Discover the artistry of Nguyen Huu Qua, a master of Dong Ho folk painting.
When you travel, once in a while you have to make some compromises in your travel plans if you are to have some special experiences. While this one is all about tracing the story of ‘Curd’ which is the king of Sri Lankan desserts, it requires an early start as you need to compromise on your sleep and also ditch the hotel breakfast. This is a raw and authentic experience where we go a bit further in search of the whole process on how it comes from the buffalo to your dessert cup. Since the process starts from milking the buffalos, we need to be at the farmer’s house early in the morning when it happens because nothing is staged here just for you. So, you probably get the idea already that this special experience is not for the lazy or faint hearted but only for the real explorers!
The milking process in itself is a laborious job but for our host it’s just a walk in the park as it is a technique passed down from generation to generation.
Next the milk is taken to a wooden shed at the back of the house where a massive cauldron is warmed above a roaring wood fire. Then it’s time to shake things up with a sturdy wooden staff. After constant heat and constant stirring, the milk starts to bubble and boil, which is our welcome cue to remove it from the heat.
The curd is then poured into a mini-army of small earthenware pots, which are placed on a table in the front room beneath an exposed light bulb and protected by mosquito nets. The farmer carefully injects each pot with a small amount of curd (culture) from the previous batch to aid in the fermentation process. Nothing else has been added. The curd is left to cool for about six hours. It’s packed in the evening and ready to go out first thing in the morning.
Our next stop is at the village potter’s house where you will get a glimpse of how clay pots (for curd) as well as other clay products are made. What’s interesting is that it’s still a lot labor intensive and depends a lot on the art and skills of the potter while only few machinery is used in the whole process.
Last but not the least, you will visit another local house for a delicious traditional breakfast which will more than compensate for the hotel breakfast you ditched. With a spread of traditional Sri Lankan breakfast food such as milk rice, roti or hoppers it’s hard for things to go wrong. Last but not the least, you will get to try the star of the day – Curd, with its partner in crime, glossy Kithul treacle. At the end you will realize that this morning was not just a village tour but a tribute to this legendary dessert.
For more information on how to incorporate this experience in our itineraries, please get in touch with us on sales.srilanka@khiri.com