page_title: South Indian cuisine
section_title: Tamil Nadu food
hierarchical_section_title: South Indian cuisine / Tamil Nadu food
caption_attribution_description: English: Medhu Vadai is a popular snack in Tamil Nadu served with chutneys.
context_page_description: South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines of the five southern states of India—Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana—and the union territories of Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.There are typically vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for all five states. Additionally, all regions have typical main dishes, snacks, light meals, desserts, and drinks that are well known in their respective region.
context_section_description: Tamil Nadu has always been a hub for food connoisseurs to take a great pleasure of some of the finest traditional cuisine in the country. The state is reckoned to be one of the best places in India for offering a bagful of culinary treasure for tourists to savour. But, the fascinating things about Tamil Nadu is the touch of their customary culture which is served with its every delectable fare.The region is known to offer a wide variety of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with each holding a unique flavoursome taste.
  A typical Tamil meal consists of many spicy and non-spicy dishes. Many of these dishes are generally mixed and eaten with steamed rice, which is the staple food of the region. Except for Brahmins and a couple of non-Brahmin castes, most Tamilians eat non-vegetarian food. However, on a typical day, a Tamil family will eat mostly vegetarian food, and the intake of meat is lower than in most parts of the world.
  Restaurants serving Tamil food are traditionally of two types: so-called Saiva restaurants (serving only vegetarian food) and so-called Asaiva restaurant (serving both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food). Saiva restaurants serve people from all castes and religions. Fresh coffee and tea remain a staple drink served in both restaurants.
  Tamil cuisine groups dishes under five slightly overlapping categories.
caption: Medhu Vadai is a popular snack in Tamil Nadu served with chutneys
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