Karimeen, toddy and the case for eating where you are

The backwaters produce a fish that has become a symbol of Kerala food: karimeen, the pearl spot. It is a brackish-water fish, firm and sweet, with a thick skin and fine bones. In Alappuzha it is cooked in several ways, but the most famous is karimeen pollichathu: the fish is marinated in chilli, turmeric and lime, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled or pan-fried. The leaf chars, the fish steams in its own juice, and the result is smoky, sour and hot.

You will also find karimeen fried crisp and served whole, or in a coconut and tamarind curry. The curry is the everyday version, and it is often better than the showpiece. Ask whether the fish is from the backwaters or farmed; both are sold, and the difference matters to the texture and the price.

The toddy shop

A toddy shop, or shaap, is a basic bar serving toddy: the fermented sap of the coconut palm. The sap is collected by tappers who climb the palms twice a day, and it sours quickly, so toddy is a local drink in the literal sense. It is mild, slightly sweet when fresh and sharper as it ferments. It is not fine wine, and it is not supposed to be.

The food in a toddy shop is the reason to go. Fish curry, fried fish, prawns, beef, tapioca and rice are the staples, cooked with a heavy hand on chilli and coconut oil. The flavours are built for the drink: sour, salty and hot. Shops range from a bench under a tarpaulin to a clean family-run establishment. Some are not welcoming to outsiders, and some are not safe for anyone who does not know the local etiquette.

Go with someone local if you can. Ask before taking photographs. Do not treat the shop as a dive-bar experience or a photo opportunity. Order food, eat it, pay, and leave the drinking to the people who live there. If you do not drink, you can still eat at many shops; ask first.

What else to order

• Karimeen pollichathu — fish wrapped and grilled in banana leaf.
• Karimeen fry — whole fish, crisp and spiced.
• Meen curry — fish curry with coconut and tamarind, usually sour and hot.
• Chemmeen — prawns, fried or in curry.
• Kappa — tapioca, boiled or fried, the traditional accompaniment.
• Appam — lacy rice pancake, good with a mild stew or curry.

Breakfast is its own pleasure. Appam and stew, puttu and kadala, or a plate of idli from a tea shop are all better than a hotel buffet. Tea is the default drink; coffee is usually instant. If you are vegetarian, say so clearly and ask whether the fish curry is cooked in the same pan as the vegetables. Coconut oil is used widely, and it is not a neutral flavour.

How to eat it

Fish is eaten with the right hand, mixing rice with curry and a little pickle. Use your fingertips, not your palm. If a banana leaf is served, eat from the near edge and keep the far edge clean. Do not be afraid to ask for less chilli; the kitchen will usually oblige, though the dish will not taste the same. Drink water, not ice, unless you trust the source.