Just moments before I formally started writing this story, news came out revealing that two agricultural products, namely Unjha cumin and fennel, from Gujarat have received GI tags. Today, India has GI tagged products abounding but before 2004, there wasn’t even a single one. “Geographical Indication” is what the tag is, a certification given to […]

What were two of India’s most celebrated bartenders doing at Kolkata’s Lake Market on a humid July afternoon? One was foraging through bunches of herbs, feeling the leaves between his fingers before lifting them to his nose. The other had wandered off towards a mountain of jackfruit, hefting one into his palms, inspecting its weight, […]

On the second floor of Lee Road’s Altitude Building, two doors stand side by side, each promising an entirely different night. Open one and you enter a room of roses, softly-lit tables and conversations that slowly give way to dining and dancing. Choose the other and you step into a world that imagines what cocktails […]

That first hint of petrichor, and suddenly you’re craving piping hot chai and pakoras. But what if you could distill the aroma of the first rains into a cocktail? Or better yet, build cocktails using indigenous ingredients that make an appearance every monsoon. Think warm ginger, aromatic jackfruit, piquant jamun, luscious guavas and spirits from […]

In the bustling streets near the Meenakshi Amman Temple, a small shop continues to draw crowds, just as it has done for generations. The Aathi Kalathu Original Nei Mittai Kadai, which is more than 130 years old, is easy to spot near Pudumandapam thanks to its red board. Inside, shelves and the trays are filled […]

An unmissable part of a visit to Chennai’s beaches is the food. Food is central to the city’s identity, but what you eat by the sea has a character of its own: the maanga pattani sundal, hot bajjis, fish fry, smoky roasted corn, and cloud-like cotton candy.  From the prawns and crabs of Pazhaverkadu and […]

A stainless-steel tiffin carrier packed with home-cooked foods | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto There was a time when a stainless-steel tiffin carrier packed with home-cooked food was an essential part of everyday life in Chennai. Today, that familiar sight is slowly disappearing, replaced by neighbourhood eateries, restaurants, cafés, food-delivery apps and subscription kitchens. When writer […]

A traditional Onam Sadya | Photo Credit: The Hindu Novotel Varun Beach Celebrate Onam with an authentic Kerala-style sadhya at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach on August 26 from noon to 3.30pm at Nautica. Chef Rima Kalarikkal Raju from Kerala will curate a traditional spread celebrating the flavours and traditions of Onam. Families can book their […]

Onam is more popular than ever in Bengaluru, but it comes with a price tag. The prices of the festive meal are getting more expensive, we speak to diners and restaurant owners. Reporting: Anagha Maareesha Video & Editing: Ravichandran N Published – August 26, 2026 06:15 pm IST Source link

Rhythm Coffee in Alwarpet  | Photo Credit: Sangita Rajan If you, like me, have a permanent residence on one particular social media app and live in Chennai, you must be subjected to the endless tirade of videos calling everything from Erode Amman Mess to a local thrift store a ‘hidden gem’. Naturally, it did not […]