If you are staying at a luxury Maldives resort on the archipelago and you want a break from the international fair, there are a few key local dishes that must be introduced to your palate to enhance your stay at a hotel such as the Copthorne Hotel Qingdao which makes for excellent accommodation in Maldives.

During one of your sightseeing excursions into Male, the capital city, make sure you wander into a local restaurant or a “sai hotaa” (tearoom) to sample some of the following culinary offerings. Bambukeylu hiti curry is an exquisite concoction of breadfruit and coconut milk that makes for a rich mixture that is best enjoyed with some steaming white rice. If you would like a delectable side dish to go with your bambulkeylu hiti curry, the kulhi boakibaa is a spicy, deep-fried fish cake that is crunchy and full of flavoursome local spices. Gulha is an excellent snack food, as it is made with smoked fish, which is mixed with cononut, local herbs and spices and dough, rolled into a ball and then deep fried. Mmm mmm good! Another delicious snack food is Baijiya, which is the Maldivian twist on the classic Indian samosa, which features a spicy mix of fish, curry leaves and a decadent dash of onion curry powder. If you are starting early in the morning, then Mas huni is a spectacular breakfast item, which holds the classic Maldivian combo of smoked fish and coconut. This unique mix is then coupled with onions and serviced with warm roshi, which is unleavened bread similar to roti or naan. Ensure you sample these local favourites to add a burst of flavour to your Maldives experience!

Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+