The Perennial Plate is a two-time James Beard Award winning online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating. Chef and Activist, Daniel Klein and Filmmaker Mirra Fine are traveling the world exploring the wonders, complexities and stories behind the ever more connected global food system.

Sri Lanka's tree of life

In Sri Lanka, the coconut is, in a sense, a source of life. Not only it is the main ingredient in most Sri Lankan dishes, but the entire coconut tree — from the roots to the coconut itself to the tips of the leaves — plays a major role in the non-culinary ways of life. Without the coconut, things in Sri Lanka would be very different.

As an Indian guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba puts it: "Who poured the water inside the coconut? Was it the work of any man? Only the divine can do such a thing."