Italian and Chinese cuisines take over Kerala food

Tasty and good food always makes the tummy happy. Kerala has been one of the most famous states to provide luscious foods to its visitors and residents; the state has adapted to its native flavours and tastes. But with globalisation in the food industry, things have changed in the state of Kerala as well.

Credits: Creative Commons

People have started travelling to different places to taste different varieties of cuisines. This trend has brought in a new and varied cultural mix to recipes. Italian and Chinese food products have become popular in the state as people are gradually starting to lean towards them.

Credits: Instagram

Many small cafes and food stalls have come up in most of the districts in Kerala. Experimenting with more varieties of food has become very common in the state. Since Keralites are fond of spices, they have started to mix their flavours with foreign food. Maya, the owner of Maya's Pizzeria, said, "I am a pizza lover. Earlier pizza wasn't that common in Kerala; only cities like Kochi had pizza outlets like Domino's, Pizza Max and Pizza Hut. So, I used to travel to Kochi from Changanacherry to have them. Later with Covid and the lockdown, it wasn't easy for us to travel. So, I started to bake pizza at home, and my family started to love the way I made them by mixing them with Kerala flavours."

"Nowadays everyone is fond of these types of food. Through children and the younger generation, these kids' elders and parents have also become lovers of these foods. I understood this when I started making pizza; my family, friends and others asked me to cook for them. Then I started doing online deliveries. I earned tremendous support from everyone. This inspired me to create a shop. Now people from different areas in Kerala come here and taste our pizza," added Maya.

Credits: Creative Commons

"Now we have many Chinese and Italian cuisines even in Indian restaurants. There are chefs who have received experience from European countries. Therefore, the food served there has the same authentic taste," said Arun, a restaurant manager in Kottayam.

The rise of pizzas and pasta in the state can easily demonstrate how much Italian food is loved by the natives of Kerala. "Italian foods are one of my favourites. Many Italian restaurants, pizzas, and kinds of pasta are readily available in my city," shared Abhinav from Kochi.

Credits: Creative Commons

The advent of online food delivery has also helped these cuisines to conquer the hearts of people. "The majority of orders are through online food delivery apps like Zomato, Uber Eats and Swiggy. The food varieties which are frequently sold through these apps are varieties of fried rice, noodles, pasta, burgers and barbeques," said Ancil, co-partner of a café.

There is a vast market increase in the food industry with these food products. In the coming years, this would undoubtedly help in the expansion of demand in the industry.