain connected to one another and to their heritage.

Source: https://www.newswire.lk/2026/10/08/sri-lanka-wins-best-food-award-for-third-consecutive-year-at-commonwealth-food-fair-in-italy/
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