Thread: (1/9) Have you heard about this village in Tamil Nadu, where every man is an expert cook?
At the Kalayur village in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, nearly every male member is a cook and has never even been to a catering school!
At the Kalayur village in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, nearly every male member is a cook and has never even been to a catering school!
(2/9) Kalayur, also known as the village of cooks, is home to about 200 of the best male professional cooks in India.
(3/9) It is said that about 500 centuries ago, the wealthier Reddiar caste of tradesmen of the region gave the job of cooking to the Vaniyars, who were washermen by profession till then.
(4/9) Vaniyars were also believed to be a storehouse of secret food recipes and did a better job of cooking compared to the traditional Brahmin cooks.
(5/9) Today, the professional chefs of this village travel for more than six months throughout South India preparing delicious dishes for marriages and ceremonies. Some cooks also say if provided with all the right ingredients, they can guarantee a feast in merely three hours!
(6/9) Becoming a cook in this village is not an easy task either as the standards are quite high with recipes and techniques that have come down three generations. Though there are no specific criteria for training, beginners usually start young and learn on the job.
(7/9) It takes nearly about ten years for a raw recruit to graduate from stoking the fire or cutting vegetables to a senior cook, leading a team of 50 helpers.
(8/9) The reason is since the job involves cooking a feast for a large number of people, it requires planning and skills which come with experience.
(9/9) An interesting thing to note here is that even though the men are professional cooks, they don't cook for their families - the task is reserved for the women of the house.
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