Appam

Appam is a type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. It is a common food in the South Indian state of Kerala. It is also popular in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner.

It is considered as a staple diet and a cultural synonym of the Nasranis (also known as Saint Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians) of Kerala. According to Gil Marks, each of the three separate Indian Jewish communities - Cochin, Mumbai, Calcutta - counts in its culinary repertoire grain dishes called appam.

History

Appam first emerged in the southern tip of India, as per Gil Marks.Vir Sanghvi, an Indian journalist, quotes food historian K. T. Achaya and states that the appam is mentioned in the Tamil Perumpanuru. K. T. Achaya in the last published book of his lifetime states that Appam was well established in ancient Tamil country (comprising most parts of present-day South India), as per references in the Perumpanuru.

Regional names

It is called Aappam (ஆப்பம்) in Tamil, Appam (അപ്പം) in Malayalam, Appa (ආප්ප) in Sinhala, Chitau Pitha (ଚିତାଉ) in Oriya, Paddu or Gulle Eriyappa in Kodava, and Arpone (အာပုံမုန့်) in Burmese. Appam is commonly referred to by its anglicized name, Hoppers, in Sri Lanka. In Indonesia it is known as Kue Apem.