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.
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aldivian 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 noone 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strong tradition, fortunately abandoned today – is using turtle meat, though this is now illegal, and happily has now been replaced by chicken in the modern Maldivian kitchen.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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