The Tradition of Afternoon Snacks
In the Maldives, the hours between lunch and dinner are not a food-free zone. Quite the opposite: late afternoon is hedhikaa time, a cherished daily tradition when Maldivians across every island pause to enjoy an assortment of small, savoury, and sometimes sweet snacks alongside cups of strong, sweet tea. The word "hedhikaa" translates roughly to "short eats," and the tradition occupies a place in Maldivian daily life comparable to British afternoon tea or Spanish tapas — though with a character entirely its own.
Hedhikaa time typically falls between three and five in the afternoon. Hotaa cafes fill with customers, home kitchens produce platters of freshly fried snacks, and the aroma of spiced fish and hot oil drifts through island neighbourhoods. Workplaces often observe a dedicated break for hedhikaa, and school children rush home or to the nearest shop for their afternoon treats. During Ramadan, hedhikaa takes on special importance as the evening iftar meal that breaks the day's fast, and families prepare elaborate spreads featuring dozens of different short eats.
The origins of this tradition are tied to the rhythms of island life. Fishermen returning in the afternoon needed quick, energy-dense food. The tropical heat made large midday meals unappealing, but by late afternoon appetites returned. Hedhikaa filled this gap perfectly — portable, flavourful, and satisfying without being heavy. Over generations, what began as practical sustenance evolved into one of the most distinctive aspects of Maldivian culture.
Bajiya
Bajiya is arguably the most popular hedhikaa item in the Maldives. These crescent-shaped pastries resemble Indian samosas but have a distinctly Maldivian character. The outer shell is made from a thin dough, folded and crimped by hand into an elegant half-moon shape. Inside, the filling combines shredded smoked tuna (valho mas), grated coconut, finely chopped onion, curry leaves, green chili, and a hint of turmeric. The assembled pastries are deep-fried until the exterior is golden and crisped while the filling remains moist and fragrant.
A well-made bajiya achieves a perfect balance: the crunch of the shell, the smoky richness of the tuna, the sweetness of the coconut, and the gentle heat of the chili. Every hotaa in the Maldives makes bajiya, and every family has a recipe that they consider superior to all others. Visitors encountering bajiya for the first time often find them irresistible, and they make an excellent introduction to Maldivian flavours.
Gulha
Gulha are small, round dumplings that showcase the Maldivian gift for turning simple ingredients into something memorable. The dough is made from rice flour or wheat flour, shaped into small cups by hand, filled with a mixture similar to bajiya — smoked tuna, coconut, onion, chili, and lime — then sealed into balls and deep-fried. The result is a crispy sphere with a soft, flavourful centre. Gulha are slightly more labour-intensive to make than bajiya because each one is individually hand-shaped, which gives them a pleasingly irregular, handmade appearance.
The texture of gulha is what sets them apart. The rice flour dough fries to a lighter, more delicate crispness than the wheat-based bajiya shell, and the round shape means a higher ratio of filling to pastry. On outer islands, gulha-making is often a communal activity, with groups of women sitting together to shape dozens of dumplings while chatting and catching up — a social tradition as important as the food itself.
Keemia
Keemia are the Maldivian take on spring rolls, and they are a fixture of every hedhikaa spread. 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 a mixture of spiced tuna, sliced hardboiled egg, onion, and sometimes cabbage. The rolls are sealed, cut into portions, and deep-fried until golden and shatteringly crispy. The contrast between the delicate, crunchy wrapper and the hearty filling makes keemia one of the most satisfying short eats.
Making keemia from scratch is a multi-step process that requires patience: the wrappers must be thin and even, the filling properly seasoned, and the frying carefully timed. Many hotaa purchase ready-made keemia wrappers to simplify production, but home cooks who prepare them from scratch are held in high regard. During Ramadan, keemia are among the most anticipated items on the iftar table.
Kavaabu
Kavaabu are deep-fried fish and lentil fritters that draw on South Asian culinary influences while remaining distinctly Maldivian. The base is a mixture of 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.
Kavaabu are more robust and filling than some other hedhikaa items, making them a favourite for those seeking a more substantial afternoon snack. They are also among the most affordable short eats, which has kept them popular across all economic levels. Some variations incorporate grated vegetables or breadfruit into the mixture, reflecting the adaptability of island cooking where recipes shift based on whatever ingredients are available.
Boakibaa
Boakibaa stands apart from the other hedhikaa items 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, boakibaa is then 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.
The savoury version, "kulhi boakibaa," substitutes sugar for smoked tuna and spices, creating a firm fish cake that is one of the most versatile items in Maldivian cooking. Kulhi boakibaa can be eaten hot from the oven, at room temperature, or cold the next day, making it ideal for packed lunches, breakfast, and of course, hedhikaa time. Both sweet and savoury boakibaa keep well without refrigeration, which historically made them valuable provisions for fishing voyages.
Where to Try Hedhikaa
The best place to experience the full range of hedhikaa is at a hotaa cafe in Male during the afternoon rush. Between three and five o'clock, the glass display cases are stocked with freshly prepared snacks, and you can sample several different items for very little money. Point at whatever catches your eye — the staff will plate it up with a cup of tea. On local islands, guesthouses often prepare hedhikaa for guests, and asking your host to introduce you to local snacks is a wonderful way to connect with island life.
Resorts occasionally feature hedhikaa as part of Maldivian-themed evenings or cooking classes, though the selection is usually more limited than what you would find at an authentic hotaa. For the fullest experience, venture into Male's street food scene or visit a local island during Ramadan, when hedhikaa production reaches its peak and families compete to create the most impressive spread of snacks and sweets. However you encounter them, hedhikaa are one of the most delightful and distinctive aspects of Maldivian food culture — small bites with big flavour and centuries of tradition behind every one.