These shrimp noodle lentil fritters are popular throughout Sri Lanka and manage to bring together locals of different ethnicities, religions and classes.
As a train pulled into the Peradenia junction station in central Sri Lanka, the man sitting across from me jumped out of his seat, leaned out of the window, put his thumb and index finger in his mouth, and whistled loudly. Soon, a vegetable seller appeared outside, took a basket from the top of his head, and handed it to the passengers. The man quickly pulled out a piece of fragrant fritters and a small packet of fiery three treasures, left the money, and then handed the basket to the other hungry passengers, who did the same, and then returned the basket to the seller through the window.
As the train set off, everyone returned to their seats, contentedly munching on something I later learned: a lentil pie topped with fresh shrimp and then fried to create one of the tastiest street foods you could find on an island.
Isso (prawn) vade (pattie) is popular throughout Sri Lanka, and their popularity may be attributed to their very familiar and simple ingredients: lentils and shrimp, as well as onions and curry leaves. Drizzled with spicy triple gems – made from chopped onions, tomatoes, green peppers and lime juice – and chili sauce for added impact, each churros perfectly balances the crispy texture, rich aroma and spicy flavour. With prices ranging from 50 to 70 rupees (4.3 to 6 yuan) each, they are a cheap, delicious food for the masses.
The most famous Isovad is sold on a cart in Galle Face, Colombo's promenade. Every evening, when the breeze that blows through the Indian Ocean for miles finally reaches land and cools down the city, thousands of people gather here to spend time with family and friends. They walked back and forth along the promenade, evaluating each isso vade seller to decide which one offered the best product — usually the one with the largest crowds.
The most famous Isovad is the Galle Face in Colombo along the cart for sale
Rashintha Rodrigo, co-owner of The Coconut Tree, a Sri Lankan street food chain in the UK, recalls eating isso vade on Galle Face. "I would go to the kite festival with my friends for Galle noodles, and we would always eat Isovad together. No matter how much you eat, they never lose their freshness. I guess that's because no one does Isowad at home. They're all street food in a sense; you can only buy them outside. ”
While Isovad is now sold at every beach, waterfront, train station or public place where people may congregate, the popular street food has a humble beginning that tells a larger story about Sri Lankan history and culinary culture.
According to Publis Silva, chef at Mount Lavinia Hotel, lentils (shrimp-free) were introduced to Sri Lanka from southern India. This, he said, most likely occurred between 1796 and 1948, when Sri Lanka was under British rule, when South Indian laborers were brought to work in tea plantations. These workers settled in the central highlands of the mountains and established small settlements, which were later identified as hill country Tamil communities.
Sri Lankan food blogger Anoma Wijetunga agrees. She explains that Vade is traditionally made with grated masoor dal (red lentils), which are grown not in Sri Lanka but in India. Therefore, this food must have traveled across the ocean to Sri Lanka.
Isovad is thought to have originated in the mountains of Srilanaka
Wijetunga said: "Workers from South India only use pigeon peas when making vade. "They never use shrimp. That's how this community still makes them. As for how they spread to the rest of the island, I think it was probably when men started selling them on the train. Of course, that also came from India, and it still happens today. ”
Growing up in the mountains, Jesmin Arumugam, the central team manager at The Tea Leaf Trust, an educational group for young people in Sri Lankan tea plantations, remembers her mother making tea sets at home during every Hindu festival for many years. "When she made it, we always ate it with green chili chutney and a very sweet cup of milk tea," she recalls fondly.
However, according to Silva, isso vade is unique to Sri Lanka in that green peppers and curry leaves (karapincha) are added to the grated lentil mixture. Although karapincha grows in India, Sri Lankan cooking incorporates leaves into almost every delicacy to create a unique and rich aroma. Adding freshwater shrimp to vade also makes sense. Although they are not as common as marine shrimp, they are thicker and more able to withstand frying. Shrimp noodles are also more visually appealing than regular lentil pie. Silva said the use of chili peppers is primarily for color.
Sri Lankans are always adapted to every foreign food that is introduced to the island
"Sri Lankans are always adapted to every foreign food that is introduced to the island. We like to imprint our own identity on them," he said. "And we're a country that eats by hand, so the tough texture of isso vade [from lentils] is very pleasant for Sri Lankans." We also have a culture of sitting outside for evening chats with friends and neighbors, and vade gave us something worth chewing on while we did. ”
Many street food vendors are struggling due to soaring food prices
However, Sri Lanka is in the midst of an economic crisis. As food prices soared and sellers were unable to pass on costs to customers who were reluctant to pay more than a few rupees for street food, profits fell for many Isorvid sellers. While most will turn to other ways of earning, some have vowed to stay.
Mani, a Wade seller on galle face since 1965, has witnessed Colombo's transformation from a small city to a restless capital from behind his street food truck. "I was 13 years old when I started making Isowad at home and selling them for support. My family. Now, once the fees are taken into account, we can only make a small profit every month. But I'll never consider another deal because if I'm not in Galle Face, my clients won't be eating anywhere else. That's something to be proud of," he told me.
I myself have fond memories of biting the crispy appearance, the soft, tough center tasting of seasoned lentils, and the delicious taste of chopped onions, curry leaves, and shelled prawns. Incredibly, vade, in its original form, crossed the ocean of an immigrant community to this small island far from home. No one would have known that this spicy snack would continue to unite Sri Lankans of different races, religions and classes as they sat with friends watching the sunset.
If this tasty snack doesn't survive the economic crisis, it's not just street food and livelihoods that will be threatened, but two centuries of history will disappear with it.
The pie is always topped with three freshwater shrimp and served with spicy three treasures