Pabilis Silva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr.
Pabilis Silva
පබිලිස් සිල්වා |
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| Born |
Themmadurage Pabilis Silva
24 April 1936 Rathgama, Sri Lanka
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| Education | Sirisumana Vidyalaya |
| Occupation | Chef, Author |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Spouse(s) | Wimala Rajakaruna (1956) |
| Children | 5 |
| Parents |
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| Awards | Deshabandu |
Dr. Pabilis Silva is a very famous Sri Lankan chef and a television personality. He was born on April 24, 1936. Many people see him as a true legend in Sri Lankan cooking. He is known for sharing Sri Lankan Sinhala food with the world. His special recipes are loved by people everywhere.
Pabilis Silva started his career working in a hotel kitchen, even as a coal miner. He worked his way up to become the Chief Chef at the famous Mount Lavinia Hotel. Today, he is even a member of the hotel's Board of Directors!
Contents
Early Life and Family
Pabilis Silva was born in a village called Gammeddegoda, in Rathgama. He was the second of five children. His family called him Kirimahatthaya as a nickname. His father, Appu Singho, and his mother, Kumarasinghe Podihami, did not go to school. His father helped with community work, and his mother did many jobs to support their family.
Childhood Challenges
From a young age, Pabilis helped his mother sell vegetables at the market. This helped his family earn money. Sometimes, times were very tough. He even had to eat old pumpkins or go without food. As a child, he did many odd jobs. He pulled fishing nets, pushed empty carts, and carried goods for shops. He even worked as a storyteller.
School Days
Pabilis started school at Rajgama Devapathiraja when he was about six. But he only went for less than a month. When World War II began, he moved to a missionary school nearby. He stayed there for less than two years. After that, he went to Sirisumana Vidyalaya. He was known for being a bit rebellious and often got into trouble at school.
Marriage and Motivation
As he grew older, Pabilis wasn't sure what he wanted to do for a job. He didn't really like the jobs he had. In 1956, when he was 20, he married his childhood friend, Wimalawathi Rajakaruna. They had known each other since school. Getting married and becoming a father made him want to find a steady job. This is what led him to cooking. Pabilis and Wimalawathi had five children: three daughters and two sons. In 1978, their family moved to Colombo.
Culinary Journey
In 1952, Pabilis ran away from home and came to Colombo. He tried different jobs in Pettah and even sold things to make a living. He also acted in a comedy play in his village. On June 20, 1955, he was working at a hotel. After a short time, he left that job and became a tourist dealer. But he had to go back to his village in 1956.
Starting at Mount Lavinia Hotel
In 1956, Pabilis got a job at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. His wife's older brother helped him get the job. He started as a coal miner in the kitchen, earning forty rupees as his first salary. At the hotel, he met a chef named Uncle John. Uncle John made a curry from temple tree leaves. This inspired Pabilis. He traveled all over Sri Lanka to find different foods and cooking methods.
Discovering New Foods
Because of his research, Pabilis Silva has found more than 365 types of vegetables in Sri Lanka! He also found 76 fruits, including carrots, beetroot, and pepper. He soon got promoted to a third-grade chef. After fifteen years, he became the Chief Chef of Mount Lavinia Hotel. He always looked for old recipes and then created new dishes. This was his secret to success.
Guinness World Records
Pabilis Silva holds two Guinness World Records! He made the world's largest milk rice and the world's smallest recipe book. The giant milk rice weighed 1,000 kilograms. It was 62 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 1.5 inches high. His smallest recipe book is only 1 centimeter long and wide. It weighs just 5 milligrams! Its title is "Sri Lankawe Raja Bojana" in both Sinhala and English.
Writing Cookbooks
When he was young, Pabilis had an idea to create a cooking encyclopedia about Sri Lankan medicinal foods. He once broke a coconut and washed it with seawater, and it tasted amazing! This made him want to try new things. More than 40 years ago, Silva published a cookbook called Mahasupavanshaya. This book shows photos of 90% of the edible plants in Sri Lanka. It includes 56 types of potatoes, 76 fruits, and 1450 plants that are native to Sri Lanka. The book has a thousand pages and is updated every two years. It was launched on April 24, 2017.
In May 2016, Pabilis Silva was honored for working 60 years at the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
Achievements and Recognition
Pabilis Silva was also part of a documentary film called "Supika Siritha." This film was about his life. He even helped pay for the movie to be made. The filming took place in different parts of Sri Lanka.
On March 22, 2017, he received the Deshabandu award from the president, Maithripala Sirisena. This is a special honor in Sri Lanka.
On January 23, 2019, he was invited to speak at a workshop called Sarthakarthwaye Sewaneli. This event was organized by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura to help students with their careers.
