From toddy shops in Alleppey to seafood stalls in Kochi, Kerala's food culture is as rich and layered as its backwaters. This is not a cuisine you eat — it's one you experience. Slow-cooked, coconut-rich, and deeply tied to the rhythms of the land and sea.
Kochi — where the food is as layered as the history
Fort Kochi's food scene reflects 500 years of Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, and British influence layered onto a Keralan base. Dhe Puttu on Convent Road serves 40 varieties of puttu — the steamed rice cylinder that is Kerala's true breakfast staple. The Jewish Bakery in Jew Town makes the only apple strudel you will find in South India. The Chinese fishing nets at sunrise are beautiful; the fish market below them at 7am is even better.
Alleppey — backwaters and the toddy shop
A toddy shop is not a bar. It's a cultural institution. The fermented coconut palm sap served here — mildly alcoholic, sweet in the morning, sharp by afternoon — has been part of Kerala's food culture for centuries. Kottayam District's toddy shops are the most famous, but Alleppey has several that serve remarkable fish curry alongside. Order the karimeen (pearl spot fish) prepared in a banana leaf — there is nothing like it.
The sadhya — 28 dishes on a banana leaf
The Onam sadhya is Kerala's great communal feast — 28 vegetarian dishes served on a fresh banana leaf in a specific sequence from left to right, ending with payasam. You don't need to visit during Onam to eat one; Brahmins Restaurant in Thrissur serves a full sadhya every day. The sequence and logic of the meal — astringent before sweet, bitter before sour — is a masterclass in balance.
A toddy shop is not a bar. It's a cultural institution — and the fish curry served alongside the fermented palm wine is some of the finest food you will eat in India.
— Saanvi Rao
From the Journey
Watch the Journey
✦ Key Tips Before You Go
Eat breakfast like a Keralite — appam with stew, or puttu with kadala curry
The best seafood is at the smallest, most unremarkable-looking stalls near docks
Banana leaf meals must be eaten with your right hand — that's not optional
Try the banana chips and halwa from Kozhikode — bring extra luggage
Malabar biryani (Kozhikode) and Thalassery biryani are completely different — try both
WRITTEN BY
Saanvi Rao
Saanvi spent three weeks eating her way through Kerala for this article. She gained 2kg and has zero regrets.
