The way many people in Madurai and its surroundings see it, if a person can eat half a kilogram of mutton during a meal, it is a sign of good health.
So much is the city's love for meat that sellers venture out to do business even on the days when it is banned, like Gandhi Jayanthi and Mahavir Jayanthi. Madurai has its own meat delicacies, like the famed kari dosa, in which generous amounts of nicely minced meat are spread on a traditional dosa, besides other dishes like mutton chukka and chicken chukka.
The high demand for meat has also driven up competition among the sellers, who have begun to adopt novel ways to promote their business. Posters advertising meat stalls can be found in different parts of the city. Nagamalai, a seller, offers four free eggs for every kg of mutton purchased from the stall. Others offer masala packets, spices or extra meat like half kg of chicken for every kg of mutton.
Some meat sellers offer vegetables that could be used while cooking non-vegetarian items. As onions have become less affordable, some stalls give away onions free of cost along with meat to attract customers. During festivals like Diwali, lucky draws are organised in meat stalls. Lucky buyers can even get free home appliances.
Not just posters, after the advent of local channels on cable television, some of the meat sellers have begun to advertise on television as well. For instance, Krishnan Mutton & Broilers in Nelpettai gives regular advertisements in local channels. "Meat is always in demand in the city. I have modernised my stall with all facilities and felt like advertising about it," said S Muthukrishnan who has been running the stall for last 23 years. He sells at least 1000kg of mutton on Sundays and spends Rs 1 lakh per month on advertisements.
On Sunday, there was a serpentine queue in front of his stall because the meat is of good quality, Nelpettai residents said. "Mutton and Madurai appears to be interconnected. People here prefer to relish on meat items. Some youngsters also gorge on meat to tone up their muscles," commented S Anand, a resident of Virattipathu.
The city consumes nearly 7 lakh kg of chicken on weekends, and nearly half as much mutton because the latter is expensive. "Of late, even vegetables have become costlier. It is cheaper to buy half kg of chicken and cook it than to prepare a good vegetarian platter," said L Kaliswari, a homemaker.
The food habit of the region is associated with land and culture, said eminent author Tho Paramasivan. In an arid landscape where vegetables are scarce, meat from livestock and poultry becomes a staple diet for people.
"There is nothing surprising with the food pattern of Madurai, which has evolved over the period. The most recent introduction is the fast food meat items, which have been introduced by corporate food giants," he said.
Paramasivan also commented that a region like Madurai was quick to accept changes in food habit. For instance, country chicken has become popular recently in place of broiler chicken because the former is healthier, he said.
So much is the city's love for meat that sellers venture out to do business even on the days when it is banned, like Gandhi Jayanthi and Mahavir Jayanthi. Madurai has its own meat delicacies, like the famed kari dosa, in which generous amounts of nicely minced meat are spread on a traditional dosa, besides other dishes like mutton chukka and chicken chukka.
The high demand for meat has also driven up competition among the sellers, who have begun to adopt novel ways to promote their business. Posters advertising meat stalls can be found in different parts of the city. Nagamalai, a seller, offers four free eggs for every kg of mutton purchased from the stall. Others offer masala packets, spices or extra meat like half kg of chicken for every kg of mutton.
Some meat sellers offer vegetables that could be used while cooking non-vegetarian items. As onions have become less affordable, some stalls give away onions free of cost along with meat to attract customers. During festivals like Diwali, lucky draws are organised in meat stalls. Lucky buyers can even get free home appliances.
Not just posters, after the advent of local channels on cable television, some of the meat sellers have begun to advertise on television as well. For instance, Krishnan Mutton & Broilers in Nelpettai gives regular advertisements in local channels. "Meat is always in demand in the city. I have modernised my stall with all facilities and felt like advertising about it," said S Muthukrishnan who has been running the stall for last 23 years. He sells at least 1000kg of mutton on Sundays and spends Rs 1 lakh per month on advertisements.
On Sunday, there was a serpentine queue in front of his stall because the meat is of good quality, Nelpettai residents said. "Mutton and Madurai appears to be interconnected. People here prefer to relish on meat items. Some youngsters also gorge on meat to tone up their muscles," commented S Anand, a resident of Virattipathu.
The city consumes nearly 7 lakh kg of chicken on weekends, and nearly half as much mutton because the latter is expensive. "Of late, even vegetables have become costlier. It is cheaper to buy half kg of chicken and cook it than to prepare a good vegetarian platter," said L Kaliswari, a homemaker.
The food habit of the region is associated with land and culture, said eminent author Tho Paramasivan. In an arid landscape where vegetables are scarce, meat from livestock and poultry becomes a staple diet for people.
"There is nothing surprising with the food pattern of Madurai, which has evolved over the period. The most recent introduction is the fast food meat items, which have been introduced by corporate food giants," he said.
Paramasivan also commented that a region like Madurai was quick to accept changes in food habit. For instance, country chicken has become popular recently in place of broiler chicken because the former is healthier, he said.
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