This week, from Sept. 8-14, 2021, the spicy and full-bodied flavors of Sri Lanka's cuisine will fill Lulu Hypermarkets across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia along with a basket of selected goodies from the Emerald Isle of the Indian Ocean — tea, spices, fruits and veg, rice and a variety of coconut products. The 'Best of Sri Lanka' festival was inaugurated in the Lulu Hypermarket in Murabba, Riyadh Thursday by Chief Guest Dulmith Waruna, the Charge d'Affaires. Also present was Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets and other LuLu Group officials. The Hypermarket focus has been to bring alive the unique culinary heritage of Sri Lanka which is a blend of many colonial influences — British, Dutch and Portuguese as well as pan-Asian with Indian (especially southern) and Indonesian influences. The festival promotion will give shoppers a chance to stock up on top-quality spices that Sri Lanka is famed for: cloves, pepper, cinnamon and all packaged for hygiene, aroma and convenience. There will also be a variety of tea and tea-based herbal infusions with turmeric, chamomile and other herbs and amazing teas from signature plantations around Sri Lanka. Many varieties of healthful organic coconut products such as coconut cream, coconut milk and virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil will be on the special deals section while the vegetable racks will be bursting with the goodness, color and juicy flavors of Sri Lankan farm produce. "LuLu Hypermarket has brought together a rich and classic collection of the best of Sri Lankan products and this is certainly an invitation to all shoppers to explore the taste of our country," said Dulmith Waruna. "Sri Lanka and the Arab world share a rich culinary experience which nurtured the spice trade of olden days and is still a vibrant presence in Arab kitchens today." Mohammed expressed his thanks to the Sri Lankan Embassy for their support of the festival and added, "The food products of Sri Lanka are exotic, health-giving and unique and with the LuLu sourcing center in the country, we have a network of suppliers who give us first pick of the best on offer from there. We are delighted to share this bounty with our customers and explore the taste of the best of Sri Lanka." — SG
