Food of Maldives is an exciting and expansive subject. Here, you’ll not only learn about traditional Maldivian cuisine but also discover details about fruits, the unique features of local cafés and restaurants, and tipping etiquette. I’ll cover everything you might be curious about and more!
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Food of Maldives: Maldivian cuisine and must-try dishes
I’m a big fan of Maldivian cuisine—it’s simple, healthy, and delicious. Unlike some other Asian cuisines, it’s not overly spicy or exotic. You won’t find chili peppers, masala, or other strong spices that might be unfamiliar or unappealing to European tastes.
Interestingly, Maldivian restaurants menus now feature French fries—a novelty that wasn’t common here until recently. You also won’t find greasy or unhealthy fast food on the islands, as there are no fast-food chains outside the capital, Malé. While Malé does have some fast-food options, it’s not a tourist destination, and visitors rarely spend more than half a day there.
Key Ingredients in Maldivian Cuisine:
- Tuna is the king of Maldivian cuisine. It’s a staple caught by locals using all kinds of methods, including fishing from the shore with a rod. Tuna is prepared in countless ways—grilled steaks, fillets, soups, salads, and even desserts. Grilled tuna is particularly popular.
- Beyond tuna, the Maldives boasts a variety of reef fish, such as grouper, barracuda, red snapper, rainbow runner, and more. The day’s catch often determines what’s served in local kitchens.
- As in most Asian countries, rice is a key side dish in the Maldives.
- A common alternative to rice, noodle dishes—often fried with vegetables and fish—originated from India and Sri Lanka.
- Chicken is the most commonly consumed meat, while beef is also available. Pork, however, is strictly prohibited due to Islamic dietary laws. You can learn about other prohibitions in the Maldives in the article “Interesting Facts About the Maldives“.
- Coconut is a versatile ingredient used in soups, main courses, and desserts.
Must-Try Maldivian Dishes
If you’re visiting the Maldives, here are some dishes you shouldn’t miss.
- Mas Huni. The quintessential Maldivian breakfast served in most hotels and resorts. It consists of:
- Roti (flatbread)
- A filling made from finely chopped coconut flakes, onion, tuna, and sweet chili.
- Mas Huni is often accompanied by fruits like apple, watermelon, and orange, along with boiled eggs or an omelet and a fresh green salad. To eat it, you simply wrap the Mas Huni mixture in a piece of roti and enjoy.
- Garudiya. A traditional Maldivian fish soup, typically made with tuna or white fish, onions, and moringa leaves. The broth is clear and sometimes served with rice or salad. Garudiya is similar to a light fish stew, with no overpowering spices and plenty of tender fish chunks. It’s hearty, affordable, and delicious—just $4–5 per serving.
- Curries. Originating from India, curries are a staple in Maldivian cuisine, offering a moderately spiced blend of flavors. Popular options include tuna or chicken curry served with rice. Unlike Indian curries, Maldivian versions often feature a generous amount of onions and are cooked in coconut milk, giving them a rich and creamy texture.
- A unique variant is breadfruit curry (Banbukeylu Harisa), prepared when breadfruit is in season (June to October).
- A dish adopted from Sri Lanka, Kottu Roshi is a hearty and affordable option. It consists of traditional flatbreads, known locally as Roshi or Roti, sliced into thin strips resembling noodles. These strips are stir-fried with vegetables, tuna, egg, soy sauce, and various other ingredients.
- Maldivian salads often feature tuna and coconut, but they are unfortunately rare in local café menus. Here are a few to try if you get the chance:
- Banana Flower Salad (Boshi Mashuni): Made with tuna, coconut, and sweet chili—a combination that showcases staple Maldivian ingredients.
- Green Mango Salad: A rare vegetable-based salad that excludes both tuna and coconut.
- Kopee Fai Salad: A green salad typically prepared with coconut, tuna, and lime. Shrimp is sometimes used as a substitute for tuna.
Although there are numerous desserts, only a couple stand out as particularly popular:
- Bondi are traditional Maldivian coconut candies made from coconut, sugar, and condensed milk, wrapped in banana leaves. These are widely available in markets and grocery stores for about 15 rufiyaa per piece, or less when bought in bulk.
- Sago Pudding. This dessert is made from sago, the powdered starch of a specific palm tree harvested before it flowers. One mature tree can yield 150–200 kg of sago, which is a valuable ingredient in various dishes. Personally, I’m not a fan—it’s more appealing to tourists. The texture and appearance might not suit everyone’s taste.
Fruits in the Maldives: A Reality Check
If you’re expecting a tropical fruit paradise similar to Thailand or Vietnam, you might be disappointed. The Maldives doesn’t have a wide variety of locally grown fruits—around 90% of fruits and vegetables are imported from neighboring countries.
Fruits You’ll Commonly Find:
- Bananas
- Coconuts
- Pineapples
- Apples
- Mangoes
- Oranges, and mandarins become available by December 🙂 By the way, there’s an interesting article about how they celebrate christmas New Year’s in the Maldives and whether it’s worth going there during that time.
- Papayas and passion fruits are available nearly year-round, with papayas being particularly sweet.
- Exotic fruits like dragon fruit (pitahaya) and guava are occasionally available but expensive and not widely distributed.
Cafes and Maldivian Restaurants: Key Points and Service Times
This section primarily focuses on the dining experience on local islands, which differs slightly from resort dining. However, these general points are helpful for anyone visiting the Maldives.
Key Facts About Dining on Local Islands:
- Every local island has eateries—typically 3–4 cafes or restaurants on an island of about 1 km². You’ll always find a place for dinner.
- Alcohol is completely prohibited on local islands, even illegally. The most you can get is non-alcoholic beer. On resorts, alcohol is available, albeit at high prices.
- Life on the islands is unhurried, and that extends to food preparation. Expect a wait time of 45 minutes to an hour for main courses, especially grilled dishes.
- Many menus list prices in USD, and bills are also presented in dollars. You can pay in Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR) without issue, as conversion rates are consistent everywhere.Regardless of currency, you can use both dollars and rufiyaa interchangeably.
Good to know:
On smaller or less touristy islands, pre-ordering seafood is common. If you want grilled fish, octopus, or shrimp, place your order earlier in the day. By dinner time, you’ll still likely have to wait, but the delay will be shorter.
On some islands, pre-ordering might need to be done a day in advance.
Everything is about time in the Maldives.
Menu in Maldivian restaurants
A typical menu on local islands includes:
- Soups: 2–3 varieties, often featuring tuna.
- Salads: 3–4 options.
- Main Courses:
- Grilled seafood like fish, tuna steaks, shrimp, octopus, and whole fish (up to 1.5 kg).
- Lobsters, which are imported and expensive—around $100 for a two-person meal.
- 10–15 rice or noodle dishes with chicken, tuna, vegetables, or curry.
- Kottu Roshi is also a popular choice.
- Desserts: Usually fruit platters or ice cream.
- Beverages:
- Fresh juices, mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails), milkshakes, tea, coffee, and soft drinks.
- Water is often served automatically and may be included in the bill (around 15 MVR for 1–1.5L).
- Grilled seafood like fish, tuna steaks, shrimp, octopus, and whole fish (up to 1.5 kg).
Pricing, Tips, and Taxes in Maldivian restaurants
Here we are primarily talking about the local islands, as prices on resorts are 10 times higher. A typical dinner for two on a resort can easily cost $100–200, while on any local island, you can easily have dinner for $25–30 for two people. You can find more detailed information about prices in the Maldives for all categories of goods and services.
I won’t go into great detail, as earlier I shared a typical menu with standard prices, and below you’ll find a photo of the menu from one of the regular restaurants. I want to emphasize that the Maldives are not as expensive as many think.
- Soups: $3–5
- Main courses: $5–7. You can opt for large sets for two people at $10–15.
- Salads: $4–6
- Drinks: Juices, smoothies, milkshakes – $4–7
- Alcohol: $0 🙂 Very convenient.
- Grilled large fish (1 kg): $15–20
- In general, you can get two main courses, two salads or two soups, and two juices for about $25. The portions are large, and you won’t leave the table hungry.
There are a few specific details about taxes and tips that you need to know:
- GST (Goods and Services Tax): This is a tax similar to VAT. It is added to the price of everything everywhere. Often, menu prices are already inclusive of GST, which is great. If the price does not include GST, there should be a note at the bottom of the menu. In that case, the price will be higher on your bill by the amount of this tax.
- On local islands, the GST rate is 8%.
- On resorts, the GST rate is 16%. The same 16% GST applies at restaurants in larger hotels on local islands.
- Tips: Tipping is appreciated in the Maldives, and in many cases, it will already be included in the bill. Here’s the key detail:
- If your bill includes an SC (Service Charge), this is considered the tip. Therefore, there is no need to leave an extra tip. Typically, the service charge is 10%.
- If SC is 0, then tipping is optional, though the staff will certainly appreciate it.
In total, these two taxes on local islands amount to 18% (10% service charge + 8% GST). If they are not included, expect your bill to increase by 18%. On resorts or restaurants with 16% GST, the bill will increase by 26% (16% + 10%).
I personally prefer dining at places where these two taxes are already included in the price—it’s transparent, and no additional tipping is necessary.
Maldivian food is both delicious and healthy, and you will quickly learn that tuna is the star of the cuisine. You can have tuna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
As for traditional Maldivian cuisine, I personally prefer it over other Asian cuisines. There are many dishes here that are mild, not too salty, and free from strange ingredients.
Enjoy your meal by the ocean at Maldivian restaurants!
If you enjoyed the article and the content in this guide, you can buy me a coffee ^_^
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to the Maldives
- Flight tickets and the best deals
- Tour packages (from budget to luxury): Expedia
- Hotels and guesthouses on any island:
- 12go is the largest Asian transfer service. It gathers all Maldivian carriers, even the small ones that operate between local islands.
- Tours and excursions: Viator – a limited selection of excursions, but convenient and reliable.
- Comprehensive insurance: EKTA
- eSIM at the same price as in telecom office in Male.