Roaming with a hungry heart: Food vlogger to explore TN

CHENNAI: Food in itself is a story. It travels across valleys, homes, rivers, seas, mountains, and hills and eventually lands on a plate- narrating a unique ode of flavours and spices with history on the side. Having travelled all over India experiencing the food and culture of several cities and villages, 30-year-old food vlogger Govind P, who goes by the moniker Kerala Foodie, is ready for more this year.

Govind is collaborating with the State Tourism Department to document his journey exploring the food of seven districts in Tamil Nadu. Speaking to DT Next he says, “Two years ago the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department got in touch with me for the Discover Tamil Nadu project. It was a 10-day trip and we went across the state trying out different kinds of food. That’s when I realised that Tamil Nadu is very rich in culture and has an excellent range of cuisines.”

After having an enriching experience, Govind wanted to learn more about Tamil Nadu’s culture, people and most importantly food. He reached out to the department and sought help to document his culinary adventures in a special video series called ‘Food Documentation of Tamil Nadu’ which will begin in the month of February. He will be travelling to Dindigul, Tiruchy, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, and The Nilgiris.

What’s on the menu? He will be trying out a variety of food items like Pazhani panchamrutham, thalappakatti biryani, Manaparrai murukku, Srivilliputhur palkova, Kovilpatti kadalamittai, macaroons, coconut bun, iruttu kadai halwa, mascot halwa, and Ooty varkey.

On asking him which his favourite place in Tamil Nadu was, he chuckles, “This is a difficult question. Each place has its own charm and it is really difficult to choose because I personally love all the cuisines in Tamil Nadu.” He continues, “It is a tough call. So, I would say Chennai because it is not limited to only the culture of Tamil Nadu. The city is diverse in terms of culture and people. However, Madurai is also on my list of favourite places.” Asking the forbidden question to a foodie, we asked him what his favourite food was, and he laughs, “I don’t have any favourite food. But I like podi idly and podi dosa. So I would say that.”

A prologue to his food exploration would take place on January 16, when he will travel to Madurai to attend the Muniyandi Kovil Thiruvizha. “I’m excited to visit this thiruvizha because this is one of the few temples to serve non-veg biryani as the sacred food and this happens only once a year.”

Talking about what he looks forward to from the exploration he says, “I’m looking forward to learning the history, culture and the story behind the food I’m going to try out. I’m always hungry to learn.”