If you’ve never heard someone say “Ramanathapuram is where my taste buds found true love,” you’re about to become that person. Tucked along the southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu, Ramanathapuram is a sun-soaked town with salty air, fish markets that kick-start before sunrise, and recipes so fiercely guarded they could have their own security detail....

Let me start with this: if you’re ever in Kerala and don’t take a detour to Palakkad, you’re missing out on something soul-stirring. No, I’m not being dramatic. This little town, surrounded by the Western Ghats and cradled in greenery, isn’t just a postcard, it’s a bowl of warm, coconut-scented comfort. Palakkad is that sweet...