Kerala has a distinctive cuisine, very unusual and different from the rest of India and influenced by foreign dishes adapted to Kerala tastes.
From as early as 3000 BC Kerala established itself as a major spice trading center and Kerala has been visited by many ocean-goers traders, including Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and later Europeans. Kerala cuisine is therefore a blend of indigenous dishes and dishes with a foreign influence. As with almost all Indian food, spices play an important part; this is in particular the case in Kerala cuisine. Cooking in Kerala is about discoveries, aromas and colors. Unpolished rice along with coconut form the major ingredients in the day to day food. There are vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The non-vegetarian dishes use meats, including beef, fish and seafood and are usually heavily spiced; the vegetarian repertoire is mildly spiced and feels especially easier on the non-native tongue. Many different spices are used, but among the most common are cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and ginger.
A traditional meal in Kerala is served on a "plate" that consists of a fresh banana leaf. Different dishes are served on the leaf, beginning at the top left corner and moving right and down the leaf. The food is eaten using the fingers, forming small balls of food to put into your mouth. If you have not tried it before, it is more difficult than it looks, but the food is usually delicious. After you have finished your meal, you are supposed to fold the banana leaf. If you fold it away from yourself it means that you enjoyed the food, if you fold it against yourself it means that you did not like what you got served.
At most restaurants and all hotels you will of course get a fork and a knife or a spoon, and the food gets served on a plate. The dishes are still delicious but the experience not quite the same as when you eat the traditional way.
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