Kallu shaaps (toddy shops) have had a notorious reputation — Malayalam movies from the 80s and 90s have for long shown moustachioed heroes and villains sitting at a shaap, drowning their sorrows in kallu. There are over 3,500 toddy shops in Kochi. As the style of food most of them serve — freshly made and spicy local dishes — get more popular, these male dominated spaces are increasingly frequented by families.
Toddy is tree sap from coconut or palmyra trees, which gets fermented overnight and is served the next day. The drink, which is often used to make fermented breads like appams, has a very short shelf-life of one day.
Sea food varieties Nettoor toddy shop | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
Traditionally, travellers to Kochi come with a sadya craving, and make pit stops at a few porotta shops, a cafe or two and call it a day on their culinary adventure. But now, travellers, influencers and chefs have taken to the charm of toddy shops.
“I always believe toddy shop culture is something we can be proud of. The culture of ‘touchings’ or side plates is similar to that of Spanish tapas. Toddy tastes the same everywhere. What differs is the food offered, which is hyper local and seasonal,” says Chef Regi Mathew, culinary director and co-founder of the Kappa Chakka Kandhari restaurants in Chennai and Bengaluru.
Regi, who travelled across Kerala to do research on toddy shop menu for his restaurants, noticed how every area had different menus. He says “The toddy shop in high-range places and those in Alleppey will not serve similar foods. For example, during monsoons, there are lot of fresh water fish like perla and pillappi available.”
Karimeen pollichathu at Mullapanthal toddy shop | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
Since there is usually no system of refrigeration, Regi says what is cooked in the morning, is served through the day in small quantities. “The food gets a resting period as the day passes and the flavours become well-rounded. Toddy shop food is spicy, bot pungent, and hence palatable,” he says, adding “Cooks of toddy shops usually stay on for years.”
“People come here more for the food, than for the kallu,” says Smitha Dilip, who manages the iconic 50-year-old Nettoor shaap along with her husband, Dilip Prameswaran. Forty-four-year-old Smitha, who grinds the masala for all the curries herself, says she tastes every dish after it is prepared. Smitha joined her husband in the business after COVID-19.
Nettoor, is a great place to go to for its ambience and food, for it is situated near the backwaters. Try the beef ularthu (beef fry) and meen vevichathu (fish in a spicy tamarind sauce) paired with kappa (tapioca) and a glass of fresh toddy. Smitha credits the flavour to the iron frying pan she uses as well as her wood-fired stove. Other specialities at Nettoor include fish head curry and duck roast.
Meen thala curry at Nettoor toddy shop | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
Most shaaps still use wood-fired stoves, which believe adds to the flavour of the food. Mullapanthal, situated in Tripunithura, for example, boasts at least 16 wood-fired stoves. Also, it has an all-women kitchen crew.
Mullapanthal, which is around 70 years old, was started by the father and uncles of 62-year-old Vijayakumar A. D. Over the years, they opened over 15 shaaps in and around Kochi. “A lot of them are now managed by union workers, who initially worked at the shaaps when they opened,” he says.
Vijayakumar says serving fresh, unadulterated toddy, is their priority. “Now of course, with social media influencers and YouTubers posting videos of our shaap, a younger crowd has started coming in, and families too visit, more for the food, than for the alcohol,” he says. Their specials include duck roast and koonthal or fried squid.
Tapioca with spicy chutney at Mullapanthal toddy shop | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
Another popular place is Chanakyans, a small shaap, also located at Tripunithura. At Chanakyans, try the chicken roast and the pork fry, which is served with a side of tapioca or appams (fermented rice breads). Chanakyans is a small space, but is neat with great food.
The Kadamakkudy toddy shop, located at Kadamakkudy, a small hamlet, about 30kms away from the Cochin International airport is managed by a union worker, 62-year-old Joshi M P, who says he has been working at various toddy shops since he was 14, He recommends the meencharu or spicy fish curry, pork fry and beef fry. “A lot of tourists and food lovers from Ernakulam come here, more than the locals,” he says. Sundays are the busiest, and often, people have to wait to be seated, he adds.
Clam roast ( kakka irachi ) at Mullapanthal toddy shop | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
While the number of toddy tappers might be dwindling, the toddy shaap culture will find a way to sustain itself, he feels. Traditionally, toddy tapping is a trade passed on from father to son. One of the main reasons the number of toddy tappers are dwindling is because the new generation does not want to take up the trade,” Joshi says. “Toddy on the whole isn’t hard to come by, but, during summer, toddy production usually goes down,” says 70-year-old Janakan S., who works at Kadamakkudy. On an average, one coconut tree gives up to three litres of toddy. Fresh toddy is sweet, but, over time, it turns sour. “So, we tend not to sell today’s toddy tomorrow,” says Vijayakumar, adding, “Instead, we use it to ferment appams.”
