The dishes served at the official banquet hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan in connection with the visit of Seychelles President Patrick Herminie have sparked discussion. Many have pointed out that several items presented as Kerala specialties under the theme “Coastal Flavours” were unfamiliar even to Malayalis.

To commemorate the maritime ties between India and Seychelles, coastal dishes from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra were included in the menu. However, many of the items showcased as “Kerala flavours” were presented in a modified, fusion style rather than in their traditional form.

‘Kerala’ dishes served at the banquet

Soup: White pumpkin–coconut soup infused with curry leaf oil, accompanied by mini idiyappam.

Paneer Tellicherry: Described by officials as a spicy Kerala-style paneer dish, this item was unfamiliar even to people from Thalassery (Tellicherry), after which it was named.

Jackfruit–Banana Flower Skewers: A salad-style preparation of jackfruit and banana blossom threaded onto sugarcane sticks and cooked with kodampuli (Malabar tamarind) juice — a dish considered entirely alien to Kerala’s traditional food culture.

Thoran: Yam thoran and raw banana thoran were served alongside porotta, a pairing that surprised many Malayalis.

The main criticism is that such experimental dishes presented in the name of Kerala could create a misleading impression among foreign guests. The paneer dish served under the name of Thalassery has particularly drawn ridicule on social media. Diplomacy observers have questioned the need for such experimentation when Kerala has a wide array of authentic and flavourful vegetarian dishes to offer.

It has been widely discussed that not a single seafood item was included in the coastal-themed banquet for the head of an island nation. As per the current practice at Rashtrapati Bhavan, only vegetarian food was served at the banquet.