Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai

Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai is a crunchy peanut-and-jaggery brittle from the town of Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, a snack whose fame rests on its unique taste and texture. It is made by roasting groundnuts, mixing them into a molten jaggery syrup and setting the mixture into slabs that are cut into bars, with skilled makers judging the syrup by eye to get the right snap and chew. Local lore credits the sweet's distinctive flavour to the quality of the water drawn from the region and to the particular jaggery used. The town has produced this brittle for generations, and it grew from a humble roadside snack into a widely sold regional speciality. Made by numerous small units across Kovilpatti, the mittai supports many family businesses and is bought by travellers as a signature taste of the region.