Kerala hands the title of “food capital” to Kozhikode, and a day of eating here shows why. This is a city shaped by centuries of trade — Arab, Chinese, Portuguese and Dutch merchants all passed through its port — and its kitchens still carry that history, sweet and savoury alike. Come hungry.
Kozhikodan halwa and the Sweet Street
The city’s signature sweet is Kozhikodan halwa — a dense, glossy, ghee-rich block made in wheat, coconut, banana and fruit varieties, sold by weight and cut from great slabs. Its home is Mittai Theruvu, the “sweet street”, which the British came to call Sweet Meat Street — the classic dark ghee halwa, they thought, looked like a slab of red meat — a name later shortened to SM Street. The street is more than 500 years old, dating to the Zamorin era, when (by tradition) sweet-makers from Gujarat were invited to set up near the royal palace.
Malabar biryani and the savoury classics
On the savoury side, the star is Kozhikodan (Malabar) biryani — made with small-grained khaima/jeerakasala rice, fragrant rather than fiery, and served with a date-and-lime pickle. Look out too for the Malabar seafood — fish, prawns and kallummakkaya (mussels, often stuffed and fried) — and for the parotta-and-beef and chicken dishes that Malabar tea-shops do so well, washed down with sulaimani, the black spiced tea of the region.
Snacks, chips and tea shops
Kozhikode’s crisp banana chips, fried in coconut oil, are famous across India and make the best edible souvenir, along with boxes of halwa. The city’s bakeries and tea shops turn out a long list of Malabar snacks — unnakkaya, pazham nirachathu, elanchi and more — and the evening food stalls along the beach road are a fine place to graze at sunset.
- Buy halwa and banana chips fresh from SM Street — taste before you buy, as varieties differ shop to shop.
- Try a proper Malabar biryani at a well-known local restaurant, and sulaimani tea at a traditional tea shop.
- Save an evening for the Kozhikode Beach road stalls for grilled snacks and sunset.
Frequently asked questions
What food is Kozhikode famous for?
Kozhikode is Kerala’s food capital, famous for Kozhikodan halwa, Malabar (Kozhikodan) biryani, coconut-fried banana chips, seafood including mussels, and Malabar tea-shop snacks with sulaimani tea.
Why is it called Sweet Meat Street (SM Street)?
The street’s Malayalam name is Mittai Theruvu, the “sweet street”. The British called it Sweet Meat Street because the dark ghee halwa sold there looked like a cut of red meat; the name was later shortened to SM Street.
What is Kozhikodan halwa?
Kozhikodan halwa is the city’s signature sweet — a dense, glossy, ghee-rich block made in wheat, coconut, banana and fruit varieties. Its traditions trace to Arab traders and the Zamorin court, and it is sold all along SM Street.