COVER STORY | THE MALDIVES
How does Chef Mode Badhige reflect your country ’ s rich culinary history ?
First , my restaurant ’ s ambiance captures the essence of the traditional Maldivian kitchen , enveloping guests with sights and smells that hints of our rich culinary history . Maldivian food culture is very rich and flavorful , however many of the restaurants do not offer authentic Maldivian food , which is the main reason why it was my dream to serve authentic Maldivian cuisine in my restaurant .
I choose a fine selection of food from different regions of the Maldives to create that authentic experience .
As Maldives is an isolated country , our foreparents had difficulty getting a variety of ingredients . Available resources like tuna , coconut , curry leaves and Maldivian chili were used to experiment and create a Maldivian cuisine culture which is very authentic and has its own identity . It ’ s also very different from other regional cuisines . It is simple yet flavorful with a lot of dimensions to explore .
What are some of these dimensions ?
Maldivian cuisine is very distinguished . Since it ’ s born out of necessity , most of the dishes are made from the ingredients available on our isolated islands . Unlike Indian or Sri Lankan cuisine that has
a huge influence of spices , the richness of our Maldivian cuisine comes from authenticity and the humble ingredients found on the islands .
What is your most popular dish ?
Mehmaan . Its translation is literally , the guest . The ingredients are inspired by the local culture of warm welcoming and the great hospitality of Maldives . The ingredients include theluli faiy ( fried Moringa leaves ), valhoamas ( smoked tuna ) and
rihaakuru ( fish paste ). These ingredients are very rich in flavor and nutrients .
To Table of Contents
Travel + Lifestyle 27