Dined In Aug 2022
TODDY SHOP!! That too a girl from a good family! This is enough for people to raise their brows and tag as 'unethical' in the literate society of Kerala :)
Well, to experience the vibe and food of a local toddy shop was in my to-do list and I got a great opportunity a few days back, with hubby and friends.
We drove to the village of Mapranam in Thrissur, where the famous family toddy shop 'Mapranam Shaap' is. Although it didn't look like a typical toddy shop, it had similar arrangements of open seating and varieties of food offered. We visited the shop for lunch, and our host Mr Joy was more than happy to give us warm welcome and personal attention. It was full house with a few families also (that was awesome) who came to enjoy food and drinks.
There were almost all possible non-vegetarian curries and fries available - sea food, red meat, egg - name it and you get it. Along with that was yummy tapioca, appam etc. We asked for vegetarian food :). Joychayan said with a smile that earlier he used to keep, but mostly would get wasted and hence stopped. So, hubby and I had kappa (tapioca), appam etc with egg roast. I tasted 'naadan kallu' for the first time, and I felt it okay. To me, it tasted more like a fermented buttermilk and had nothing that irked my taste buds.
By writing this, I am not trying to prove any point, but I have a matter to convey. While we all agree that consumption of alcohol is injurious to health, there is still once in a while social 'dine and drink' life that we can thoroughly enjoy with friends and family. Its not mandatory that everyone drinks, those who want can, others can enjoy the evening with friends and family. I couldn't find any such option here in Thrissur! Sometimes, I feel the mindset of people must change how they look at these aspects. Its not a crime for a girl to have a beer with her friends and family. Here in Thrissur, there are secluded and separate area within the restaurants where they serve drinks, and is confined to men (I bet no woman would want to enter those premises). Instead, why cant the social dine and drink culture be allowed? Guess I have to explore more or perhaps travel to Kozhikode or Kochi for that :) On that aspect, Mapranam shop stands out in the list!
Comments