The Delights of Roadside Stalls in Sri Lanka

Roadside pineapple stall

One of the pleasures of driving around Sri Lanka is to stop at one of the many roadside stalls and shops selling local fresh fruit. Banana, papaya, mango, pineapple, avocado, wood apple, and rambutan are just some of the fruit that can be seen and purchased. 

To quench the thirst king coconut juice still in the husk can be found on sale at roadside stalls everywhere in Sri Lanka.

Roadside pineapple stall

On my recent group tour of Sri Lanka our minibus stopped at several roadside stalls. 

The first stop was a pineapple stall in Imbulgoda along a countryside road near Kandy, where freshly cut golden pineapples from the field were displayed for sale. The stall owner cut up several for each of us to taste. Depending on the size of the pineapples, the prices went up from 20 rupee. The locals call pineapples annasi, and are a popular ingredient in Sri Lankan cuisine. 

Roadside cashew shop

The next stop was at a roadside shop to buy cashews grown in the local area. Several of our group bought bags of them to either eat on the journey or to bring home to Australia for presents for family and friends.

Freshness is assured as the fruit and nuts are mostly sold locally in the areas where they are grown.