Tamil Nadu is a culinary wonderland that transcends ordinary gastronomic experiences. Its vibrant and diverse food scene offers a delectable array of dishes for festivals, gatherings, and everyday cravings. Renowned as a haven of gourmet treats, the State's opulent food traditions offer a flavour fiesta that unfolds like a symphony for the taste buds. At the heart of this culinary extravaganza, the use of rice, lentils, coconut, and spices, with meat and legumes play vital roles to elevate each dish to a culinary masterpiece. Experience the authentic flavours and palate-popping wonders of Tamil Nadu by seeking out dishes that proudly wear the Geographical Indication (GI) badge - a marker of unique products that reflect the qualities and culture of the area they come from. As you travel across Tamil Nadu, you can sample a wide range of dishes ideal for every meal, from breakfast to lunch and dinner.
Here, we have curated a list of a few GI-tagged cuisines from Tamil Nadu that you must try at least once in your lifetime.
OOTY VARKEY
A distinctive delicacy from Ooty is the flavourful nibble, Varkey. It is a unique crispy snack borne out of a blend of diverse ingredients including wheat flour, salt, sugar, ghee, vegetable oil, mava, and water. The mava that goes in the snack is prepared from bananas, semolina, maida, and sugar. In addition, the characteristic properties of water and weather in Ooty give Varkey a peculiarly unique taste that you will not find elsewhere. Varkey is primarily a biscuit consumed with tea during snack hours. The texture of the biscuit is crusty and crackly on the first encounter with your mouth. You can also have it whenever you feel the taste buds tingling, as it is quite easy on the stomach.
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This story is from the March 2024 edition of Outlook Traveller.
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This story is from the March 2024 edition of Outlook Traveller.
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