Idiyappam

Idiyappam (Tamil: இடியாப்ப‌ம்),(Malayalam: ഇടിയപ്പം), (Sinhalese: ඉඳි ආප්ප) also known as Nooputt (or Noolputtu)(Kodava: ನೋಲ್ ಪೂಟ್ಟ್), Putumayam (in Malaysia) or string hoppers is a traditional Tamil, Kerala, Kodava, Tulu and Sri Lankan food consisting of rice flour pressed into noodle form and then steamed.

History

"The Story of our Food", a book written by K. T. Achaya, an eminent Indian food scientist and food historian, states that Idiyappam and Appam were already known in ancient Tamil country around 1st century AD, as per references in the Sangam literature.

Distribution

Idiyappam is culinary specialty in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lanka and southern areas of Karnataka (especially in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu) . It is also a culinary staple in Sri Lanka. The name idiyappam derives from the Tamil/Malayalam words idi, meaning 'broken down', and appam, meaning "pancake". Pronounced as e-di- ap-pam The dish is also, frequently, called noolappam or noolputtu from the Malayalam/Tamil/Kannada/Kodava word nool, meaning "string or thread", especially in Kodagu. In coastal areas of Karnataka it is also termed semige. It is common in Malaysia, where it is called putumayam.