These 5 South Indian Dishes Named After Places! Did You Know?

The macaroon was introduced to India by the Portuguese. It travelled from Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, to Thooththukkudi, a port city in the extreme south of India. The Thoothukudi macaroon is named after the harbour city of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. These are Indianized macaroons from Europe. It substitutes cashew nuts for the pulverised almond in the traditional European recipe.

A tiny village in Palakkad has become well-known for its Ramasseri idli, bringing Indian food under the spotlight. Ramasseri idli can be defined as an idli and dosa crossbreed. It stands out for its proprietary blend, texture, and cooking technique. It is especially remarkable because of the careful preservation it has received from four generations in the nearby Keralan community of Ramassery. 

Malabar matthi is a type of fish stew. Most people enjoy the meal in Kerala, Goa, and Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are where the forbears of the current dish can be discovered. Sardines are semi-stewed in a Kerala-style curry with vegetables such as okra or onions in this recipe. Another variant would be to include coconut milk or tamarind juice.

Although kadalai mittai, a brittle sweet, is sold all across the state, Kovilpatti is where it is most popular. The consistent quality of the jaggery used to sweeten the mixture, and the distinctive flavour of Kovilpatti kadalai mittai are secret to its fame. This kadalai mittai is served wrapped in panai olai, which gives the dessert its scent. The makers are particularl about the jaggery to generate the best flavour.

Many seasoned coffee aficionados vouch for Kumbakonam degree coffee's unique flavour. The coffee is a native of Kumbakonam. One glass of water is blended with eight teaspoons of coffee powder to make the decoction. This formula is the key ingredient in coffee with flavour to a high degree. The actual coffee powder is made up of 20% chicory and 80% peaberry coffee beans.