The aroma of Kerala's culinary skills is beckoning to tourists from across the seven seas who are now coming in hordes to get the real taste of God's Own Country.
Popularly known as 'God's own county', the small coastal region of Kerala is known for the spices and mouth-watering delicacies dripping coconut oil.
The households in Kochi are thick with aroma.
The south Indian cuisines like sea food or rice and other cereal dishes are prepared with main emphasis on 'healthy food', using only coconut oil, less sugar, and artificial additives, and more use of natural herbs, spices and raw coconut.
A few foreign tourists tried their hands on grating coconuts and making traditional dishes in a village at Mala near Kochi.
It was a one-day class in the kitchen of Francis Paul Kandankulathy, a village based tour operator, who included culinary skill in their Kerala tour package.
In this package tour, a group of tourists were taught to prepare sumptuous lunch or 'Sadhya' in traditional way from morning till afternoon.
And for Paul's family members and neighbours, it was a different practice helping the tourists in preparing the traditional feast.
'Sadhya' is a traditional vegetarian feast of Kerala. Usually served as lunch, it includes boiled pink rice, side dishes, savories, pickles and desserts spread out on a plantain leaf.