- So check it out, it's Trevor James.
I am in Cochin, Kerala, India,
and we're going for a full on food exploration.
I am so pumped, let's check it out.
(relaxing music)
Kerala is southern India's peaceful
and chilled out natural paradise.
Here, you can slow down and take in
the Keralan pace of life.
The natural beauty and charm
of Kerala is found everywhere you explore
through the beautiful network
of back water canals, the friendly locals,
and through each bite on your plate.
Locals will usually eat the best food cooked at home.
So while I explored restaurants,
I was unsure of whether I would get
to try any home cooked cuisine.
So first, I made my way to a local toddy shop,
and you'll see what happens afterwards.
So we are at a special toddy shop here outside of Cochin.
This is a super local, super deep spot.
I'm so pumped to try it out.
There's gonna be coconut alcohol.
There's gonna be a bunch of Keralan specialties,
and it's gonna be busy. Let's try it out.
Oh wow.
Hi, beautiful food.
- Good, so you get all those spicy stuff here.
- Yeah I love spice. - The traditional Kerala stuff
You can enjoy that, and spread it in the world at you.
So just put it in the YouTube,
this is traditional Kerala dish.
Which especially is the seafood.
- Seafood.
- A spicy kind of a dish.
You just spread it around.
- Spreading it around is no problem.
That's the purpose of this channel.
The food at this famous toddy shop was unbelievable.
Toddy shops are known for their specialty coconut alcohol.
And here, there was an abundance of seafood, beef, and duck.
And walking into the kitchen,
you can see just how much soul is poured into each dish.
From their home made fresh karimeen pearl fish,
soaked in spices and wrapped in a banana leaf,
to their home made mashed tapioca,
and their specialty puto steamed rice with coconut.
The selection in this toddy shop was overwhelming.
- karimeen pollichathu.
- Oh, the karimeen, the specialty fish.
- Yeah specialty.
- Kerala fish.
- Kerala Special dish.
- Kerala special dish. - Just open that, open that.
- Okay. - I'll show you.
- Karimeen, oh and it's in a banana leaf.
Oh, oh look at that, oh that smell.
Oh, and there' more fish over here.
There's so much.
- [Server] That is the spicy Kerala fish curry.
- [Trevor] Oh and this here is the karimeen.
Oh it smells so good.
- [Server] Just smell and see.
That is a traditional Kerala - It smells like,
really sweet carimelized onions.
Oh it smells so good.
Oh, karimeen, oh it's hot.
- [Server] How is it?
- Oh, oh it's smoky, smoky, really nice.
- Yes yes yes.
- And there's that sweetness.
- And you should mix this tapioca with karimeen.
- Mix this, take this tapi - it will be nice.
- And this, this spicy fish curry of Kerala,
will mix with this tapioca.
- So I can take some tapioca.
- Yeah, tapioca, put it there, it can be very hot.
- And I can just dip it into this.
- Yes, dip it into that,
or you have to pour this inside this tapioca and have it.
It's really awesome.
- Oh, wow, look at that. Look at that.
Tapioca? - Tapioca.
- Mmmh, wow. - Always fresh.
- Enjoy, that is a delicacy,
there's a beauty of Kerala, God's own country.
- God's own country, oh it's really spicy here as well.
- Duck roast.
- Duck roast, that is thick.
Oh look at that, look that that thick duck roast.
It's from nature.
- Exactly from nature.
- It's from nature.
- Everything is from nature.
- While I was amazed by the food in Kerala,
I was even more wowed by the friendliness of the locals.
After finishing this beautiful meal,
I made friends with another local
who invited me back to his family's home
for a traditional lunch the next day.
And, a canoe paddle through the back waters of Kerala.
Sit here?
(older man speaking)
Thank you.
So much food.
- [Older Man] It's not oil, it's not oil.
- No oil?
- Not oil.
- Ghee rice.
- Ghee rice. Oh, made with ghee.
Wow, that smells amazing.
Oh and cashews.
- Yeah cashews.
- Oh amazing. Fried beef.
Oh wooow.
Fried beef.
- [Older Man] Shrimps.
- Oh, wow. - Shrimps, fresh.
From back waters not from sea.
- [Trevor] From the back waters.
- [Older Man] Yeah, it's good from sea.
- [Trevor] Chicken.
- [Older Man] Pepper chicken.
- [Trevor] Like a curry chicken.
- [Older Man] Chicken pepper.
- Pepper chicken. Wooow.
Mmmmh.
That's really good.
- [Woman] Spicy?
- Not too spicy, really nice.
You can taste the coconut.
Tastes like coconut.
The ghee rice is so good, yeah.
It's really good, thank you.
It's so good.
Amazing home cooked food.
Very nice.
Thank you for inviting me.
So this is the puto.
And what should I mix the puto with?
- Pateri. - Pateri, thank you.
(family talking)
Try the puto.
- This combination with puto.
- This is like a chickpea. - yeah.
- Chickpea curry. - Yeah.
- I'm left handed, can I use my left hand?
- Oh yeah yeah, of course.
- Okay.
- Coconut chicken. - Coconut chicken.
Wow.
- It's a little spicy. - I love spicy.
So this is another coconut chicken curry.
Put it right into this oppaam,
which is like a rice flour pancake.
Woah.
Mmmh.
(family laughing)
That's like a little sweet.
Eating here with my friend Alija and his family really
was a once in a lifetime experience.
The fresh, all from nature, beautiful Keralan food
is inspired from the hearts of the locals.
It's clean and flavorful eating,
with fresh seafood and meat dishes served
in thick gravies, many using coconut.
Keralan specialties like puto, fried beef,
coconut chicken, Kerala style shrimp,
and fluffy Keralan pancakes, they were all superb.
And eating with Alija's family made me realize
just how friendly people are in India.
After getting full on delicious food,
we made our way out for a sunset paddle
through the back waters.
(calming music)
What sort of, is there fish in here?
Lots of fish?
The karimeen, karimeen.
(calming music)
Hidden gem.
Hi.
- Hi. - Hi.
- How are you?
- Good how are you?
- Hi.
(children talking)
- This is why Kerala is one
of the nicest places in the world.
Locals with hearts so big and friendly,
food so delicious and fresh from nature,
and some of the most amazing scenery
you can set your eyes on.
If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up
down below, and leave me a comment too.
It's gonna help the video reach more people,
so I can keep producing these food and travel videos.
Thanks again.
- [Young Man] They thought he's not from Kerala
- [Trevor] Ohh.
- [Ajira] Because we're speaking english (laughs).
- Ohh.
(talking, laughing)
- There's crabs coming up there yeah.
- [Older Man] Babies.
- Baby crabs.