Odisha Travel Guide & Tips

While visiting any place, it is imperative to know about the cuisine of that place, lest you find yourself surrounded by a food group that you do not entirely like. Well, in Odisha there is enough to please any palate, be it of those who love fish, or those who love meat or those who are vegetarians. The main food in Odisha, and probably the most popular ones are related to fish and molluscs, from both the sea and rivers. Some of the most popular dishes are:

Chungdi Malai: A rich and creamy concoction that combines fresh prawns and coconut milk for a smooth and delicious curry.

Macha Tarkari: A fish curry that uses both sea fish and freshwater fish. The curry consists of onions, tomatoes, potatoes and spices.

Macha Ghanta: A dry curry made of deep fried fish head, combined with vegetables and spices. It is a very popular dish, served to the Goddess Durga on Dussehra.

Chhena Poda: A sort of cheesecake that is baked on an open fire for hours, so that it caramelises and becomes sweet. It is served to Lord Jagannath in Puri on special occasions.

Kukuda Tarkari: A simple chicken curry that is used making the freshest of ingredients, and farm-raised chicken.

Kankada Jhola: A delicious crab curry that is both spicy and sublime at the same time. It is sometimes made using coconut milk.

Chhena Gaja: Another Odisha famous food is the chenna gaja, a sweet dish made from semolina and cottage cheese, which is soaked in a heavenly syrup flavored with cardamoms.

The main cuisine of Odisha, as you can see, is a little bit heavy on the sweet side. In short, there are several sweet dishes that Odisha is known for than there are savory dishes, so make sure to try all of them. You can also try Odisha street food, which is a combination of sweet as well as savory offerings at small stalls and generic restaurants, which do not cost an arm and a leg, but offer delicious, hygienic fare. Well, that’s enough about food, let's take a look at some other interesting facts about Odisha, such as the nightlife in Odisha. There are several nightclubs, discotheques and bars in the more urban cities of this state, such as Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Hope all of this Odisha state information will help you make a well-balanced decision in order to enjoy your trip to the hilt.