In 1886 Ceylonese Crown Counsel, Louis Nell, in his explanatory list of Portuguese words adopted by the Sinhalese defines älpäl as being a preparation of sugar, vended in the streets by the Chinese and now Tamils. He goes further to state that it comes in two forms of long pieces either resembling the English confectionary known as rock sugarorbutterscotch.[3][4]
Älpäl is considered to be derived from the Portuguese term alfeloaoralfelos, which is described as "clarified sugar flavoured with scented water, boiled until it forms a hard ball, kneaded on a marble slab and pulled, allowed to harden and then broken up".[5][6]
^Nell, Louis (1886). Goonetilleke, William (ed.). "The Orientalist". Explanatory List of Portuguese words adopted by the Sinhalese. 2–3. Bombay: Education Society Press: 43.
^de S. Jayasuriya, Shihan (2001). Tagus to Taprobane: Portuguese Impact on the Socio-culture of Sri Lanka from 1505 AD. Vol. 20. Tisara Prakasakayo. p. 28. ISBN9789555640626.
^Newman, Elizabeth Thompson (1964). A Critical Edition of an Early Portuguese Cookbook. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina. p. xxxiv.
^Academia das Ciências (Lisbon) (1793). Diccionario Da Lingoa Portugueza (in Portuguese). Vol. 1. Workshop of the Same Academy. p. 208.
