Sri Lankan Traditional Sweets-Making Experience

Learn how to make traditional Sri Lankan sweets during a hands-on cooking class. Discover the cultural significance of these sweets and enjoy a tasting session with a cup of ginger tea. Start your experience with a warm welcome and an introduction to the cultural and historical significance of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Learn about the customs of the New Year, such as lighting the hearth, first meal preparation, and first transactions (Ganu Denu). Next, learn about the importance of sweets in the New Year celebrations. Discover how they symbolize prosperity, happiness, and sharing, and how families prepare these sweets in large quantities to serve guests, neighbors, and relatives. Then, get hands-on and learn how to make one of three different sweets. 1) Kokis, a crunchy, deep-fried snack made with rice flour and coconut milk. 2) Athirasa keum, a soft, sweet fried delicacy made from rice flour and kithul treacle. 3) Aluwa, a chewy, cardamom-flavored sweet made from roasted rice flour and treacle. After your cooking class, enjoy the sweets you have made with a cup of ginger tea. Finally, take a guided walk through the our farm.