MD Maldive Fish Sambol is a ready-made jar of one of the most familiar flavours on a Sri Lankan table: dried Maldive fish worked together with chilli and garlic into a dark, coarse, savoury relish. It is the kind of condiment Sri Lankan kitchens keep within reach, a spoonful of heat and depth that turns plain rice, bread or a simple curry into a fuller meal.
Maldive fish, known in Sinhala as umbalakada, is skipjack tuna that has been boiled, smoked and sun-dried until it is hard enough to flake. In Sri Lankan cooking it does the job that shrimp paste does further east, adding a deep, smoky, savoury note rather than a fishy one. In this sambol, chips of Maldive fish are combined with vegetable oil, garlic paste, chilli pieces, salt and sugar, and the jar shows the result plainly: flecks of red chilli and their seeds suspended through a glossy, oil-rich mixture.
The sambol is sold under the MD brand and made in Sri Lanka by Lanka Canneries, and the label carries the name in English, Sinhala and Tamil. It comes in a glass jar with a screw lid, in two sizes: 160 g and 300 g.
Use it the way it is eaten at home. Spoon a little onto steamed rice with dhal, serve it beside hoppers, string hoppers or kiribath at breakfast, spread it thinly on buttered bread or toast, or stir a spoonful into an omelette, fried rice or noodles. It is concentrated and spicy, so a small amount goes a long way.
The sambol contains fish, so it is not suitable for vegetarians or for anyone avoiding fish. Once opened, keep the jar in the refrigerator with the lid tightly closed, and use a clean, dry spoon each time. The full ingredient list and nutritional information are printed on the label.
