Toddy establishments are not just your regular old dive bars serving local liquor. In Kerala they are family-run restaurants that serve spicy local food along with the state's beloved beverage. Locally known as "kallu", it was the Britishers who coined it "Toddy" which has stuck till date referring to the fermented beverage made from tapping the sap from coconut and palm trees. Toddy, in the state, has been the centre for a lot of political and legislative turmoils in the past, until the government started owning the liquor and circulating it. Nowadays "kallu shaapu" or toddy shops are all-inclusive, which means you can visit them with your family and partake in an evening of the region's famed cuisines and beverage. If you're in Kochi and you plan on going on a toddy shop trail, here's 5 well-renowned toddy parlours where you can drop by with your family for a fun night out.
1. Mullapanthal Toddy Shop, Kadamakudy
The food at Mullapanthal toddy shop is heavenly and people from all around the world visit this joint to pair their toddy with a host of mouthwatering seafood and meat dishes. From fish kappa curry to duck roast, from beef fry to rabbit, pork, crabs, squids, prawns and much more, you would run out of options to choose from and feel like coming back for more.
Image Credits: Instagram @catherinecathy_
Location: Udayamperoor, Thrippunithura, Ernakulam.