The Art of Hedhikaa: Indulging in Traditional Maldivian Short Eats

On a typical afternoon in Malé, between three and five o’clock, the city’s hotaa cafes fill with customers reaching for glass display cases stacked with freshly fried snacks. The aroma of spiced tuna and hot oil drifts through narrow streets, and for a dollar or two, you can sample half a dozen different bites with a cup of sweet black tea. This is hedhikaa time — the daily ritual of Maldivian short eats that cuts across every island community, from fishing villages to the capital’s busiest neighbourhoods.

Hedhikaa isn’t a single dish — it’s a category. These bite-sized snacks, both sweet and savoury, show up in workplaces during the dedicated afternoon break, on kitchen counters when school children rush home, and in elaborate spreads during Ramadan iftar meals. For visitors, they offer a direct entry point into Maldivian home cooking that resorts often struggle to replicate. This guide walks through the most common hedhikaa items you’ll encounter, what makes each one distinct, and where to find them at their best.

The table below gives a quick overview of the main hedhikaa items you’ll come across, their key ingredients, how they’re cooked, and what you’ll typically pay per piece.

Bajiya — The Crescent That Started It All

Bajiya is arguably the most recognised hedhikaa item in the Maldives, and the one most visitors try first. These crescent-shaped pastries resemble Indian samosas but carry a distinctly Maldivian filling and a thinner, more delicate outer shell. The dough is folded and crimped by hand into an elegant half-moon, then deep-fried until the exterior turns golden and crisp while the filling stays moist and fragrant.

Gulha — Hand-Shaped Dumplings

Gulha are small, round dumplings that showcase the Maldivian talent for turning simple ingredients into something memorable. The dough — made from rice flour or wheat flour — is shaped into tiny cups by hand, filled with a mixture similar to bajiya’s (smoked tuna, coconut, onion, chili, and lime), sealed into balls, and deep-fried. Each one is individually shaped, which gives gulha a pleasingly irregular, handmade look and a texture that’s crisp on the outside, soft and flavour-packed within.

Keemia — Maldivian Spring Rolls

Keemia are the Maldivian take on spring rolls, and they require the most patience to make from scratch. A thin crepe-like wrapper — made from a batter of flour, egg, and water cooked into delicate sheets on a hot pan — is filled with spiced tuna, sliced hardboiled egg, onion, and sometimes cabbage. The rolls are sealed, cut into portions, and deep-fried until the wrapper turns shatteringly crispy. The contrast between the delicate, crunchy exterior and the hearty filling makes keemia one of the most satisfying short eats.

Kavaabu — Fish and Lentil Fritters

Kavaabu draw on South Asian culinary influences while staying distinctly Maldivian. The base is cooked lentils — often masoor dal — combined with tuna, onion, chili, curry leaves, and spices, formed into small patties or balls, and fried until the exterior develops a dark, crunchy crust. Inside, the texture is soft and slightly grainy from the lentils, with pops of flavour from the curry leaves and chili. These are more robust and filling than most other hedhikaa items, making them a favourite for those who want a more substantial afternoon snack.

Boakibaa and Kulhi Boakibaa — The Baked Counterpoint

Boakibaa stands apart from every other hedhikaa item because it is baked rather than fried. This firm, dense cake is made from a batter of rice, grated coconut, sugar, and coconut milk, sometimes enriched with eggs and flavoured with cardamom or rosewater. Baked in a flat pan until golden brown on top, it’s cut into diamond or rectangular pieces for serving. The texture falls somewhere between a cake and a pudding — moist, slightly chewy, and fragrant with coconut.

Bis Keemiya — Pastry Pockets

Bis keemiya sits somewhere between a crispy spring roll and a flaky curry puff. The pastry wrapper encloses a filling of sautéed cabbage, onions, and hardboiled eggs, often with tuna added. The rolls are sealed, cut into portions, and deep-fried until the pastry turns golden and flaky. They’re less common than keemia on some islands but appear regularly at hotaa cafes in Malé, especially during the afternoon rush.

Where to Find Authentic Hedhikaa

The setting where you eat hedhikaa changes the experience as much as the snacks themselves. A hotaa cafe in Malé during the afternoon rush, a guesthouse kitchen on a local island, and a resort’s Maldivian-themed evening each offer a different version of the same tradition — and the differences in price, variety, and atmosphere are significant.

In Malé, the hotaa cafes along the main streets and near the fish market are your best bet. Between three and five in the afternoon, the glass cases are fully stocked, and you can point at whatever catches your eye — staff will plate it up with a cup of tea. On local islands, ask your guesthouse host to introduce you to the neighbourhood snacks; most are genuinely happy to share the culture. If you’re staying at a resort, check whether they offer a Maldivian cooking class — several resorts run sessions where you can learn to make bajiya or kulhi boakibaa with a local chef.

Before You Try Hedhikaa

Is hedhikaa spicy?

Yes — chili is a standard ingredient in most items. The heat level varies by vendor and recipe. At hotaa cafes, you can ask for milder versions, and the staff will usually point you toward items with less chili.

Can I find hedhikaa at resorts?

Some resorts include hedhikaa on Maldivian-themed buffet nights or in cooking classes, but the selection is usually limited to two or three items and the flavours are toned down. For the real thing, you need a hotaa or a local island kitchen.

What’s the best time of day for hedhikaa?

Between three and five in the afternoon is the traditional hedhikaa window. Hotaa cafes are busiest then, and the snacks are freshest because they’re fried in batches throughout those hours. Some places also serve hedhikaa in the morning, but the afternoon is the classic slot.

Is it safe to eat from local cafes?

Generally, yes. Look for places that are busy with locals — high turnover means fresh food. Stick to freshly cooked, hot items, and avoid anything that has been sitting out for a long time. The tuna and seafood in the Maldives are among the freshest in the world.

How much should I budget for a hedhikaa tasting?

A satisfying sampling of four to six different items with a cup of tea will cost $2–$4 at a hotaa. For a full day of local eating — breakfast, lunch, afternoon hedhikaa, and dinner — you can get by on roughly $14 per person on local islands.

The Rhythm of Afternoon Tea

Hedhikaa is not a meal you order from a menu — it’s a rhythm you fall into. You walk into a hotaa, scan the glass case, point at whatever looks good, and within seconds a plate appears with a cup of steaming sai. The snacks are small, so you try one of everything, and the total comes to less than the price of a cocktail at a resort bar. That rhythm — the clatter of plates, the smell of hot oil, the shared table with people who’ve been coming to the same spot for years — is the part you can’t get from a buffet. It’s the part worth travelling for.

For a deeper dive into the ingredients that define Maldivian cooking, our guide to the diverse seafood of the Maldivian archipelago covers the tuna, reef fish, and preparations that show up in everything from hedhikaa to main courses.

References

Maldives Compass. “The Tradition of Afternoon Snacks.” Maldives Compass. ↗

aMaldives. “Hedhikaa – The Art of Maldivian Short Eats.” aMaldives, 2026. ↗

Maldives Travel Secrets. “Beyond the Buffet: 10 Must-Try Maldivian Dishes.” Maldives Travel Secrets, 2025. ↗

Island Resorts Maldives. “The Art of Hedhikaa: Indulging in Traditional Maldivian Short Eats.” Island Resorts Maldives. ↗

If you’re curious about other Maldivian snacks and street-food traditions, our kavaabu quest across the islands tracks down regional variations of the lentil fritter, while our guide to hidden culinary gems on local islands covers the broader dining scene beyond short eats. For the full picture of Maldivian curry culture, Spice Island Dreams explores the aromatic curries that anchor the country’s home kitchens.