Garudiya & Bioluminescent Beach

HEAVENS ON EARTH

Garudiya

Garudiya or Garudhiya is a clear fish broth. It is one of the basic and traditional food items of Maldivian cuisine. The broth is based on tuna species found in the nation's ocean waters such as skipjack, yellowfin tuna, little tunny, or frigate tuna.

Ingredients:

• 200-gram Valhomas (Smoked fish) (Sliced Thickly)

• 6 Cups water

• 1 Half of normal Onion (chopped into 4)

• 2 Garlic

• 2 Dried Chilly

• 10 Seeds of Black Pepper

• 3 Drops of fish source (If you want to increase fish taste)

• Curry leaves (Hikandhifaiy)

• Salt

How to Cook:

There’s nothing groundbreaking about how this garudhiya is made. But it does bring a lovely change to its taste.

So let’s begin by adding 6 cups of water and the sliced valhoamas into a medium sized pan. Also add some salt along with it and boil it over a low heat for 5 mins.

Than add the chopped onions, garlic’s, black pepper, dried chilly and cook it for another 3mins.

Now add fish sauce if you would like to and balance the saltiness. Finally turn of the heat and add the curry leaves.

 Garudiya is eaten with steamed rice, but it can be eaten with Maldivian chapati-Roshi; when eaten with boiled breadfruit, or with boiled taro, grated coconut is added. Sometimes Maldivians use chilies, curry leaves and onions to flavor the garudiya according to their taste, however this broth is cooked using fish and water.

Kekki garudiya is a variant of garudiya with spices. Garudiya could be obtained using other fishes like mahi-mahi, wahoo or bluefin jack, among others, but the favored fish for garudiya is tuna and related species; when the tuna-based garudiya is cooked until all the water evaporates, it forms a thick brown paste known as Rihaakuru, valued in the Maldivian diet.

 Bioluminescent Beach

As waves break on the sandy shore, or bare feet step into wet sand, a bright blue glow appears. This magical effect is caused by the bioluminescent plankton that often appears in warm coastal waters.In the Maldives alone, the beach known with this bioluminescent phenomenon is the Vaadhoo or Mudhdhoo Island. The sea planktons are believed to be responsible for it. They are the ones producing the lights which are visibly seen at night.

One of the most popular places to observe such a fantastic spectacle is Vaadloo island found in the Raa Atoll, and the high season is between June and October. All you need to do is simply to stir up the water with your feet, and if plankton is there, it will immediately splash with gorgeous blue lights.

The appearance of a starry night in the sea is caused by bioluminescent phytoplankton that emits light when stressed. We just got to know that putting a type of plankton under stress results in one of the most stress-relieving sights on the planet. The blue glow creating astral patterns on seashores is a sight to behold.