Kodava cuisine is one of the most distinctive in South India — pork is a staple (unusual for Hindu cuisine), bamboo shoots and wild greens are common, and the cooking leans on the kachampuli, a sour reduction made from local Garcinia gummi-gutta fruit.
The dishes to look for: pandi curry (pork in kachampuli and roasted spice), akki roti (flat rice bread), noolputtu (steamed rice strings), and kadambuttu (steamed rice balls). Many homestays serve a full Kodava meal — book ahead.