Food Culture Of Trivandrum
The city of Trivandrum has got a unique food culture and being the capital of God's Own Country, it is only befitting for the city to have its tastes known to every subject that resides within the blissful shadow of Lord Sree Padmanabha, irrespective of their cultural differences or financial backdrops. Trivandrum has got eateries and restaurants that fits into the budget of people belonging to every social stratum marked in terms of their spending power. While the presence of posh, elegant, high valued, star rated hotels attract the big spenders, Trivandrum has, in its entire history, has played host for the common man more than anyone else. And being a city meant for the common man the real taste of Trivandrum lies discreet in places most frequented by the common man. The many numbers of famous 'thatttukada's', 'chayakada's' and mobile restaurants that dot the city's streets attracting customers of all kinds and varieties gives evidence to this specialty exclusive to the city of Trivandrum.The one particular food dish that the food loving population of Trivandrum most prefer would automatically go to 'parotta' and its customary combination of 'beef'. While skeptics never misses an opportunity to demerit 'parotta' as a food item, fact remains that it is still the favourite for the majority, simply because of the unique taste it brings onto the tongue when taken in with any meat recipe, especially beef.
Another favourite combo of Trivandrumites commanding a global appeal is the famous 'dosa-chammanthy-rasavada-pappadam' combination. This dish is usually preferred by the people at evenings, more so during the night time. People throng to the numerous 'thattukada's' present on the sides of almost all the major streets in Trivandrum, to have their belly full of this unique combo, which is fast acquiring legendary status, if it hasn't already. After making a mesh of the soft 'dosa' with the 'chammanthy' and the 'rasavada', you take it in along with crushed oil fried 'pappadam' and you repeat the process till you are done with food and have licked your fingers clean. But to give a proper ending to this 'poor man's feast', you need to go for an omelette, preferably 'one sided' and have it eaten from the same plate on which you just had made a feast of the humble 'dosa-chammanthi-rasavada' combination.
While 'parotta-beef' and 'dosa-chammanthi-rasavada' qualifies into the 'main meal' category for a Trivandrumite, the hard working people also demand for some quality snack items as well. Way side tea-shop's or 'chayakkada's' are the most sought after eating outlets by every person, ranging from the daily age labourers to IT professionals. 'Parippuvada', 'ullivada', vazhapori', 'mulaku baji', 'mutta baji' are all names classified as superstars among the food items that's found in these tea shops.
One major factor that makes this fast developing yet modest city truly a place for the families to come and reside and for the parents to raise their kids in, other than the obvious factors of safety, cleanliness and cordial attitude of the people, is its social lay out where the gap separating the 'have's' from the 'have not's' is way lesser than any other place in the world. In fact, for Trivandrum, there isn't much of a social section that could be termed as 'have not's'. A more apt classification should be the 'more having' and the 'less having'. Almost every person living in Trivandrum is sure to obtain everything that's deemed as the base necessity for an advanced society. And this peculiarity could be found reflected on this unique food culture of Trivandrum where you could see a luxury cars stopping on the road sides with immaculately dressed people stepping out of the door to join the crowd that has assembled around the stove where hot 'dosa's' are being made under the lamination provided by petro max lamps, to eat in the crowd consisting of the 'less having' as well as the 'more having', as one among the crowd, sharing the same taste and paying the same amount of money feeling the same sense of satisfaction after your meal and feel nothing out of ordinary in it.
