Why do Malayalis carry snacks from this 73-year-old Kottayam shop abroad?

Why do Malayalis abroad stock up on snacks from this 73-year-old Kottayam shop? In Puthanangadi, Mammi Chedathy’s Food Products has been making traditional Kerala snacks for more than seven decades. What began with Mariyam Antony, popularly known as Mammi Chedathy, has grown into a family-run business involving generations of women. Churuttu, kuzhalappam, achappam, cheeppappam, vettu cake, madakkusan, avalose podi and other traditional snacks are prepared in the kitchen next to the shop, where around 20 women are involved in making, frying and packing them. Many Malayalis visiting Kerala stock up on these snacks before heading abroad, while customers and traders from across Kerala also buy them for resale. From one homemaker’s snack-making venture to a 73-year-old family business, this is the story behind one of Kottayam’s much-loved traditional snack shops.