Kochi – Fort Kochi – Mattancherry – Alleppey – Kumarakom – Kottayam – Thekkady – Munnar – Kozhikode (Calicut) – Kochi
Kerala Cooking & Culinary Experience is a tasty tour around the most renowned food spots in the South Indian region. Kerala, which is referred to as the Gods own country is not only endowed with natural beauty but also its diverse and aromatic foods. Traditional Sadya meals on banana leaves and the exotic Malabar cuisine (seafood curries) are some of the culinary delights on this tour. By Kerala Cooking and Culinary Experience Packages, you will visit real kitchens, get to know some cooking methods of the locals, and sample local delicacies of various cities. Every day is tailored towards food exploration which makes it an ideal combination of traveling and cuisine discovery. Travel people India are offering you the chance to book your food trip in Kerala and enjoy it with its tasty flavors.
Tour Highlights
Reach Kochi and check in to your hotel. Start off your Kerala Cooking and Culinary Experience at a traditional Kerala Sadya in a banana leaf. This dish consists of rice, sambar, avial, thoran, pickles and payasam. During the evening, visit the nearby restaurants in Fort Kochi and sample seafood special to Kerala such as fish curry and prawn fry. You will also be able to converse with local chefs about the significance of coconut, curry leaves and spices in Kerala food.
Begin your day with a food walk around Fort Kochi. Savour local delicacies, such as pazham pori (banana fritters) and Kerala tea. Check out heritage cafes and have fusion Kerala food. Lunch consists of appam, stew of vegetables or chicken. During the night go out and visit beachside food stalls where there is grilled fish and local delicacies. You will also get familiar with the Portuguese and Dutch influences on local food and will taste the exclusive bakery products and the traditional snacks to be made with the help of the ancient recipes.
Go to Mattancherry Spice Market and get to know about the most popular spices in Kerala, such as cardamom, pepper and cinnamon. Experience a practical cooking lesson during which you are going to know how to cook traditional Kerala food (fish curry and vegetable thoran). Eat the food that you prepared as lunch. You will also learn the secrets of spice blending and how each spice improves the taste and makes Kerala cuisine rich, aromatic and very satisfying.
Take a boat to Alleppey and get into an old fashioned houseboat. Have a taste of one of the Kerala Cooking and Culinary Experience Packages with freshly cooked meals onboard. Cruise through the backwaters enjoying Karimeen Pollichathu (pearl spot fish), rice and other traditional side dishes. The food is served in the form of dinner with Kerala special curries cooked by onboard cooks. Live cooking shows onboard and enjoy fresh ingredients that are obtained in the local villages and be taught how to make tasty dishes on board as you take a scenic cruise.
Go to Kumarakom and experience village life. Go to a local residence, where one can witness traditional techniques of cooking in clay pots and on a wood fire. Sample foods such as tapioca, fish curry and vegetable preparations made of coconuts. This day can be regarded as a real revelation of the rural food culture in Kerala. You will also be involved in cooking and learning how basic foodstuffs are transformed into delicious food using the traditional cooking styles and techniques.
Tour to Kottayam, where there is a special Syrian Christian food. Savor foods such as duck roast, appam and stew. Go to a local restaurant with famous recipes that are made in the same way since time immemorial. You will also get to know how spices and coconut milk are mixed to make rich gravies which have an entirely different flavor as other local cuisines in Kerala.
Reach Thekkady and go to a spice plantation. Get to know about spices, how they grow and how they are used in cooking. Subsequently, have a tribal food experience with simple, but tasty food made with the use of natural ingredients. Dinner is made up of spicy curries and traditional rice preparations. You will as well learn the medicinal value of spices as well as the use of organic cooking techniques by tribal people, which not only maintain nutritional value but also traditional flavor.
Take a refreshing trip to Munnar and have a pleasant day in tea plantations. Savor new tea and Kerala snacks. Lunch consists of rustic yet tasty home style meals consisting of rice, curries and vegetables. The climate of coolness helps to make the food experience better. Locally produced chocolates and bakery, often found in Munnar can also be given a try, and will add a sweet flavor to your food adventure.
Go to Kozhikode, the centre of Malabar food. Savour the popular Malabar Biryani, pathiri and seafood. Go to traditional food outlets that have a traditional taste. Do not overlook such desserts as Kozhikodan halwa, one of the desserts that are obligatory in this area. You will also get to learn about the classic Muslim based food and also get to know that the Malabar dishes are characterized by their rich taste, different spices and aromatic cooking styles.
Go back to Kochi, your last day. Take a parting lunch including a combination of the special Kerala food. Reminisce about your Kerala Cooking and Culinary Experience as you head off. Not only memories but recipes and skills acquired on the trip, carry home. You can also purchase spices, cooking materials and local snacks to bring Kerala tastes to your kitchen and relish your eating experience.
