Tea shops in the morning, toddy shops for lunch, and thattukadas for dinner: Local food stops that define Kerala travel

When people talk about travelling through Kerala, they often picture palm-fringed backwaters, rolling tea estates, and beaches lined with fishing nets. But the real heart of the journey lies in the small food stops that shape daily life. On World Tourism Day, it is worth remembering that the rhythm of a traveller’s day here can be mapped through tea shops at dawn, toddy shops at midday, and thattukadas by night. Each stop offers more than a meal. It is a window into culture, people, and place.

A morning in the chayakkada
The tea shop, or chayakkada, is Kerala’s answer to the world’s cafés. They open before sunrise, filling the air with the sound of boiling milk, the hiss of tea being poured from height, and the chatter of early risers. These stalls serve the day’s first glass of strong, sweet tea along with plates of pazham pori, parippu vada, or steaming puttu with kadala curry.

For decades, the chayakkada has been a meeting point for villagers, workers, and students. In many towns, newspapers were once read aloud here, shaping public awareness. Cinema has also used the tea shop as a backdrop for everyday life, politics, and humour. For a traveller, it is an easy, welcoming place to begin the day and watch Kerala wake up.

Midday at the toddy shop
By noon, the scent of spice and smoke leads to a different kind of stop: the toddy shop. Known locally as kallu shaap, these rustic eateries serve freshly tapped palm toddy along with food that is fiery, earthy, and unforgettable. The highlight is kappa (tapioca) with meen curry, where the soft starch soaks up the heat of red chilli and tamarind. Plates of fried pearl spot, prawn roast, and mussel fry appear alongside, often cooked with coconut oil and curry leaves that define the state’s coastal cooking.

For many visitors, the toddy shop is a revelation. While some come for the drink, many come for the food alone. A shaap lunch is bold, communal, and deeply tied to the land and waters around it.

Nightfall at the thattukada
As evening settles, Kerala’s streets light up with the glow of thattukadas. These roadside stalls, often no bigger than a cart or small shed, serve hearty dinners to late workers, families, and night wanderers. Their menus may be simple, but the food is full of soul.

A plate of flaky parotta with beef curry is a classic order, though chapati with chicken roast, thattudosa with chutney, or an omelette with kattan kappi are just as popular. The cooking is fast, the flavours strong, and the atmosphere lively. Sitting on a plastic chair by the roadside, eating food cooked on a hot iron tawa, is one of Kerala’s most authentic night experiences.

A day’s journey through taste
From the first pour of chai in a glass to the last parotta flipped on a roadside tawa, these food stops shape how people live and how travellers discover Kerala. Tea shops, toddy shops, and thattukadas together form a trail that is as memorable as any backwater cruise or hill-station trek.

On World Tourism Day, when the theme is about experiencing culture through travel, Kerala’s small food stops remind us that flavour is also heritage. To taste Kerala this way is to meet its people, share their spaces, and carry away memories that stay long after the journey ends.