Over the years the Burghers have contributed to the rich fabric Sri Lankan society in many ways and among these would definitely be Burgher cuisine – an island favourite that has been passed down through generations. Sir Richard Ottley, Chief Justice of Ceylon (1827-1833) in 1833, defined the Burghers as the descendants of the Dutch, [...]

Arts

A bottleful of love and heritage

Roshni Gunaratne who traced back the recipe of her family’s famed chocolate biscuit pudding to her Burgher great grandmother Eleanor Agnes de Bond, is sharing this family favourite with the public
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Over the years the Burghers have contributed to the rich fabric Sri Lankan society in many ways and among these would definitely be Burgher cuisine – an island favourite that has been passed down through generations.

Sir Richard Ottley, Chief Justice of Ceylon (1827-1833) in 1833, defined the Burghers as the descendants of the Dutch, Portugese and other Europeans born in Ceylon. And each Burgher family would have their own story to tell of their roots.

One such family is the de Bonds. Launching her own venture, Bond’s Dutch Delicacies. Roshni Gunaratne, a de Bond from her mother’s side, wanted to continue a proud heritage, while also giving others a chance to enjoy it. Roshni’s sole specialty currently is a silky smooth chocolate biscuit pudding that comes in 120g miniature bottles. She hopes to introduce more “temptations” as things progress.

Roshni finds it interesting how her family members have latched onto some particular recipes. Her mother, Genevieve,  had been making the chocolate biscuit pudding for years, when she finally taught Roshni how to make it. Just like the biscuit pudding in her household, her mother’s younger sister perfected a Love cake recipe that was passed on by their grand aunt Vera Duckworth.

 

“We didn’t think much of it at the time,” she says. However, as she grew up, Roshni realised the value of these recipes. “It’s kind of nostalgic and you want to hold on to these things because it has meaning for you,” she says.

 

So she began digging more into the story of the chocolate biscuit pudding, to see if she could glean anything from the family history. She traced it back to her great grandmother Eleanor Agnes de Bond. The family believes that it was passed down to Eleanor by her mother, so the recipe goes back at least a century.

 

What Roshni loves about this recipe is that it’s not too sweet but rather, very smooth. Whilst Roshni enjoys the buttery recipes, she describes this recipe in particular to be more of an artisanal dessert. “A lot of love and effort goes into making it,” she says. And ever since she first began bottling it, Roshni has had her customers coming back with more orders.

These days the curfew, has made things a little difficult. Especially when it comes to getting all the ingredients and delivering orders to her regular customer base. However, Roshni still manages to meet a few orders from the apartment complex she lives in and is grateful to be able to continue operations.

Back in the day, her mother used to run the kitchen in her household. She recalls having people over for a meal and whilst they’d be busy chatting, her mother would have already served more food onto their plates.

It is perhaps this generous spirit that always made the Burgher recipes extra special to those who associated with them. As our research showed, the beauty of it all is  some of these recipes have actually incorporated local flavours giving them their own Lankan twist today.

Roshni hopes to explore Burgher cuisine more, through the recipes that have been passed down. They still have a beautiful story to relate, she believes.

Box: Other well-known delicacies

Anyone whose had close associations with a Burgher family would know that it’s all about the cooking.A favourite among many is the ‘Lamprais’, derived from the Dutch word ‘Lomprijst’ considered by many to be one of the cornerstones of Dutch Burgher cuisine.

As history goes, the recipe which was discovered by the Dutch during their travels, traces its way to Java, Indonesia, and not the Netherlands as one might think. While the contents of the Lamprais (that was tweaked by the Dutch) is still much debated, many Burgher households have their own recipe that has been passed down for generations.

 

Another interesting dish is the Dutch Breudher (dough cake), tracing its origins to the Malaka Dutch Eurasian community. Breudher is a popular delicacy in Sri Lanka, especially during Christmas and Easter. Though you could easily buy it off a local baker today, some households still prefer to stick to their Nana’s old recipe. Most Burghers would also tell you that the Breudher is best eaten slathered with butter and jam or Edam cheese.

Interestingly, Breudher is also found in Kochi, south-west India where it is served by the Anglo-Indian community, seven days after a funeral.

‘Kokis’ though considered a local delicacy actually traces its roots to the Dutch. It also bears strong resemblance to the rosette cokies which are of European origin.

The Portuguese who came to the country back in the early 6th century, brought with them a cake called ‘Bolo di Amor’. As the story goes, this original recipe was fused with Sri Lankan flavours to become the cherished ‘Love cake’ today, renowned for its delicious blend of locally sourced nuts, honey and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, etc and even a splash of brandy or rum.

Though it sits well alongside the ‘Rich cake’ at the Christmas table, Love cake is believed to have been made by the ladies to woo potential suitors.

The Portuguese legacy also includes ‘Bolo Folhado’ (laminated cake or layered cake) that is traditionally filled with cashew nuts, a touch of toddy and a sweet filling.

Aside from these dishes, the introduction of chillies to the local cuisine also stems from the Portuguese.

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