Cuisine of Kerala

One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Kerala truly deserves her title as "God's Own Country". Blessed with a heritage that has its roots in a history that dates back to times immemorial, the culture of Kerala is perhaps one of the greatest tourist attractions of Kerala. The cuisine of Kerala, too, like the other facets of the culture of Kerala is unique in itself, involving a blend of heritage and modernity .

Cuisine of Kerala

The cuisine of Kerala, like many other cuisines of India is heavily influenced by the geography of Kerala. Constituting of countless water bodies as well as rich, alluvial soil, the geography of Kerala finds an extension in the cuisines of Kerala as well as the food habits of the people of Kerala. The abundance of coconuts in and around Kerala is also reflected in the daily food habits of the people and is used in almost every food item of the region including its use as the most popular cooking medium in most households of Kerala. Other basic food ingredients used in Kerala include a number of spices and condiments as well which include basic ingredients like chilies, curry leaf, mustard seed, tamarind and asafetida.

The most elaborate meal in the cuisine of Kerala is known as Sadya which includes a number of specialty items like curries, "upperies" or things fried in oil, "papadams" or round, crisp flour paste cakes typical to the region, achars or pickles, "payasams" and "prathamans"(Desserts). Fruits are also served as an essential part of the cuisine of Kerala.