Food, Faith, and Maritime Culture: Culinary Traditions of Muslims in Kayalpattinam

Abstract

The paper examines the culinary traditions of the Muslim community in Kayalpattinam, a historically significant coastal town in southeastern Tamil Nadu, India. The study investigates how centuries of maritime trade networks, regional ecology, and intercultural exchange have shaped the community's distinctive foodways. Employing a qualitative research framework, this study integrates historical documentary analysis, ethnographic fieldwork, examination of indigenous community narratives and oral histories. The study documents both everyday and ceremonial food practices of the Kayalpattinam Muslims. The finding reveals that Kayalpattinam’s culinary landscape exhibits a remarkable cultural synthesis reflecting the integration of diverse culinary influences from Arab, Sri Lankan, Maldivian, and Southeast Asian maritime traditions. Analysis of signature dishes, festival-specific confections, and wedding cuisines reveals a sophisticated process of culinary localisation, particularly through the utilisation of indigenous palm-based ingredients and the development of adaptive household food production strategies. The study concludes that food functions as a vital maker of identity, social cohesion, and cultural memory, preserving the town’s maritime heritage within contemporary culinary practices.