Pre-Colonial Food Culture in Sri Lanka: A Brief Introduction

 

Fun Fact Corner: Countries, Clichés & Conundrums.

*Includes hyperlinks (text highlighted in blue) to music and videos

Do you find the meme on the left amusing? Flattering? Or offensive? It reads 'Roses are red, violets are blue. There’s always an Asian better than you'. Now, I do feel partially flattered although this is clearly a stereotype. It’s subjective really, because you, unlike me, may feel offended. There is no escape from stereotypes. From gender, to beauty and even in the spheres of academia, stereotypes have made their mark. Listed below are four stereotypes of countries that I personally found amusing and hope you do too. If you know any other countries and cliché’s, don’t forget to share them down in the comments!

Since we are delving into the murky waters of stereotypes, why not submerge ourselves completely with some cliché music to go along with the countries! Feel free to play the suggested music as we journey into the territory of countries and clichés.

·         India

Music

Well, India and its people have many stereotypes. For us Sri Lankans, India is equated with Bollywood, and never ending teledrama serials. There are stereotypes of their accents, nastier ones about their hygiene (the Yamuna river says hello), that all Indians are IT experts, Indians are good in Yoga, the scam callers, and the poverty factor (thank you Slumdog Millionaire). Oh, there’s more about how Indians are expert snake charmers (although it is apparently illegal in India). Then there is The Curry Factor. The stereotype I have heard the most when referring to India. India bears the stereotype of being the land of curry, especially of butter chicken. The Curry Factor is not simply associated with India’s cuisine, but the stereotype extends to claim that Indian's also smell of curry! I recall watching MasterChef Australia and America, and I must say, if I was not this closely located to India, I would take comfort in the fact of ‘knowing’ that India is the land of curry. It is almost as if India and Indians only make and consume curry. Interestingly, an article addresses this stereotype sharing that the term ‘’curry’’ has become synonymous to foreigners as anything that contains gravy. The reality according to some very disgruntled Indians is that every region in India has its own style of cooking, some not even spicy like Kerala’s affinity with coconut and Kolkata’s love for seafood, or naan and tandoor for the Northerners. Curry just won the globe’s hearts!

·         Australia

Music 

Also known as the 'Land Down Under', Australia has a reputation for housing creatures that you can only conjure in your nightmares. Imagine my heartbreak when I discovered that Australians don’t surf all the time. Then there’s the excessive use of the term ‘’mate’’, which is apparently not really an exaggeration according to most Australians. Aussie stereotypes also dance around Aussie slang, a vocabulary of its own. Billy for example is not a goat, a child or a singer for that matter, but a teapot! Chook is a chicken and don’t be offended if someone says you’re 'gnarly' in Australia, because that means ‘awesome’! In the midst of all this, the stereotype that tickles me pink is The Roo. The national animal of Australia. The strange hybrid bunny-dinosaur (have you seen those tiny arms like that of a T-Rex). This stereotype doesn’t stop at the belief that Kangaroo’s wander about Australia casually but also that Australians ride Kangaroos. Yes. You read that right. There exist people on this earth who genuinely believe this to be Australia’s reality! They believe that Kangaroos are akin to substitute cars in Australia, generously providing office and school transport. Sadly, there are no Kangaroo stops anywhere on the island and Kangaroo’s do not prowl about the city leisurely. However, this video of a man punching a Kangaroo to save his dog, might just tickle your senses.

·         England

Music 

Will I rage against the Crown for England's dark past of colonialism? It is high time they returned the  artefacts of a number of colonies. Oh there are certain stereotypes and memes that tackle this rather dark topic. Perhaps that could be a topic for another day, wherein I can rally about me others who feel strongly about this topic. Now then, let us keep that grim thought on hold and move onto other lighter English stereotypes. England is seen as the honorary ambassadors of the English language, with American English being their inferior. The British accent is hailed by some for being ‘posh’. For me though, personally, it’s English food that has become a stereotype, especially the English breakfast that you would even find in certain hotels in Sri Lanka. I myself was always excited to try this full English breakfast, and for the longest time, associated England with food. I suppose reading Enid Blyton as a child had a significant role in the creation of this stereotype for me. Oh who wouldn’t enjoy a full English breakfast of fried eggs, buttered toast with marmalade, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes and orange juice? At tea-time, there would be sandwiches, biscuits, cake, scones with jam … and tea. Ah. The Tea Factor. The winner. English breakfast is second to this stereotype. The Tea Factor is the stereotype that sits at the top of the ladder. You cannot talk of England without any reference to a good ol’ cuppa. The stereotype has extended itself to hilarious memes that demonstrate how tea is a vital part of almost every aspect of British life. Some British people say that the brand of your tea is not an issue so feel free to take your own packs of Lipton or Dilma tea if you do visit the England.
We Sri Lankans pride ourselves in our tea after all, coincidentally a habit we picked from the Brits! England's tea factor gets interesting because I kid you not. There is one concern that can cause a ripple when it comes to tea. This, is the debate that has yet to reach a satisfactory verdict. This is the debate on the accurate order of pouring tea or milk first. There are videos debating which order is the right one and has become the root of fiery exchanges online. First world problems and all.

·         Sri Lanka

Music 

As insiders, we Sri Lankans know that we have our own local stereotypes. Mudalali’s for example must have a protruding stomach and the Maliban assorted gift box is for visiting purposes. We know that a wedding in Sri Lanka is not complete until the uncles take over the dance floor and flex their iconic moves. We have stock relatives (watch out for the Aunty who always inquires worriedly after your skin shade and bachelor state), and then, we also have the infamous head wobble which is an indication of the grey zone, also known as yes and no. I recall how a YouTuber named Jehanr gained massive popularity in Sri Lanka in 2013 for his videos describing Sri Lankan mothers, fathers, remedies, and ways of speaking. The Sri Lankans at the time of the videos’ release, were shocked and delighted to discover that most families shared uncanny similarities and ways of talking! The video connected Sri Lankan’s scattered all over the world in this shared similarity and moment of hilarity.

On the other hand, to explore what foreigners claim about us was interesting and was an eye opener to the entire topic of countries and stereotypes. Being a Sri Lankan myself, I am only sharing the stereotype I constantly came across in my research for the purpose of this article. The stereotype I’m about to disclose is based on what has been told by many visitors to the island, and that is that we are a very hospitable and friendly bunch! The land of smiles, one tourist describes while another claims that we treat people like family on Quora Digest, flattering my ego. There were also mentions of our love for rice and curry, safe to say, a true claim. The other common stereotype I stumbled upon is that we Sri Lankans can bear spiciness, much to the alarm of some foreigners. Well, if we can bear the rays of the sun, it goes without saying that spice has nothing against our armour like senses!

At the end of the day, stereotypes can be taken with a grain of salt and you could even get a kick out of them as I hope I achieved from my selection of countries and clichés. These stereotypes are not meant to offend and are even accurate to an extent. As the saying goes, there is no smoke without a fire. However, certain stereotypes can create conundrums and so, we should aim to be mindful in the usage of certain stereotypes that aim to scorn a certain group of people, their culture and ethnicity. These are the Condescending Clichés as I call them. It is tricky business, but the line between humour and insults lies on a razor blade and it will not hurt to stay on the safe side qui?

-Nipuni Halkavidane