Why do Sri Lankans love hoppers

Written by Dr Harold Gunatillake-Health editor

Why are there so many take away street hopper food outlets in Sri Lanka, much more than MacDonald’s and KFC’s in most other countries?

Once, I met a young Australian tourist in Colombo,  and when asked whether he was enjoying his holiday in paradise, he said, “I love that ‘hopper city’ in the holy village down South, the hoppers were fantastic nourishing treats at such low prices” When ask which part of the hopper he preferred. “Of course the crispy frills, he said, but the fleshy centre with a ‘bull’s-eye’ on top was delicious, but disastrous when the yellow half cooked yolk starts dribbling down the chin. There you are that was the impression of a foreign tourist eating hoppers for the first time.