Anyone who has travelled around Sri Lanka will agree that this tiny island contains the world. It’s a stunning collage of a myriad different things. So much so that every turn of the road will reveal yet another facet to it. This diversity is reflected in the many things truly Sri Lankan including its tea that vary dramatically depending on its terroir. As the team of chefs journeyed from the luxurious Tienstin to the windswept Knuckles Mountain Range the lush carpets of tea gave way to untamed hills with its arresting scenery and mysterious landscapes.

Knuckles Mountain Range is part of the Sri Lankan hill country. The Sri Lankans call it Dumbara Mitiyawatha meaning the misty valley. The team on tour traversed the wilderness in search of new ingredients and new flavours like wild Turkey berry – called thibbatu in Sinhala, green jack fruit and jack fruit seeds and proceeded to cook them using the rocky ledges that covered the forest bed as their work stations. The trees swayed in the ceaseless wind as the smell of cooking food and spices filled the clean mountain air of the misty valley.