Absolute Magazine

Culture
Maldivian culture reflects many
influences gathered from around the
Indian Ocean basin; India, Sri
Lanka, Arabia, Persia, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Africa. All kinds of
customs and traditions from this
lively melting pot have helped form
a unique culture over the centuries.
Maldivian culture reflects many
influences gathered from
around the Indian Ocean
basin; India, Sri Lanka, Arabia,
Persia, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Africa. All kinds of customs and traditions
from this lively melting pot have helped
form a unique culture over the centuries.
Maldivian dance and music show African
influences, with rhythmic beating of drums
and songs in a language resembling that of
East African countries. The so called “Bodu
Beru”, meaning “ Big Drums” in Dhivehi, is
the most popular traditional music here and
almost every inhabited island has its own
troupe to play at special functions, festivals or
simply to entertain hotel guests. The bands,
wearing traditional sarongs and white sleeved
shirts, usually use up to four drums made
from hollowed coconut wood and covered on
both ends with manta ray skin or goat hide
and are beaten with a variety of percussion
instruments. The performance begins on
a slow and mellow tempo and increases to
a very fast pace, while the dancers move
all around an improvised stage, in a very
vigorous demonstration that sometimes looks
almost as if they have gone into a trance.
In local cuisine, it is South Asia that has
had the greatest influence with highly spiced
curries combining coconut milk and fish
served with traditional flatbreads known as
‘roshi’. It’s no surprise that the main staple
is locally caught fish, and no-one forgets the
taste and flavour of that Indian Ocean catch!
There are a few ways to prepare fish in a
traditional way: the “Garudihiya” is a soup
with the whole fish thrown inside. Don’t
be scared of the strong smell, the taste is
all the better! Another strong tradition,
fortunately abandoned today, is using
turtle meat, though this is now illegal and
happily has now been replaced by chicken
in the modern Maldivian kitchen. The most
common side dish is no surprise - rice, just
as in most South Asian countries. One local
invention of note is “Masbaiy” a special kind
of paella where rice and tuna are spiced up
with coconut milk, curry, chilly and a lot of
onion - a challenge for European tastes at
times, but a must for fans of spicy food.
Vegetarians have great options to
chose from, especially the half-moon
shaped dumplings filled with potatoes
known as “Peteez”, or “Biskimiya” (fried
pastry) with an egg and soybean filling.
If you have a sweet tooth you must try
“Kirukeyo”, a special kind of rice pudding
made with coconut milk, bananas and
cinnamon. Besides a wide range of
international dishes most of the hotels
offer also traditional dishes. However, the
preparation is usually tourist-friendly with
less chilly, and adapted to an international
taste. The islands also adapted to tourism
when it comes to alcoholic beverages.
Forbidden in the Islamic culture, hotels
do offer cocktails, wine, beer and the local
brew, “Raa”, which is a sweet toddy made
from the crown of the coconut palm.
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