Mysore’s food heritage has garnered many fans from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The ineffable delights of Mysore Pak or Mysore filter coffee are just the beginning of this enduring relationship, for some who have been on a fleeting visit to this historic city; for some who may have turned up as students on an educational trip of the South; or for some who have made the city home having left behind their ancestral lands. Be that as it may…there are always stories to uncover, to share, to swap with like-minded foodies and this tour opens up a very interesting chapter in your culinary journey too.
The gems of Mysore’s culinary may appear to be just items such as Mysore Masala Dosa, Mysore Pak, Mysore Filter Coffee which are regulars on most city menus. But as you will discover there is much more than meets the eye on this delightful food walk. On this food walk, you get to try some of these world-famous delicacies as well as the local favourites, from true hole in the wall joints. Discover the fascinating stories behind the creation of these mouth-watering dishes. If you take your food as seriously as we do, then you are in good company! Breakfast is serious business here with a verity of dosa and idlis to choose from as are the chutneys that go with them. Uppittu, made with roasted sooji laced with chillies, coriander leaves, mustard and cumin seeds is another breakfast favourite.
Rice is a staple at lunch and you would at some point do well to explore the charms of chitranna, a rice dish with lime juice, green chilli turmeric powder sprinkled with fried groundnuts and coriander leaves, vangibath is a spicy rice dish made with eggplant. Mysore’s bisibelebath is a marriage of rice, lentils, tamarind, dried coconut, chilli powder and spices. Home-made kaal soup and idly, naati koli curry with mudhdhe (ragi ball) with Mysuru style Maratti masala are distinct to this city. While wandering the streets one should definitely try the most popular Mysore snack Churumuri, which is made from puffed rice and there’s the ubiquitous samosa, which appears in many avatars in different parts of the country. The signature Mysore Pak, which we will try at Guru Sweets, run by the great-grandson of the royal chef who invented the sweet; is a good takeaway for families and friends back home. By the way were you aware there’s a variety of banana here, the Nanjangud banana rasa bale, which has snagged a GI tag.