Colombo is a city of many eccentricities. From the quiet graffiti in the nooks to the loud pubs and clubs, the city has a culture of its own. This is the same in the case of gastronomy; we have recreated how we eat and now, we have chosen the most sustainable way to; glass jars.
Many home-cooks and restaurants have introduced their own food in jars making for the healthy and the eco-conscious. Below are a few homegrown brands that serve the best of our Lankan favourites from nai miris sauces to chocolate mousse.
Shivani loves her food spicy and during the lockdown, she experimented with nai miris and different combinations of condiments and boom, once she nailed down the perfect mix, Miris by Islandmom was born. Her love for spice soon turned into a homegrown business that has sold over 300 jars since June over the internet. For Shivani her sauces are more than just a source of income: it is paying homage to the beautiful, aromatic, flavourful spice, nai miris. In fact, she knows her chilli and wants to learn more about it as well.
They currently have two variants of hot sauce: level Hot and level Exxtreme. Both have their unique combination of flavours and Shivani suggests that those with conditions such as Gastritis should try Hot first.
They are available only online as of now and they recommend these jars as party favours and bulk orders as they are sealed for perfection. Since Nai miris sauce doesn’t have any preservatives included, Shivani recommends that you use it within 3 months. Also, they are 100% natural and vegan. Shivani is currently working on an exciting new product so follow her on Facebook and Instagram and you can ask her for nai miris sauce inspired recipes as well!
P.S. Await review soon!
https://www.instagram.com/naimiris_addict/
Cafe Kumbuk is known for their delicious yet healthy dishes. They have now introduced a vegan chocolate mousse made with our favourite ingredient of all time *insert drumroll* avocado! Cafe Kumbuk avo-chocolate mousse comes in cute little jars that will have you dipping into it on your commute and absolutely anywhere you want. Their jars are only available at Cafe Kumbuk and one jar is priced Rs.550 at the moment. Don’t forget to try it out on your next visit!
https://www.instagram.com/cafekumbuk
This is a home-based brand that recently got into the business of cream cheese. What started off as a hobby soon turned into a business as orders for her cheese jars came flooding in. Kavi (the founder) swears by keeping it fresh by not adding any artificial flavours and preservatives to make the cheese and what’s best, the jars are made according to halal standards.
They currently have a range of 3 varieties: Original, Chocolate and their best seller, Garlic and Herb.
Kremeux is available online and they are priced between Rs. 450 and Rs.550 for a 200ml jar and you can order them online through their Instagram account. They also give you a tiny recipe booklet with each purchase for you to try with their delicious cream cheese jars.
https://www.instagram.com/kremeux_lk/
Nobody can say no to a good jar of peanut butter. TGIH! has a range of nut butters made with different nuts such as peanuts, cashew, almonds and Hazelnuts. They have 17 different nut butters to choose from and they make great alternatives to the rather unhealthy commercial brands. They add zero chemicals or preservatives and additives making their butters 100% healthy, vegan and refined sugar-free. Their peanut butter, spicy peanut butter, Cashew butter vanilla and Cashew butter chocolate are customer favourites as they put the fun back in healthy eating and Thank God It’s Healthy! ;)
You can find TGIH jars at Macmart, Food for Thought, Bohemian Quest and of course, online for direct purchase. Their prices range between Rs.500 to Rs.4000.
P.S. Apart from the jars of nut butter, they also have almost 10 varieties of granola and a few varieties of dark chocolate.
https://www.instagram.com/tgih_sl/
Masala Chai Mix is what happens when an avid lover of Chai re-discovers the inner child that grew up with homemade blends of spice. After 6 long months of experimenting with spices and condiments, Brownspice finally made the recipe for the perfect cup on Chai they’ve been craving since their trips overseas. With 7 premium spices, this is as good as the tea can get!
Their masala chai mix jars are priced Rs.550 and are available online and at their pick-up points at Dehiwala and Thihariya. They also deliver islandwide. They are proud of the fact that all their ingredients are ethically sourced and they also don’t have any hidden ingredients.
P.S. They also have jars of homegrown organic honey retailed at Rs. 675 to sweeten the tea!
https://www.instagram.com/brownspicelk/
A wholesome homegrown business that stemmed from a personal quest of eating healthier. This is a truly home-based brand where the entire family gets involved in making the granola to deliver it. Now they have their small yet, a staff of three (Sonali, Surangi and Ramani) that help them make bigger batches.
Currently, they make three flavours every week; Original granola with 3 fruits, 3 seeds and 3 nuts, Peanut butter Granola with homemade peanut butter and their 3C granola with Chocolate, Chia and Cashew. They also have three Christmas flavours (Gingerbread, Apple Pie and Dark Chocolate and Peppermint)to stay in shape during the holidays.
You can order jars of granola through their social media accounts and also purchase from Bohemian Quest, Goodmarket shop and Justgoodness.co. Their prices range from Rs. 300 to Rs. 1800. Original Granola remains the best seller and the founder loves it as it is where it all started.
https://www.instagram.com/3x3granola/
