Sri Lanka, July 29 -- There are meals that simply satisfy hunger, and then there are those that transport you. At Sheraton Colombo this week, the journey begins with a bowl of pala kanji, gathers heat over a Jaffna crab curry and ends on the gentle sweetness of pongal.

'Yaal: A Journey Through Jaffna' is Colombo Kitchen's week-long exploration of northern Sri Lanka's culinary character. Led by Sheraton Colombo's Executive Chef Ramesh Kularatnam, the festival opened to a full house on Monday, which shows that Colombo's appetite for regional food experiences is growing.

The festival does not ease diners cautiously into Jaffna cuisine. It presents the north in all its boldness: crab rasam, sura puttu, chicken poriyal, Jaffna pittu, mutton ...