'Beef sold openly in Kochi,' laments Rajasthan visitor: Here's what tourists should know

A few days after North Indian influencer Amrit Singh Darren (littichkha_up_) said that 'Keralam is in Danger,' citing the name of Fort Kochi's Kashi Art Cafe and the Muslim population of the region, yet another visitor seems to be 'stunned' by the state's culinary choices. Another social media post, by a young man from Rajasthan, portraying the open sale of beef in Kochi as an affront to Hindu values, has now drawn sharp backlash from Malayalis online. The man, identified as Sanjay Sharma, has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to intervene.

“What I saw in Kochi, Kerala, broke my heart. I took this photograph by the roadside in Kerala. Beef is being sold openly at a roadside eatery. It is deeply painful to see this happening on the streets of a country that takes pride in its Hindu heritage and regards the cow as sacred.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath must take this matter seriously and initiate nationwide action to protect our values. Our faith and traditions must be safeguarded in every State,” he wrote.

The Malayali comments
The post quickly drew a volley of sharp responses, with Malayalis flooding the comments section with sarcastic retorts. One user pointed out that Uttar Pradesh, governed by Adityanath, was among the largest exporters of beef and questioned the apparent contradiction.

“Isn't it Uttar Pradesh, under Yogi, that is among the biggest exporters of beef? Isn't it shameful to export the ‘mother’ as food for Westerners? What a sorry state of affairs! If you go a little further, you might even get good pork. Do try some,” the user wrote sarcastically.

Another user questioned whether Sharma had travelled to Kerala by train before taking a dig at his attempt to impose his views on the State.

“You would know the difference between your so-called ‘sanskaris’ and South Indians. I am a vegetarian living in Kochi, and I have no problem with this. Why don't you clean up your own State first before coming here and demanding a ban on beef? Nobody here imposes anything on anyone. We decide what we want to eat,” the comment read.

Several others pointed out that beef did not necessarily mean cow meat, while some responded with a list of popular beef dishes to underline Kerala's food culture.

“Kerala will continue to sell and eat beef. We will cook it in every possible way, be it fry, roast, stew, curry, pepper fry, beef Manchurian, chilli beef or the ever-popular combination of tapioca and beef. If you have a problem with it, you don't have to come here,” one user commented.

Some users went a step further and shared recipes for beef curry, while others challenged Sharma to visit the northeastern States, where beef is also widely consumed. One user asked why he would not make a video there, while another had a more direct invitation: “Shall I get you some beef and porotta?”

What tourists should know
a) Unlike in many North Indian states, the sale and consumption of beef is completely legal in Keralam. There is no ban on cattle slaughter either.
b) At the same time, 'beef' on a Keralam menu mostly means the meat of water buffalo.
c) Beef is widely consumed by people across religions and communities, and the 'porotta-beef' combination is one of the most popular food choices of Malayalis.
d) In the state, culinary preferences are considered a person's individual choice, without judgement.
e) If you prefer to avoid beef or similar non-vegetarian dishes, opt for restaurants labelled as 'pure veg,' and they are very common in every town and tourist hub.
f) Staff at non-vegetarian hotels in Keralam are also used to vegetarian orders and can guide customers to pick the right dishes.