Although they are available all over town, the market is the best place to stock up on Jaffna's luridly coloured and exuberantly sweet fruit cordials. One vendor who also turned out to be a persuasive salesman also sold us a bottle of Rosetto, a wine that is made by nuns of the Rosarian convent in Atchuvely, about 20 km from Jaffna. We went on a mission wild goose chase to find the source of the wine, but that's a story we'll save for an upcoming post.
We rounded up our walk with a pit stop (and unforeseen shopping spree) at one of the many dried fish shops that line the road that leads to the market. With large, dried fish hanging from hooks in the ceiling and stacks of smaller fish heaped into cartons, it's impossible to miss the sight — or stench — of this line of shops. Most of the dried fish is meant for export, we were informed by a vendor. Apart from paraw, sprats and other names we couldn't quite catch, you can also buy beautifully orange dried prawns (pictured below).
If you're the sort of person who obsessively checks to-dos off a list when visiting a new city, this may not be the outing for you. But if, like me, you'd rather soak in its flavours slowly, it's just the ticket.
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