Just as art and architecture, food too is an essential aspect of one’s culture. What we choose to eat reveals our traditions, history, beliefs, economic conditions, customs, and even geography. For instance, fish is central to Bengali culture given that it is surrounded by a large sea and an intricate network of fertile rivers filled with fresh fish. Similarly, Chinese cuisine revolves around balancing different flavours – salt and sweet, or bitter and sweet. This is in sync with the Chinese concept of yin and yang. As with any other culture, food is intricately connected with Kanyakumari culture. While common Tamil Nadu items like idly, dosa and rice are found in Kanyakumari as well, our cultural and geographical proximity to Kerala ensures our dishes are a heavenly combination of both states. Unlike other places in Tamil Nadu, you’ll find coconut, coconut oil, fish, and tapioca to be staple items on our menu. If you’re in Nagercoil, here are some items you must sample at least once. If you are looking for an enthusiastic partner to help you explore the place, visit us to enquire about accommodation in Kanyakumari.
Nannari Nungu Sarbath
If you’re travelling by car from Trivandrum, you’ll find plenty of stalls selling ice apple sarbaths along the way. Delectable ice apples are scooped out from their outer shell and squished to be mixed with the nannari syrup concentrate. The ice apples are translucent, have a jelly-like texture and are mildly sweet. The core of these fruit pods is watery and flavourful. When mixed with syrup concentrate the ice apples are refreshing and satiating. To the uninitiated, nannari syrup is a flavoured concentrate made using the roots of the Indian sarsaparilla plant.
While the drink is delicious, it is equally healthy. Ice apples cool the body with multiple benefits for the skin, hair, and health. Nannari is also known to cool the body, helping with digestion and blood purification.
Parotta
Parotta is a common street food found across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In fact, it is one of the most common fast foods in these states with parotta stalls found in every nook and corner. Unlike the North Indian paratta, this is made of maida or refined flour. The flaky bread is eaten with salna or a thin gravy that soaks up the parotta. While there are different versions of the parotta, what makes Kanyakumari parottas unique are the accompaniments that go along with the bread.
In Kanyakumari, you can pair the parotta with beef perattu, mutton roast, chicken roast, or a simple coconut-based salna. Don’t forget to include a side of chicken 65 to add some zing to the parotta.
Veg Meals
Unlike in other districts of Tamil Nadu, vegetarian meals are unique in the district. If possible, we recommend sampling this at a wedding. But if that’s not possible, we suggest the next best place – one of the many vegetarian restaurants in Kanyakumari.
The experience is like no other with over 7-10 side dishes that go by the prefix kichadi and pachadi. While the pachadis are sour and have a pickle-like taste, kichadis have curd as their base. Depending on the menu of the day, various vegetables are used to make these kichadis and pachadis. For instance, citron and lime are common vegetables for pachadi, beetroot, pineapple, cucumber, deep-fried okra, etc., and are used to make kichadi. No meal is incomplete without avial, a medley of native vegetables cooked in coconut gravy and garnished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves. Other accompaniments include olan, thoran, plantain chips, chilly chips, tomato jam, etc, depending on the day you are visiting the restaurant.
As for the curry for rice, you’ll start with dal and then move on to sambhar, rasam, and then spiced buttermilk. But before the rasam and buttermilk, you’ll be served pradhaman or kheer.
Fish Meals
The best place to sample fish meals is one of the many roadside eateries in Kanyakumari, where sellers have access to fish caught fresh every day. In the evenings, you can sample hot fish fry made using flavourful masalas and fried right before your eyes. But if you are concerned about the hygiene or freshness of the seafood, we suggest sampling local delicacies at our multicuisine restaurant – one of the best restaurants in Kanyakumari.
Banana Chips
Your visit to Kanyakumari is incomplete without sampling some of the best banana chips made fresh every day. You can either buy chips made using coconut oil or sample chips made using ordinary vegetable oil. And if you prefer your chips to be slightly sweet, buy chips made using ripe plantains.
But if you are looking for something other than plantain chips, we suggest you buy tapioca chips or jackfruit chips. The latter is however only available in certain months.
If you are visiting the city and looking for affordable accommodation options in Kanyakumari, visit us. Call us for more information about our rooms in Kanyakumari.