The idea of a food trail in Coimbatore was very intriguing, even for the locals. The itinerary included a compelling walk in the Town Hall area, tasting biscuits, pickles, snacks and other gastronomic treats from various vendors. It was also an insight into the city’s heritage and the food habits of the numerous communities who have lived in this neighbourhood for generations. The walk was led by none other than Coimbatore’s very own historian, Rajesh Govindarajulu.
Quite appropriately, we began from the Koniamman temple at the stroke of five on the old Manikoondu clock tower. We were all local residents, but for many of us it was the first time in this part of the city. We walked past the Kotai area, the old administrative part, to reach our first stop, Durgalal Pickles. This little store had shelves lined with bottles of vegetables in brine. These will be used to make their cut vegetable pickle later on. Gulkand is one of their specialty products. We hopped into Balaji Bakery which was right next door and got to taste its delicious ghee biscuits, cream horns, macaroons and swiss rolls.
It was rush hour in this part of town as the bus stops were packed with commuters waiting to take a bus back home. We manoeuvred through the busy intersections to reach Shobha Corner. “The aesthetic minarets were built by Perfume merchants from Tirunelveli area”, pointed out Rajesh. “Oppanakara Street derived its name from Oppanavaaru which translates to tax collectors in Telugu since they resided on this street years ago”. We turned into Vysial street where even today the Vysial community has a
prominent influence. We admired the beauty and intricate workmanship on the facade of Coimbatore’s first Jain temple - Vimalnath Temple - on this street. Our next stop was at a very unassuming food stall not far from the Jain temple, Sri Vasavi Kannika Parameswari Sweet Shop. The couple behind the counter in this stall plated up local delicacies like melon seed Mysurpa, Settu billa (thatta vada sandwich with a spicy onion filling), Garam Borugulu (masala pori), bonda with spicy chutney and puli vada for us to taste and relish. Across the street in a samaj-like setting, we were treated to a few of the tiffin items typical of Vysial cuisine prepared by Chetty veedhi Pratap, a local caterer. There was pappu rottah, pulusu pindi, muddha kudumu, saarasthulu with fresh mango pickle and spicy chutney.
The old heritage houses along the way, although in dilapidated condition, still looked glorious with their intricate cast-iron railings, wooden rafters and stained glass windows. We were not only getting a glimpse of how the various communities lived back in those days but we also got to taste their cuisine and understand their culture. Many of the residents from this area were great philanthropists in the pre-independence era and have made immense contributions to the cultural and overall development of the city of Coimbatore.
After a quick stop at the renovated Kannika Parameshwari Temple, we were lead into the gullies off Vysial street. We walked through narrow lanes and alleyways to reach a co-operative-like establishment run by Gokula Vajravelu where traditional snacks made by the local women were sold. A platter of murukkus were offered to us to taste and choose from. We bought small onion pickle,
garlic podi, pulicha murukku, keera pori urandai, fried avarai, maavu urandai and khus khus halwa to take back home for our families to enjoy.
The streets were remarkably clean and the people were warm and friendly. We shared a few laughs with an elderly couple who were relaxing in front of their Potti Kadai. The food trail was a window to the past and a truly enriching experience for all of us.
