I’ll admit, I have far too many favorite foods in this world.
One of them happens to be the spicy porky heart-stopping Mexican sausage known as “Chorizo.”
Chorizo is fried in a pan along with eggs and perhaps a little extra chili sauce. The oily mess is often added to a greasy tortilla and wrapped up like a beautiful package.
Sri Lankan Mexican Food
That brings me to Kandy, Sri Lanka, where I spotted a kid eating something that looked identical to a “Mexican chorizo burrito.” But in Sri Lanka?
I wanted to question him and drill him like I was investigating a crime scene.
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It was soon that I traced his deed to the Soya Center restaurant at the Kandy YMCA. I didn’t know what to think…vegetarian chorizo – the 2 words together are already sacrelige – I might get shot if I mentioned “vegetarian chorizo” in Mexico.
I nervously got to the counter at the Soya Center and pointed to the burrito looking thing in the cabinet. “Soy Roti” she asked, and I nodded.
I sat down, unwrapped the paper, took my first bite – and my dream came true.
It tasted just like the chorizo I remembered, that extreme addictive saltiness that you know is unhealthy, but you couldn’t even be forced to stop eating it – and this one was all vegetarian!
After my emotional vegetarian chorizo experience, I grabbed a cone of soy milk ice cream. Everyone was eating it, so I knew there must be something special to it.
It was insanely good. Just like I couldn’t detect that my chorizo wasn’t meat, I couldn’t tell the ice cream wasn’t really milk.
If you ever make it to Kandy, Sri Lanka, this could be one of the best things the city has to offer – you can’t miss it! Sri Lankan food is amazing!
Kandy Soya Center
Kotugodella Veediya Road in Kandy Center, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Do you like chorizo?
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Kapila R Jayasooriya
11 years ago
I always going to Soya Center to get foods, It’s not only Soya Roty, Also Curry Balls (Soya Cutlets), Soya Ice Cream, Soya Rolls and many more. Every thing full with Only Vegetables, but it’s taste like meat & All those food are healthy. Glad you make it there Mark.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Kapila, glad you eat at this place too, the food is so good!
James
11 years ago
I’ve been in Kandy for two weeks and I have been craving Mexican food since I arrived in Sri Lanka. I saw your article yesterday, so I decided to stop by the YMCA to give the vegetarian chorizo a try. The chorizo was listed on the menu as a Soya Roti, but when I asked for the chorizo, the owner knew what I was talking about. My craving was more than satisfied. The chorizo, soya roti, burrito, whatever you want to call it, was simply delicious with a bit of a spicy kick. However, they do offer a very good sweet sauce which brings down the heat.Thank you for sharing your food experiences! I was long deprived of something different from your traditional Sri Lankan food.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey James, awesome, thank you for sharing! It really does almost taste like chorizo, though totally different, not to mention vegetarian – but so good. Glad you found it and enjoyed it!
Bhathiya
12 years ago
This wonderful,
i’m also in kandy. Soya Cente is near to me.
in there foods are very clean and tasty ..
but now its quality is going down … i mean taste .
and if you eat in there about 2 years before , you will be amazed with the taste .
but now again it is getting to high quality ,
try to eat in there , 😀
And good luck for all.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks for your input Bhathiya! It was so tasty when I went!
Menushka
12 years ago
Oh the YMCA soya center (sighs)……reminds me of my days in school when we used to go there after practices…you are right mark, the SOY ROTI, as we know it is insanely good…and did you notice the slight saltiness in sthe Ice cream – that’s right folks, salty ice cream :D, but dont get me wrong…it IS very good AND HEALTHY..
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Come to think of it…I think I did notice the slight saltiness, but it was so good I didn’t even think about it at the time..! Thanks for sharing Menushka!
2Summers
12 years ago
Amazing. Mexican food is what I long for most in South Africa. I want this!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Haha, Thanks!
50+ and on the Run
12 years ago
OK–Now you have a mission: find out how to make veggie chorizo and let us know. Sounds life-changing, lol.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Haha, it was so good, I couldn’t believe it was vegetarian! Incredible!