Appam

Appam is a popular Indian bowl-shaped pancake made from a batter of rice and coconut milk. Typically consumed for breakfast or dinner, appam is most popular in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and Kerala, where it is culturally linked to the Syrian Christians called the Nasranis, who bake appam on a stone. According to an American food writer and historian, Gil Marks, the pancake first appeared in the southern tip of India. Although not much is known about the history of appam, some also speculate that it originated from Jewish communities in India. Today, it is traditionally served with spicy condiments such as coconut milk curry. The pancakes can be filled with a variety of ingredients such as steamed eggs, chutneys, fish, meat, and vegetables. Appam is a popular street food item that is mostly consumed as a snack. It can be found throughout Sri Lanka and India, sold by street vendors known as hopper men, who usually serve it in batches of three to eight hoppers per person. With its increasing popularity, there are also a number of variations on appam such as palappam, honey hoppers, and achappam. The sweet varieties are usually prepared on special, festive occasions.