Bestowed with divine taste, the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi is one of the best instances of how cultural exchanges tend to leave a permanent trace in the local cuisine and tradition. In addition to its overall historical significance and several leading tourist attractions, one aspect of Kochi that makes it immensely unique is the local food culture.
While the overall demand for seafood and other meat-based delicacies here is quite widespread, the sweet dishes of Kochi have a special place for themselves in Kerala cuisine. If you are a sweet-lover, visiting Kochi will be the cherry on top of your journey as you also get to indulge in some of the best sweet delicacies of the region. Let us find out!
What are Kochi’s Famous Sweets?
The inhabitants of Kochi are as pleasant and welcoming as the sweets here. With several festivals taking place in the region, the excuses to prepare these decadent and mouth-watering desserts are never short. Fulfilling the unique flavors and needs of every sweet-lover out there, the rich aroma, texture, and unmatched taste of the sweets of Kochi will make you always want more.
Here are some of the famous sweets of Kochi you must try while visiting the coastal city:
1. Palada Payasam
Palada Payasam is one of the most famous sweets across Kerala, highly sought-after in Kochi. The dessert serves to be a staple for most households and sweet shops in the city. Prepared by boiling rice in milk and crunchy vermicelli to reach the soft stage. The mixture is deliciously flavoured by adding sugar, cardamom, and butter.
To enhance the overall texture and taste, this mouth-watering dessert is beautifully garnished with cashew nuts and raisins. The dish is an integral part of the feast that is prepared during special occasions or festivals like Onam in the city.
2. Banana Halwa
It is yet another delicious sweet that simply melts in your mouth, especially when you have it hot and fresh. Banana Halwa is a highly sought-after dessert in Kochi. The overall tenderness and dark-brown shade of the sweet dish are highly relished by both the locals and tourists of the city.
It is one of the most special sweets of Kerala. Prepared by using staple ingredients like ripe banana and sugar, additional ingredients like ghee, cardamom powder, and dry fruits are also added to the recipe to enrich the overall flavours. Banana Halwa is a must-try when you are exploring the beautiful coastal city of Kochi.
3. Neyyappam
It is one of the most popular sweets in Kerala. When you are enjoying the culinary journey of the state, this sweet dish should definitely be on your list of must-have sweets in Kochi. Fried to perfection in a dollop of ghee. Neyyappam is available as a stuffed pancake to make you drool all over.
The pancake is stuffed with delicious fillings like jaggery and dry fruits. The dough of the pancake is typically prepared out of rice flour. To enhance the taste, additional ingredients like cardamom powder, ghee, milk, and coconut are mixed with jaggery and added to the filling. The delicacy is quite popular as a leading tea-time snack.
4. Elaneer Pudding
When you wish to try out the best sweets of Kochi, Elaneer Pudding is one of the most exotic dessert items. The texture and appearance of the sweet dish resemble a panna cotta. The ultimate hero of this sweet dish is the staple coconut.
The pudding is set beautifully with agar-agar or gelatin. Elaneer Pudding is immensely refreshing and enjoyed in the hot, humid climate conditions of the region. The pudding is prepared by adding condensed milk to sugar, coconut, essence, and agar-agar. Due to the divine mixture, this sweet features the ultimate balance of sweetness to make it one of the most sought-after desserts in Kerala.
5. Unniyappam
It is one of the most traditional sweet dishes of Kochi. It is a popular variant of Neyyappam. Served on special occasions and festivals like Onam Sadya, Unniyappam are available as small l’il drops of heaven that you would love to have. Prepared across households and leading sweet shops of the city, this dessert is prepared out of simple ingredients like jaggery, mashed bananas, and coconut.
6. Rava Laddu
Similar in texture to any other laddu of your choice, Rava Laddu in Kochi is available as small-sized sweet treats prepared by mixing basic ingredients like rava (semolina), ghee, milk, sugar, coconut, and dry fruits. The ultimate result is a melt-in-your-mouth sweet delicacy that you can enjoy with other savory delights.
7. Parippu Payasam
Parippu Payasam might appear like chocolate sauce at first glance. However, don’t be fooled! The dessert is prepared with healthy lentils to serve as a nutritious sweet item you can have in Kochi. Some of the additional ingredients added to the divine mixture are coconut, cardamom, and cumin to enhance the flavour profile.
8. Chatti Pathiri
This dessert is quite prevalent across the Malabar region of Kerala. However, its popularity has spread to other regions, including Kochi as well. The sweet dish is prepared out of multiple layers of thin pancakes.
The dish can also be prepared by using savoury ingredients. However, as you try out the sweetened version of the pancake, you will be spellbound by the intense mixture of delightful flavors.
Conclusion
Kochi has no shortage of sweet delights in addition to its savory delicacies. If you visit this beautiful city in Kerala, you will be mesmerized by the intense offering of rich flavors, both sweet and spicy. To make the overall experience even grander, you can now order online in Kochi from Swiggy to enjoy your favorite dessert in the comfort of your home.
