Toddy And Spicy Food. Why We Love It And Where To Have It
- 04 Oct 2016
- Noel Alex
- Features
Alcohol is somewhat of a cultural entity in our world today. People who don’t drink often ask the question ‘ How can you drink something that is so repulsive in taste?’. But this question is irrelevant in Kerala because we love the sweet, delicious , cocunuty flavor of our very own Naadan Kallu. While toddy is far from a premium category of alcohol, they are very much enjoyed by people of all walks of life. NRIs who have accustomed to the high life of drinking brands of the likes of Johnny Walker still reminisce for their favorite Kallu shops they used to frequent during their humble beginnings. Besides the great taste, toddy also has many health benefits like improved eyesight, reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and it also helps in maintaining a healthy hair, skin and nails
But before you prepare yourself to binge drink toddy, armed with this knowledge, let me remind you readers of the wise old saying from our forefathers
‘Amithamayal Amrithavum Visham’
On that note I can safely assume you are all in the mood for some great toddy and yummy shappu food.
Here are some of the best Kallu shops in Kochi:
Mullapanthal Kallu Shaap
Pic Source: http://mullapanthal.in
Mullapanthal is one of Kochis favourite toddy shops. The main highlight of this shop is without a doubt the wide assortment of mouthwatering dishes it has to offer. From all kinds of delicious seafood like crab, karimeen polichathu and chemmeen curry to dishes like rabbit and turtle. In terms of ambience, prepare yourself for a typical shaap experience, nothing too fancy. They also have independent cabins that are family friendly as well.
Nettoor Shaap
Pic Source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com
If you prefer a more ambient setting to enjoy your toddy, head on down to Nettoor Shap. The tables are setup outdoors and the best part is that it is in the banks of a beautiful lake. They do not have as much varieties of dishes as Mulapanthal but they definitely have check marks in terms of great ambience and fresh toddy.
Kadamakudy Kallu Shaap
Pic Source: https://s4.postimg.org
If that’s not enough for ambience the ultimate location for a toddy shop would be on a small island, surrounded by water. And that is exactly where Kadamakudy Shop is. The fish is so fresh you can see the fisherman come by in their boats with their catch. You might want to keep in mind that getting drunk surrounded by water may not be the smartest thing to do. What starts of as vellam adi might end up with you literally adikaling the vellam in the river to stay afloat- so take caution!
Some of the other Toddy Shops in Kochi-
1.Eramalloor Shaap
2.Thuravoor Shaap
3.Padipura Shaap
4.Pallikara Shaap
5.Mala Mapranam Shaap
6.Paniyeli Shaap Perumbavoor
7.Kera Bar Udayamperoor
8.Kanjiramattom Shaap
Do you know of any other places to enjoy some tasty toddy and Shappu food? Let us know!
Words: Noel Alex
